App campaign link metrics: clicks, downloads and activation
Measure each stage in the system that observes it: link requests in the router, downloads in store reports and product actions in your app analytics.
15 October 2026 · PAD team
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Build a measurement map
| Question | Source | Useful breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Did the campaign receive link activity? | GoToApp request statistics | Campaign path, date and detected device |
| Did the store record acquisition? | App Store Connect, Google Play or attribution provider | Store campaign or attribution campaign |
| Did new users reach value? | Your app analytics or backend | Activation event and acquisition cohort |
| Did customers pay and stay? | Billing and product analytics | Revenue, renewals and retention cohort |
Set up the campaign before launch
- Choose a campaign name and a separate path for each placement you need to compare.
- Save the complete Apple campaign URL or Android referrer configuration. Use provider-generated links when an attribution provider owns the campaign.
- Record timezone, date range, attribution window and event definitions with the report.
- Test the final route and parameter preservation on the target devices.
- Decide which app action counts as activation before reviewing results.
Expect the totals to differ
Requests may contain previews, bots and repeated taps. Store reports can apply privacy thresholds, processing delays and different attribution rules. Consent settings can limit app analytics. A mismatch is a prompt to investigate those definitions, not automatic evidence that the link lost a visitor.
Avoid a misleading conversion rate
Dividing today’s downloads by today’s link requests mixes populations unless the campaign, time window and attribution basis line up. Label such a ratio as descriptive when you cannot match the populations. For a small campaign, show counts alongside any percentage.
Keep the owner’s website separate
Traffic through customer GoToApp links is not traffic to the GoToApp marketing website. Likewise, a detected Instagram browser does not tell you how a customer discovered GoToApp. Acquisition of the link service requires its own website and registration reporting.
See Apple campaign tokens, Google Play referrer setup and the limits of delivery metrics.
Set up your link
Create campaign-specific paths and use your store or attribution provider for downstream outcomes.
Questions
Are GoToApp clicks unique visitors?
No. Recorded requests may include repeats and automated traffic.
Does a source category identify the acquisition channel?
It describes detected browser context. A campaign path identifies the placement you assigned; neither alone proves installation attribution.
Create a GoToApp link with your app destinations, then test it on the devices and channels you plan to use. Free for up to three apps.