Reconnecting ad channels after a switch

What a channel connection contains

A connection between an MMP and an ad channel has five parts. None of them carries over from the old MMP, and missing any one leaves a gap that is easy to overlook.

Some large platforms attribute their own traffic and report it to the MMP through an account-level integration. They are known as self-attributing networks, and for them the account link matters more than the tracking link.

Before cutover day

• List every channel, the ad account ID for each, and who on your team has admin rights there. Missing permissions are a common cause of delay.
• Write down which in-app events each channel receives today and what they are called on the platform side.
• Confirm that the new MMP plan supports each channel. Ad channel integrations differ by plan. Airbridge Core, for one, covers Meta Ads, Google Ads, Apple Ads and TikTok, and other networks need its Growth Plan.^[1]
• Note the attribution windows the old MMP used per channel, so you can set the same ones.

The order to follow for each channel

1. Connect the new MMP to the ad account and select your app.
2. Map events and switch on postbacks for installs and for the events your campaigns optimise toward.
3. Remove the old MMP's connection for that channel.
4. Replace the links in that channel's live ads, using the sheet from moving your tracking links.
5. Enable cost data and rebuild audiences.
6. Send a test install and confirm it appears in the MMP and in the ad platform.

Start with your smallest channel. A mistake there costs little, and you will repeat the same steps with more confidence on the channel that carries most of your budget.

What to watch in the first week

Compare three numbers per channel each day: installs in the new MMP, installs the ad platform reports, and the event your campaigns optimise for. The first two will not match exactly, and the reasons are covered under discrepancy. What you are looking for is a sudden change from the pattern you saw before the switch.

Campaigns that bid on a conversion event may perform unevenly while the platform adjusts to the new source of that event. Avoid making budget or creative changes in the same week, so that you can tell the two effects apart.

What to do next

When every channel has run cleanly for a week, the cutover is done. Remove the old SDK in your next release and close out the old account as described in the migration timeline.