You're spending ₹5 lakh a month on Meta and Google campaigns. Your dashboard shows 15,000 installs. But when you check which campaigns actually drove paying users, the ad platforms show wildly different numbers than your analytics tool.

This disconnect happens because your postback configuration is incomplete or broken. Ad platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok rely on postback signals to understand which campaigns drive valuable users. Without properly configured postbacks, these algorithms optimise toward install volume instead of revenue quality.

The result is predictable: wasted budget on low-intent users, inflated CPIs, and campaigns that look good on paper but deliver poor retention and monetisation. Most teams discover this problem 3-4 weeks into a campaign when finance asks why revenue isn't matching install growth.

Why Postbacks Matter: How Conversion Signals Train Ad Platform Algorithms

Postbacks are server-to-server notifications that tell ad platforms when specific events happen inside your app. When a user completes a purchase, signs up for a paid plan, or hits a revenue milestone, your Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) sends that conversion data back to Meta, Google, or TikTok.

These conversion signals directly influence how ad algorithms allocate budget. Meta's campaign budget optimisation (CBO) and Google's target cost-per-acquisition (tCPA) bidding both rely on postback data to identify high-value user patterns. Without accurate postbacks, the algorithm can't distinguish between users who install and immediately churn versus users who become paying customers.

Here's an example of what practical impact looks like: a D2C app running Meta campaigns with proper revenue postbacks saw their cost-per-purchase drop by 34% over 21 days as the algorithm learned to target users likely to complete transactions. The same app previously optimised for installs was acquiring users at ₹45 CPI, but fewer than 8% ever made a purchase.

Postbacks create a closed feedback loop. The ad platform shows your ad, tracks the click, receives the install confirmation, and then gets notified about downstream events like signups, purchases, or subscription renewals. This granular event data trains the machine learning models to find more users who match successful conversion patterns.

Postback Architecture 101: Click ID Matching, Event Types, and Attribution Windows

Before diving into platform-specific setup, understanding how postbacks work technically prevents common configuration mistakes.

How Click ID Matching Works

When a user clicks your ad, the ad platform appends a unique click ID to the destination URL. Meta uses fbclid, Google uses gclid, and TikTok uses ttclid. Your MMP captures this click ID, stores it with the user's device identifier, and later uses it to match in-app events back to the originating campaign.

This matching process requires three components: the click ID parameter in your tracking link, SDK installation that captures the device ID, and proper event instrumentation in your app that fires when target actions occur.

Event Types and Priority Hierarchy

Not all events carry equal weight for algorithm optimisation. Ad platforms prioritise events in this order:

Install events confirm the app was downloaded and opened. These are baseline signals but don't indicate user quality.

Registration or signup events show intent and typically correlate with better retention than install-only users.

Purchase events directly tie to revenue and enable value-based bidding strategies.

Subscription renewals indicate long-term retention and highest lifetime value potential.

Most MMPs let you configure which events trigger postbacks. The key decision is whether to send every event type or only high-value conversion events. Sending too many low-value signals can dilute the algorithm's learning, while sending too few limits optimisation potential.

Attribution Windows and Postback Timing

Attribution windows define how long after a click or impression an event can be credited to that touchpoint. Standard windows are 1-day click, 7-day click, and 1-day view for most platforms.

Postbacks must fire within the attribution window to be counted. If your app has a long onboarding flow and users don't complete registration until 36 hours after install, a 1-day click window won't capture those conversions. This is why understanding your conversion timeline is critical before setting attribution windows.

Postback delays also matter. Most platforms expect postbacks within minutes of the event occurring. Delays beyond 24 hours often result in rejected postbacks or attribution mismatches.

Meta Postback Setup: Conversion API Configuration and Event Mapping

Meta relies on the Conversion API (CAPI) for server-side event tracking. Unlike the older Mobile Measurement Partner integration, CAPI requires precise configuration of event names, parameters, and data hashing.

Step 1: Configure Your MMP's Meta Integration

In your MMP dashboard (in Linkrunner, for example) navigate to the ad network integrations section and add Meta as a partner. You'll need your Meta Business Manager ID and ad account ID. Most modern MMPs, streamline this with guided setup wizards that validate credentials in real-time.

