Built-In Events

Built-In Events Reference

Comprehensive guide to automatically mapped events in Singular SDK and S2S integrations, covering event types, tracking triggers, and reporting locations.

Automatic Event Tracking: When integrating Singular SDK or S2S into your app, certain events are automatically mapped and tracked in Singular platform without additional configuration.

These built-in events appear automatically in user-level reporting, partner postbacks, and aggregate analytics, providing foundational metrics for campaign measurement and user behavior analysis.


Automatic Event Tracking

SDK Initialization Benefits

Once Singular SDK initialized or S2S integration configured, Singular automatically reports core events without requiring additional implementation.

Automatically Tracked Metrics:

  • Installs: First session for unique devices tracked automatically
  • Sessions: All app launches and user sessions monitored
  • DAU: Daily active users calculated from session data
  • Retention: User return rates measured across cohorts

Revenue Event Configuration: While install and session events are automatic, revenue events require in-app configuration using SDK revenue methods or S2S revenue parameters. Once configured, revenue tracking is automatic for all subsequent purchases.


Event Reporting Locations

Where Built-In Events Appear

Built-in events automatically appear in multiple reporting and data export locations across Singular platform.

Location Description
User-Level Attribution Logs

Export detailed user-level data including all built-in events with timestamps and attribution information.

Export Logs and User-Level Data FAQ

Partner Postbacks

Send built-in events to partner platforms for campaign optimization if partner configured to receive auto-generated event names.

Configure in Partner Configuration → Event Postbacks

Internal BI Postbacks

Forward built-in events to internal business intelligence systems for custom analytics and reporting.

Internal BI Postbacks Documentation

SKAN Conversion Models

Include built-in events in SKAdNetwork conversion value mapping for iOS campaign optimization.

Configure in SKAN Conversion Model Builder


Supported Auto-Mapped Events

Complete reference of built-in events automatically tracked by Singular SDK and S2S integrations with tracking triggers and availability details.

User-Level Event Reference

Built-In Event Types

__START__ - Install Event
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Event Description

Represents app installation and first session for unique device, serving as primary install attribution event.


Tracking Trigger

Automatically tracked when first session sent through SDK/S2S integration for unique device identifier.

Important Limitation: __START__ event visible ONLY in BI Postbacks. This event does not appear in standard reporting or partner postbacks.


Technical Details

Event Name __START__
Event Type Install/First Session
Tracking Method Automatic (SDK/S2S initialization)
Configuration Required None - tracked automatically
Availability BI Postbacks only
__SESSION__ - Session Event
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Event Description

Tracks all app launches and user sessions, providing foundation for engagement and retention metrics.


Tracking Trigger

Automatically tracked when sessions sent through SDK/S2S integration. Includes first session (install) and all subsequent app launches.


Session Definition

Session begins when app brought to foreground and ends after configurable timeout period (default: 60 seconds) when app backgrounded.


Technical Details

Event Name __SESSION__
Event Type Session/App Launch
Tracking Method Automatic (SDK session management)
Configuration Required None - tracked automatically
Availability All reporting locations

Usage in Analytics

Session events power multiple derived metrics:

  • Daily Active Users (DAU): Unique users with sessions on given day
  • Retention Rate: Percentage of users returning for subsequent sessions
  • Session Frequency: Average sessions per user over time period
  • Re-engagement Attribution: Sessions from re-engagement campaigns
__iap__ - SDK Revenue Event
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Event Description

Tracks in-app purchases and revenue events reported through SDK revenue methods without custom event names.


Tracking Trigger

Tracked when SDK/S2S integration reports revenue event through revenue method, provided revenue event does not have custom name in SDK configuration.

Custom Revenue Event Names: If revenue event configured with custom name (e.g., "purchase" or "subscription"), it appears with that custom name instead of __iap__. Both approaches track revenue correctly; __iap__ is default when no custom name specified.


Technical Details

Event Name __iap__
Event Type Revenue/In-App Purchase
Tracking Method SDK revenue method or S2S revenue parameters
Configuration Required Revenue tracking implementation in app code
Availability All reporting locations

Implementation Examples

iOS SDK:

// Track revenue without custom event name (appears as __iap__)
Singular.revenue(withAmount: 9.99, currency: "USD")

Android SDK:

// Track revenue without custom event name (appears as __iap__)
Singular.revenue("USD", 9.99);

S2S Revenue:

amt=9.99&cur=USD&is_revenue_event=true
__REVENUE__ - Any Revenue Event
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Event Description

Aggregate revenue event automatically triggered whenever any type of revenue reported, regardless of revenue source or event name.


