How to Test a Tracking Link

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Vaibhav Gupta
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You have just created a tracking link through the Manage Links page. Before you start using it in a campaign, you can test the link and see what information it sends to Singular.

You will be basically simulating an ad click and looking at Singular's attribution logs to check how the click was handled.

 Guide for UA Managers
 Prerequisites 1. Singular's attribution service has been set up for your organization.
2. The Singular SDK has been integrated into your app.
3. You have generated a new Singular Link using the Manage Links page.
 Tools A mobile device for testing
1

Delete the Old Advertising ID

If your mobile device has been used to test Singular attribution before, you have to clear the data.

First, uninstall your app from the device.

Then, reset your mobile device's advertising identifier according to the following instructions:

Device Type Instructions for Resetting Device ID
Android
  1. Go to Settings > Google > Ads.
  2. Select Reset Advertising ID.
Apple (iOS below 14.0)
  1. Go to Settings > Privacy and select Advertising.
  2. Select Reset Advertising Identifier.
Apple (iOS 14.0)
  1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking.
  2. Turn off the Allow Apps to Request to Track option, and then turn it on again. This resets the IDFA.
Apple (iOS 14.5+)
  1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking.

  2. Toggle off the Allow Apps to Request to Track option AND the Singular Device Assist app.

    idfa1.png

  3. In the message box that appears, select Allow Apps to Continue Tracking.

    idfa2.png

  4. Toggle BOTH toggles on again.

 
2

Get the New Advertising ID

For Apple devices, you need the IDFA identifier. To find out the IDFA of your test device, you can download the Singular Device Assist app from the App Store.

For Android devices, you need the GAID (or AIFA). To find out the GAID of your test device, you can download Singular Device Assist from Google Play.
3

Copy the Singular Link

Copy the tracking link you generated to somewhere you can edit it. It should look like the following. Note that the link includes a list of parameters, such as "aifa", "idfa", "cl", and "pcid". The values in {curly braces} are macros - placeholders meant to be replaced with actual values by the advertising network when it serves the ad. The macros' names and appearance may vary from link to link.

https://singularassist.sng.link/D59c0/tpa9?aifa={google_advertising_id}
&idfa={idfa}&cl={click_id}&pcid={campaign_id}&pcn={campaign_name}
&pshid={publisher_id}&psn={publisher_site_name}&psid={publisher_site_id}
&pcrid={creative_id}&pcrn={publisher_creative_name}
4

Insert Advertising ID into Link

In order to test the link, you need to replace the relevant placeholder with the device's advertising ID. 

  • If you are testing an Apple device, replace {IDFA} with the IDFA of your device. 
  • If you are testing an Android device, replace {google_advertising_id} with the GAID of your device.

Delete all the other placeholders.

Here is an example of what the result should look like (for an Android device):

https://singularassist.sng.link/D59c0/tpa9&aifa=0f9f9e46-df3b-
4012-8b1e-639ebc39a20f&idfa=&cl=&pcid=&pcn=&pshid=&psn=&psid=
&pcrid=&pcrn=
Note: All the parameters in the link have to be given a valid value (in this case, the aifa parameter) or left blank. If you click on a link that still has placeholders in curly braces {}, it may not result in successful attribution. To learn more, see Tracking Link Parameters.
5

Trigger the Link

Send the tracking link to your testing device and click on it from the device. You are redirected to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
6

Install and Open the App

Download the app, install it, and open it (Singular can only attribute the install after the app is opened).
7

Verify Attribution

To verify that the install has been attributed properly by Singular, you can use either the Singular Device Assist App or the Attribution Details API endpoint.

See instructions:
8

Alternate Method: Verify Attribution Using the Attribution Logs

To check through the attribution logs:

  1. Wait 15 minutes to make sure the install event has been recorded in the logs.
  2. In the Singular platform, go to Attribution > Export Logs. 
  3. Select today's date and check the View real-time data checkbox.
  4. Select the log type Conversions, and download the log.

If your test install was attributed correctly, you will find a conversion event in the log with the Device ID of your device. The Partner should be the partner you created the tracking link for.

Other Tests

How to Test Probabilistic Attribution (Android Only)

To test what happens when the tracking link is clicked from devices that don't supply the AIFA (GAID), do the following:

  • Reset your device's attribution (see Resetting a Device and Clearing the Install Attribution).

  • Copy the tracking link again, but this time erase all the macro values, including the device ID. All the macros should be blank, as in the following example:

    https://singularassist.sng.link/D59c0/tpa9?_smtype=3&aifa=
 &idfa=&cl=&pcid=&pcn=&pshid=&psn=&psid=&pcrid=&pcrn=
  • Send the link to your testing device and click it from the device. Then follow the same steps as in the previous test.

See also: Singular Attribution Methods

How to Test Deep Links

If you've generated a tracking link with deep linking functionality, you can test it using the following steps:

  • Install the app on your test device.
  • Copy the link from the Manage Links page and send it to your test device.
  • From the device, click the link. The app should open and display the intended screen or content.

How to Test Attribution Tracking for an APK Campaign

To test tracking for an APK campaign:

  1. From your test device, open the APK file and follow Android's install wizard.
  2. Open the app. This sends a session to Singular and triggers the attribution process.
  3. Get the Device Advertising ID by going to Settings > Google Ads or using the Singular Device Assist App (see How to Verify Attribution Using the Singular Device Assist App).
  4. Wait for at least 5 minutes.
  5. In the Singular platform, go to Export Logs and export the install logs for today. Select the "Device ID", "Partner", and "Campaign" fields. Make sure to check the Use real-time data checkbox. (To learn more about exporting logs, see the Export Logs and User-Level Data FAQ).
  6. In the log file, look up the Device Advertising Id in the "Device ID" column. The attributed partner should appear in the "Partner" column.

Troubleshooting

What to check if your test did not work:

  • Did you remove all of the macros from your test link that won't be replaced with a value in your test link (see example below)? The values in {curly braces} would be removed or replaced with an expected values. When doing a deterministic attribution test, you will need to replace {IDFA} with the IDFA alphanumerical value in order for a test to be considered using this attribution method. 
    • https://singularassist.sng.link/D59c0/tpa9?_smtype=3&aifa=
 &idfa=75B369EE-10AD-4152-B940-7734C85588D0&cl=&pcid=&pcn=&pshid=&psn=&psid=&pcrid=&pcrn=
  • Are you passing an advertising ID on the test link and ensuring you choose to "Allow App to Track" when you installed and opened the iOS app? Both steps need to be taken to ensure a successful test.
  • If you are not able to pass the advertising ID on your test tracking link then you need to ensure that "_smtype=3" is included in your tracking link. (See "Test Probabilistic Attribution" above.) If the tracking link provided by the advertiser does not include "_smtype=3" then ask the advertiser if they intend for probabilistic attribution to be used for measurement in their campaign.

More Resources

Singular Links FAQ
How to Create Deep Links: Guide for Marketing/Business Teams