Step 2: Map MMP Events to Meta Standard Events

Meta's algorithm recognises specific standard events like Purchase, Subscribe, AddToCart, and CompleteRegistration. Your MMP's internal event names must be mapped to these Meta standard events.

For example, if your app fires an event called payment_success, you need to map this to Meta's Purchase event. The mapping interface in your MMP should show both your custom event names and Meta's standard event library.

Critical detail: Meta requires revenue value to be passed with purchase events. If your event doesn't include a revenue parameter, the algorithm can't optimise toward value-based bidding.

Step 3: Enable Test Events and Validate

Before sending production traffic, Meta's Test Events tool lets you verify postbacks are configured correctly. In your Meta Events Manager, you'll see a "Test Events" tab showing incoming events in real-time.

Run a test install on your device, complete a target action like signup or purchase, and confirm the event appears in Test Events within 2-3 minutes. If the event doesn't show, the most common issues are incorrect event mapping, missing parameters, or attribution window mismatches.

Step 4: Configure Advanced Matching and Data Parameters

Meta's algorithm performs better with additional user data signals like hashed email addresses, phone numbers, or first names. These parameters help with cross-device attribution and audience matching.

Your MMP should support automatic hashing of personally identifiable information (PII) before sending it to Meta. Never send unhashed email addresses or phone numbers in postbacks as this violates privacy regulations and Meta's data policies.

Google UAC Postback Setup: Firebase Linking and Conversion Value Schema

Google's Universal App Campaigns (UAC) require Firebase integration for optimal postback configuration. While you can technically use a third-party MMP without Firebase, Google's algorithm receives richer signals when both are connected.

Step 1: Link Firebase to Your Google Ads Account

In your Firebase console, navigate to Project Settings and connect your Google Ads account. This enables automatic sharing of conversion events from Firebase Analytics to Google Ads.

If your app already uses a third-party MMP for attribution, you'll run dual SDKs: Firebase for Google campaign optimisation and your MMP SDK for cross-platform attribution. This redundancy is common and doesn't create attribution conflicts as long as each SDK is properly configured.

Step 2: Define Conversion Actions in Google Ads

In Google Ads, go to Tools > Conversions and create a new app conversion action for each high-value event you want to track. Common conversion actions include "first_open" (install), "in_app_purchase", "signup", and "subscription".

Each conversion action needs a value assignment. For purchase events, use actual transaction value. For non-revenue events like signups, assign an estimated value based on your average customer lifetime value at that stage.

Google's algorithm uses these conversion values to optimise bidding. If you assign all events the same value, the algorithm can't differentiate between high-quality and low-quality conversions.

Step 3: Configure Postback Windows and Counting Method

Google lets you set different attribution windows for clicks (default 30 days) and views (default 1 day). Shorter windows credit conversions faster but may miss users with longer consideration cycles.

You also choose between "One per click/impression" or "Every" conversion counting. For most app campaigns, "One per click" prevents duplicate counting when users complete multiple purchases, while "Every" is useful for subscription renewals or repeat purchase tracking.

Step 4: Enable Value-Based Bidding

Once conversion actions are sending data, switch your campaign bidding strategy from target CPA to target ROAS (return on ad spend). Google's algorithm will optimise toward users likely to generate higher conversion values rather than just completing any conversion.

This shift typically takes 10-14 days as the algorithm accumulates enough conversion data to build predictive models. Don't evaluate ROAS performance for at least two weeks after enabling value-based bidding.

TikTok Postback Setup: Event Source Configuration and Creative Optimisation

TikTok's ad platform has evolved rapidly, and postback configuration differs slightly from Meta and Google in how event sources are structured.

Step 1: Create an Event Source in TikTok Events Manager

Navigate to TikTok Ads Manager > Assets > Events and create a new app event source. You'll choose between TikTok SDK integration or third-party MMP integration.

If using an MMP, select the partner from TikTok's approved list and follow the authentication flow. TikTok will provide a measurement URL that your MMP uses to send postbacks.