Tracking Trigger

Automatically tracked if any revenue reported through any method:

  • __iap__ event triggered (default revenue event)
  • SDK reports ad monetization revenue event
  • S2S reports revenue with custom event name (e.g., "purchase")
  • Other revenue events like "refund" or "offline_purchase" reported

Postback Configuration Warning

Duplicate Revenue Risk: Do not send postbacks for __REVENUE__ if already sending postbacks for __iap__ or other revenue events. This causes duplicate revenue reporting as __REVENUE__ fires for every revenue event.

Recommended Approach: Send postbacks for specific revenue events (__iap__, custom revenue events) OR __REVENUE__, but not both.


Technical Details

Event Name __REVENUE__
Event Type Aggregate Revenue (all sources)
Tracking Method Automatic (triggered by any revenue event)
Configuration Required None - automatic when revenue events exist
Availability All reporting locations

Use Cases

When to Use __REVENUE__:

  • Single postback for all revenue types to partner platforms
  • Aggregate revenue reporting without event-specific breakdown
  • Simplified partner configuration with one revenue event

When to Use Specific Revenue Events:

  • Separate tracking for IAP, subscriptions, and ad revenue
  • Event-specific optimization in partner platforms
  • Detailed revenue attribution by event type
__UNINSTALL__ - Uninstall Event
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Event Description

Tracks app uninstalls enabling churn analysis and re-engagement campaign targeting.


Tracking Trigger

Automatically tracked if uninstall tracking enabled for iOS or Android app, and at least one uninstall detected. Once uninstall detected for device, event triggered once daily until reinstall or data retention limit.


Prerequisites

Uninstall tracking must be explicitly enabled in Singular platform before __UNINSTALL__ events appear.

Platform-Specific Setup:


Technical Details

Event Name __UNINSTALL__
Event Type Uninstall/Churn
Tracking Method Automatic (requires uninstall tracking enablement)
Configuration Required Enable uninstall tracking in Singular platform
Frequency Once daily per uninstalled device
Availability All reporting locations (after enablement)

Uninstall Detection Methods

iOS: Silent push notification verification

Android: FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) verification

Detection Timing: Uninstall detection not real-time. Typically detected within 24-48 hours of actual uninstall depending on platform notification delivery.

__REINSTALL__ - Reinstall Event
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Event Description

Tracks app reinstallation after previous uninstall, enabling win-back campaign measurement and user lifecycle analysis.


Tracking Trigger

Automatically tracked if uninstall tracking enabled via SDK/S2S. When __UNINSTALL__ tracked for device, then subsequent __SESSION__ triggered, __REINSTALL__ event automatically fired.


Trigger Sequence

  1. Initial Install: User installs app, __START__ and __SESSION__ tracked
  2. App Usage: User engages with app, multiple __SESSION__ events tracked
  3. Uninstall: User uninstalls app, __UNINSTALL__ detected and tracked
  4. Reinstall: User reinstalls app and launches
  5. Reinstall Detection: First __SESSION__ after __UNINSTALL__ triggers __REINSTALL__ event

Technical Details

Event Name __REINSTALL__
Event Type Reinstall/Win-back
Tracking Method Automatic (requires uninstall tracking)
Configuration Required Enable uninstall tracking in Singular platform
Prerequisites Prior __UNINSTALL__ event for device
Availability All reporting locations

Attribution Considerations

Reinstalls can be attributed to re-engagement campaigns if user clicked campaign link before reinstalling. Attribution window settings apply to reinstall attribution same as initial install attribution.

Win-Back Campaign Measurement: Use __REINSTALL__ events to measure effectiveness of win-back campaigns targeting churned users. Compare reinstall rates and subsequent engagement between campaign sources.


Aggregated Event Reporting

Singular automatically generates aggregate-level events and metrics based on built-in events, providing campaign performance measurement and user behavior analytics.

Derived Metrics

Session-Based Events

Aggregate metrics automatically calculated from session events appearing in reports and analytics dashboards.

Important Note: These aggregate events not visible in Events section but appear throughout reporting interface as standard metrics.

