Google Marketing Platform (GMP) Attribution Integration

Learn how to set up and use the new Google Marketing Platform attribution integration, which allows Singular to track attributions for both Campaign Manager 360 and Display & Video 360.

If you are using the older (legacy) integration with GMP, see the Attribution-Integration-">GMP (DoubleClick) Legacy Integration guide instead.

 

About the GMP Integration

Google Marketing Platform (GMP) is a suite of marketing tools for site and app marketers, which includes, among other products:

  • Campaign Manager 360 (formerly Double Click Campaign Manager) - an ad server and campaign management platform.
  • Display & Video 360 (formerly DoubleClick Bid Manager) - a demand-side platform (DSP).

Whether you use Campaign Manager 360 and Display & Video 360 together, or with third-party products, Singular's attribution for the relevant campaign is based on reporting floodlight activities through the GMP attribution integration. Floodlight activities are conversion-related events, such as app installs, sessions, and in-app user events.

Once you configure the integration, Singular sends app installs and app events to GMP's floodlight activities. This way Singular can measure installs and re-engagements (both click-through and view-through) attributed to Campaign Manager 360 or Display & Video 360. 

If you are using both of these Google products and want Singular to report on advertising costs and show campaign ROAS, you need to add both the Campaign Manager 360 data connector AND the Display & Video 360 data connector.

Integration Summary

(See Partner Integrations Glossary)

Partner Google Marketing Platform (GMP)
Partner Type Self-attributing Ad Network
Creatives Supported (DCM creative ID)
Publisher Supported (DCM site ID)
View-Through Supported
Re-engagement Supported
S2S N/A
Click Tag No (Self-attributing)
Receiving All Installs Recommended (Self-attributing)
Receiving All Events Recommended (Self-attributing)

Setup Steps

1

Integrate the Singular SDK/S2S in your app

See our SDK and S2S documentation for help.
2

Generate Link IDs for your App

In Google Marketing Platform, generate a Link ID for your app:

  • If you are using Campaign Manager, generate the Link ID in Campaign Manager (see instructions).
  • If you're using Display & Video 360 only, generate your Link ID in Display & Video 360 (see instructions).

Do not generate a Link ID in Display & Video 360 if you have Campaign Manager!

3

Configure Google Marketing Platform as a partner in Singular

  1. In your Singular account, go to Attribution > Partner Configuration.
  2. Click Add a Partner, type in "Google Marketing Platform," and press Enter.
    GMP_inapp.png
  3. In the configuration window, paste in the Link ID you generated earlier.

    img1_link_id.png

4

[Optional] Configure Event Postbacks

By default, Singular reports all installs and sessions to Google Marketing Platform to enable install and re-engagement attribution. However, you may choose to optionally send in-app events to support optimization and reporting in Google. If you choose to send event postbacks to Google, you must map them to one of the supported Google App Event Types in the dropdown:

img2_event_postbacks.png

Note that Google Marketing Platform can support up to 10 custom events via "custom" and "custom_[0-9]".

5

Run Reports on Display & Video 360 and/or Campaign Manager

In Singular reporting, installs and other events attributed to Display & Video 360 are reported with Source = Google Marketing Platform (DV360).

Data Mapping

The following tables reflect the data that the Singular tracker gets from GMP. The availability of certain fields depends on whether you are using only DV360, only CM360, or both Google products.

When Using DV360 and a Third-Party Ad Server

Dimension Name in Singular Reports Tracking Link Parameter Field Name in GMP
Tracker Source Name  an Google Marketing Platform (DV360)
Campaign ID pcid ad_events.insertion_order_id
Sub Campaign Name pscn ad_events.line_item_name
Sub Campaign ID pscid ad_events.line_item_id
Creative Name pcrn ad_events.creative
Creative ID pcrid ad_events.creative_id
Account ID paccountid ad_events.external_customer_id
Partner Sub AdNetwork pnetworkn DV360

When Using CM360 and a Third-Party DSP

Dimension Name in Singular Reports Tracking Link Parameter Field Name in GMP
Tracker Source Name  an Google Marketing Platform (CM360)
Sub Campaign Name pscn ad_events.placement_name
Sub Campaign ID pscid ad_events.placement_id
Creative ID pcrid ad_events.creative_id
Publisher Site ID psid ad_events.site_id
Account ID paccountid ad_events.external_customer_id
Partner Sub AdNetwork pnetworkn CM360

When Using Both DV360 and CM360

Dimension Name in Singular Reports Tracking Link Parameter Field Name in GMP
Tracker Source Name  an Google Marketing Platform (DV360)
Campaign ID pcid ad_events[DBM].insertion_order_id
Sub Campaign Name pscn ad_events[DBM].line_item_name
Sub Campaign ID pscid ad_events[DBM].line_item_id
Creative ID pcrid ad_events[DBM].creative_id
Publisher Site ID psid ad_events[DCM].site_id
Account ID paccountid ad_events[DBM].external_customer_id

Appendix: Generating a Link ID in Google

You only need one Link ID per app:

  • If you are using both Campaign Manager and Display & Video 360, generate the Link ID in Campaign Manager
  • If you're using Display & Video 360 only, generate your Link ID in Display & Video 360.

Generating a Link ID in Campaign Manager

1 In Campaign Manager, go to Advertiser > Floodlight > Floodlight Configuration.
2 Click Link app analytics developer and select the app you are configuring.
3 Select Singular and save.
4 Select the app you want to measure and copy the Link ID.

Generating a Link ID in Display & Video 360

1

In Display & Video 360, go to Advertiser > Resources > Floodlight > Basic Details > Third-Party App Analytics > Edit

img3_dv360.png

2

Select Create New Link.

im4_create_new_link.png

3 Select whether your app is iOS or Android, and then select the app. Select Singular as the third-party app analytics partner and click Add. In the next window, click Done. Click Submit at the bottom of the Floodlight page.
4

Copy the Link ID for the desired app.

img5_copy_link_id.png

See Google's Display & Video 360 documentation for more information.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

What's the difference between the "first_open" and "session_start" events in GMP?

In general, "first_open" is the default event. Singular uses it to report only the first sessions of each device to GMP. GMP then determines whether they will claim those first sessions as their own for install attribution purposes.
The "session_start" event is manually configured, which can be mapped to any event in Singular, such as "__SESSION__".

gmp_faq1.png
In this example, this event tracks every session reported and sends it to Google Marketing Platform under “session_start”.

Why is "Campaign Name" empty for some of my data?

For both CM360 and DV360, we do not receive Campaign Name data from the attribution integration. This means that in order to populate the Campaign Name correctly, we use network data. However, when campaigns begin this may take a day or two to occur.

Why is there a discrepancy between GMP and Singular installs and events?

You may see data discrepancies for the following reasons:

  • GMP self-attributes substantially more impression-based touchpoints than clicks. So other partners may be awarded the install if they generated any click at any time within the relevant attribution windows. See how Singular prioritizes touchpoints.
  • GMP-claimed impressions can be outside Singular’s default 24-hour view-through window, causing their reported install numbers to be higher. As a result, their events count will also be higher. Understand attribution lookback windows.
  • We use last-touch attribution with GMP.  If there are other partners with closer touch points, they will win the attribution even if GMP claims it as their own similar to other SANs.
  • GMP may have claimed certain users in the past, while Singular attributed them to other partners or Organic. In such cases, GMP will continue to count their events as their own. In Singular, those users will continue to be tracked under their originally awarded partners, unless a re-engagement attribution has occurred.
What are the limitations of measuring Google Marketing Platform campaigns?
  • GMP does not currently support MMP measurement for iOS or Android conversions from CTV campaigns