Test Meta attribution on Android

Verify that a fresh Android install from a Meta ad returns campaign, ad set, and creative data on the first attribution request

Before you start

For

Marketers and developers

Time

About 30 minutes

You need

• Your Meta App ID and Install Referrer decryption key saved in Linkrunner (see Meta Ads)
• Your Facebook App ID in the Android app (see Meta install referrer)
• A Play Store build on Android SDK 3.5.2+, Flutter 3.6.2+ or React Native 2.6.2+
• An Android phone with Facebook 428+ or Instagram 296+, and a Meta App Promotion ad

Use this flow to test Meta Install Referrer attribution on Android. A successful test returns the Meta campaign, ad set, and creative from getAttributionData() after the first app open.

A deferred deep link is not required for campaign attribution. It only controls the deeplink value returned by the SDK. Meta campaign data can be present while deeplink is empty.

Before you start

Complete these requirements before testing:

• Configure your Meta App ID and Install Referrer Decryption Key in Meta App Integration.
• Add your Facebook App ID to AndroidManifest.xml. See Meta Install Referrer.
• Use a supported SDK version:
  • Android SDK 3.5.2 or later
  • Flutter SDK 3.6.2 or later
  • React Native SDK 2.6.2 or later
• Use Facebook 428 or later, or Instagram 296 or later, on the test device.
• Make sure the Meta App ID in your app matches the Meta app used by the ad campaign.
• Make sure your Play Store release contains the Linkrunner SDK and Meta Install Referrer configuration.
• Implement getAttributionData() for your SDK: Android, React Native, or Flutter.

1. Prepare a clean Android device

Record the device details

Record the device model and GAID. These values help Linkrunner identify the exact test requests if you need support.

Update the Meta app

Update Facebook or Instagram to a supported version, then sign in to the account that will receive the ad preview.

Uninstall your app

Remove your app before each test. This creates a new Linkrunner install instance when the app opens again.

Force-stopping or clearing the app from recents is not enough. Uninstall the app before every fresh-install test.

2. Send the Meta ad preview to the device

Use a published App Promotion ad or inject an ad preview into Facebook or Instagram.

Open the ad preview

In Meta Ads Manager, open the App Promotion ad and choose Share → Share a link.

Open the share link

Open the preview link while signed in to Facebook. Select the placement you want to test.

Send the preview to the Meta app

For Facebook Feed, choose Options → Send notification to Facebook. For Instagram Feed, choose Options → Preview in Instagram app.

Open the ad inside Facebook or Instagram

Open the notification or preview in the Meta app. Tap the ad call to action from there.

Do not stop at the side-by-side browser preview. Open the injected ad inside Facebook or Instagram before tapping the call to action.

If you are also testing a deferred deep link, save and publish it on the exact ad used for the test. Then wait up to 30 minutes for Linkrunner's Meta creative sync. A value visible in the Ads Manager editor or preview does not confirm that Meta's API exposes it to Linkrunner.

See Meta's ad preview instructions and Meta Install Referrer verification guide for the current Meta workflow.

3. Install and open your app

Open the Play Store from the ad

Tap the ad call to action and continue to your app's Google Play listing.

Install the app

Install the Play Store build that contains your Linkrunner integration.

Open the app once

Launch the app immediately after installation. The Linkrunner SDK reads the Meta Install Referrer and sends the install to Linkrunner during initialization.

4. Call getAttributionData()

Wait for init to complete, then call getAttributionData() once for the new install.

val result = LinkRunner.getInstance().getAttributionData()

result.onSuccess { attributionData ->
    val campaign = attributionData.campaignData
    println("Network: ${campaign.adNetwork}")
    println("Campaign: ${campaign.name}")
    println("Campaign ID: ${campaign.adNetworkCampaignId}")
    println("Ad set: ${campaign.adSetName}")
    println("Creative: ${campaign.adCreativeName}")
}.onFailure { error ->
    println("Attribution error: ${error.message}")
}

const attributionData = await linkrunner.getAttributionData();

console.log("Network:", attributionData?.campaignData?.adNetwork);
console.log("Campaign:", attributionData?.campaignData?.name);
console.log("Campaign ID:", attributionData?.campaignData?.adNetworkCampaignId);
console.log("Ad set:", attributionData?.campaignData?.adSetName);
console.log("Creative:", attributionData?.campaignData?.adCreativeName);

final attributionData = await LinkRunner().getAttributionData();
final campaign = attributionData?.campaignData;

print('Network: ${campaign?.adNetwork}');
print('Campaign: ${campaign?.name}');
print('Campaign ID: ${campaign?.adNetworkCampaignId}');
print('Ad set: ${campaign?.adSetName}');
print('Creative: ${campaign?.adCreativeName}');

For a successful Meta install, the first call after init completes should return adNetwork: "META" with the campaign details for that install.

Expected response

The exact type depends on your SDK, but the result should contain these values:

{
  "deeplink": "",
  "campaignData": {
    "id": "linkrunner-campaign-id",
    "name": "Android App Promotion",
    "type": "INORGANIC",
    "adNetwork": "META",
    "adNetworkCampaignId": "120000000000000001",
    "adSetId": "120000000000000002",
    "adSetName": "Android audience",
    "adCreativeId": "120000000000000003",
    "adCreativeName": "Android creative"
  }
}

Confirm all of the following:

• campaignData.adNetwork is META.
• campaignData.type is INORGANIC.
• campaignData.name matches the Meta campaign.
• The Meta campaign, ad set, and creative IDs match Ads Manager.
• The first getAttributionData() call after the Meta install returns the campaign data.

An empty deeplink does not mean attribution failed. It means the ad did not provide a deferred deep link. Campaign attribution is verified through campaignData.

Troubleshooting

The first response is organic

• Confirm the app was uninstalled before you opened the injected ad.
• Confirm you tapped the ad inside Facebook or Instagram, not only in the browser preview.
• Confirm the Facebook App ID in AndroidManifest.xml matches the Meta app used by the campaign.
• Confirm the Install Referrer Decryption Key is correct in Linkrunner.
• Confirm getAttributionData() runs after init completes.
• Record the device model, GAID, app version, build number, and test timestamp before contacting support.

Campaign data is present but deeplink is empty

This is expected when the ad has no deferred deep link. If you expected one:

• Confirm the value was saved and published on the exact ad returned in campaignData.
• Wait up to 30 minutes for Linkrunner's Meta creative sync before repeating the install test.
• Confirm the published ad, not only the Ads Manager editor or preview, exposes the deferred deep link.

See Deferred Deep Linking for configuration details.

The SDK cannot read Meta Install Referrer

• Update Facebook or Instagram on the device.
• Confirm at least one supported Meta app is installed.
• Confirm your app includes the Facebook App ID metadata.
• Confirm your SDK meets the minimum version requirement.

The wrong campaign is returned

Uninstall the app and repeat the test from the intended ad. Do not reuse an earlier install instance. See attribution testing troubleshooting.

Need help? Contact support@linkrunner.io