Installs
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Metric Definition

Tracks first session for unique devices, representing new app installations and primary attribution metric.


Calculation Method

Count of unique device identifiers with first __SESSION__ event in reporting period.


Usage in Reporting

  • Campaign performance measurement
  • Install attribution by source and channel
  • Cost per install (CPI) calculation
  • Install funnel analysis
Re-engagement
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Metric Definition

Tracks sessions triggered by re-engagement campaigns, measuring effectiveness of campaigns targeting existing users.


Configuration Dependency

Re-engagement tracking depends on Partner Configuration settings defining re-engagement attribution windows and campaign parameters.


Calculation Method

Sessions attributed to re-engagement campaigns within configured attribution window, regardless of whether first or subsequent session for user.


Usage in Reporting

  • Re-engagement campaign ROI measurement
  • Dormant user activation rates
  • Cross-channel re-engagement performance
  • User lifecycle stage transitions
Daily Active Users (DAU)
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Metric Definition

Daily count of unique users with at least one session on given day, measuring active user base size.


Calculation Method

Count of unique device identifiers with at least one __SESSION__ event on specific calendar day.


Related Metrics

  • WAU: Weekly Active Users (7-day unique user count)
  • MAU: Monthly Active Users (30-day unique user count)
  • DAU/MAU Ratio: Stickiness indicator (DAU divided by MAU)

Usage in Reporting

  • App engagement trend analysis
  • User base growth measurement
  • Seasonal usage pattern identification
  • Platform health monitoring
Retention
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Metric Definition

Percentage of users who installed app (first session) and returned for additional sessions within specified time period.


Calculation Method

(Users with sessions on Day N after install / Total users installed on Day 0) × 100


Retention Types

Retention Type Description
Day 1 Retention Percentage of users returning day after install
Day 7 Retention Percentage of users returning 7 days after install
Day 30 Retention Percentage of users returning 30 days after install
Rolling Retention User returned on or after Day N (cumulative)

Usage in Reporting

  • Product-market fit assessment
  • Onboarding effectiveness measurement
  • Campaign quality comparison (high vs low retention sources)
  • Churn prediction and prevention

Revenue-Based Events

Aggregate Revenue Metrics

Automatically calculated revenue metrics appearing in reports and analytics dashboards for campaign ROI measurement.

Revenue
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Metric Definition

Tracks IAP (in-app purchases), custom revenue events, and subscription revenue, excluding ad monetization.


Included Revenue Sources

  • __iap__ events (default revenue event)
  • Custom revenue events (purchase, subscription, etc.)
  • Subscription renewals and upgrades
  • One-time purchases and consumables

Excluded Revenue Sources

  • Ad monetization revenue (tracked separately in Ad Mon Revenue)

Usage in Reporting

  • Campaign ROI and ROAS calculation
  • User lifetime value (LTV) measurement
  • Monetization funnel analysis
  • Revenue attribution by source
Ad Mon Revenue
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Metric Definition

Tracks ONLY revenue generated from ad monetization events, separating advertising income from purchase revenue.


Included Revenue Sources

  • Banner ad impressions
  • Interstitial ad views
  • Rewarded video completions
  • Native ad engagements
  • Offerwall completions

Implementation Requirement

Requires ad monetization SDK integration or ad revenue reporting via S2S with appropriate event type designation.


Usage in Reporting

  • Ad monetization strategy optimization
  • Hybrid monetization model analysis
  • User segment profitability (IAP vs ad revenue)
  • Fill rate and eCPM performance
Total Revenue
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Metric Definition

Tracks all revenue events from all sources, providing complete monetization picture including IAP, subscriptions, and ad revenue.


Calculation Method

Total Revenue = Revenue + Ad Mon Revenue


Included Revenue Sources

  • All IAP and purchase revenue
  • Subscription revenue
  • Ad monetization revenue
  • Custom revenue events (refunds, offline purchases, etc.)

Usage in Reporting

  • Complete campaign ROI measurement
  • Blended LTV calculation across monetization types
  • Overall business performance tracking
  • Cross-channel profitability comparison

Revenue Segmentation: Use Revenue, Ad Mon Revenue, and Total Revenue together to understand monetization mix and optimize strategy for different user segments.


Additional Resources

Complete documentation for event tracking, configuration, and reporting in Singular platform.

Event Documentation


Uninstall Tracking