Step 2: Configure Event Optimisation Goals

TikTok requires you to specify which event the campaign optimises toward: complete payment, add to cart, in-app purchase, or custom events. Unlike Meta's automatic optimisation, TikTok campaigns directly target the selected event from day one.

This means you need sufficient daily event volume for algorithm learning. TikTok recommends at least 50 optimisation events per week. If your target event fires less frequently, consider optimising toward an upstream event like "add to cart" instead of "purchase".

Step 3: Add Deep Link Parameters for Seamless Attribution

TikTok postbacks work best when combined with deep linking that routes users directly to relevant in-app destinations. Your tracking links should include app-specific parameters that open the exact product or offer shown in the creative.

For example, a gaming app promoting a specific character bundle should deep link users to that bundle's purchase screen, not the app's home screen. This improves conversion rates and gives TikTok's algorithm clearer signal about which creative messages drive purchases.

Step 4: Enable Automatic Creative Optimisation (ACO)

TikTok's ACO feature requires conversion postbacks to function. Once postbacks are flowing, ACO automatically tests combinations of video assets, text overlays, and CTAs to find the highest-performing variations.

Without postbacks, ACO can only optimise toward engagement metrics like watch time or click-through rate, which often don't correlate with in-app conversion quality.

Advanced Configuration: Value-Based Bidding, Custom Events, and Revenue Postbacks

Once basic postbacks are working, advanced configuration unlocks significant performance gains.

Setting Up Value-Based Bidding

Value-based bidding requires passing actual revenue amounts with purchase events. Your MMP's event instrumentation must capture transaction value in the correct currency format.

Most platforms expect revenue in the ad account's billing currency. If your Google Ads account bills in USD but your app transacts in INR, your MMP should handle currency conversion before sending postbacks.

Test this carefully: send a test purchase with a known INR value and verify the converted USD amount appears correctly in Google Ads' conversion tracking. Currency mismatches are a common source of ROAS reporting errors.

Creating Custom Conversion Events for Specific User Journeys

Standard events like "purchase" work for most apps, but custom events let you optimise toward specific high-value actions unique to your business model.

A subscription app might create a custom "7_day_active" event that fires when users complete their first week with at least 3 session days. This event predicts long-term retention better than signup alone and gives the algorithm a mid-funnel signal before the first subscription renewal occurs.

Create custom events by defining them in your analytics tool, ensuring your MMP SDK captures them, and mapping them to postback configurations for each ad platform.

Configuring Cohort-Based Postbacks

Some MMPs support sending delayed postbacks triggered by cohort behaviour. For example, you could configure a postback that fires 7 days after install if the user has made at least two purchases.

This "qualified user" postback helps algorithms identify early behavioural patterns that predict long-term value. It's particularly useful for apps with longer conversion cycles where day-0 revenue doesn't accurately predict lifetime value.

Validation Workflow: How to Confirm Postbacks Are Working

Even with careful setup, postback configuration often breaks due to SDK updates, event schema changes, or platform policy updates. Regular validation prevents silent failures that waste budget.

Daily Validation Checklist

Check event counts in your MMP dashboard: Compare event totals to your analytics platform. Install counts should match within 5-10% (some discrepancy is normal due to attribution windows). Revenue events should match exactly.

Review ad platform conversion columns: In Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, or TikTok's reporting, verify that conversion counts appear in campaign reports. Missing conversions indicate postback failures.

Monitor postback error logs: Most MMPs provide postback delivery logs showing successful sends, failures, and rejection reasons. Check these weekly for patterns like "Invalid event name" or "Attribution window expired".

Test Purchase Workflow

Once monthly, run a complete test purchase:

1. Install your app through a live ad campaign (use a small budget test campaign)

2. Complete the full purchase flow with a real transaction

3. Within 5 minutes, verify the purchase appears in your MMP's events dashboard

4. Within 15 minutes, confirm the purchase shows in the ad platform's conversion reporting

If any step fails, investigate immediately. Production postback failures typically affect all users, not just your test device.

Attribution Discrepancy Debugging

When your MMP shows 1,000 purchases but Meta only reports 850, systematic investigation reveals the cause:

Check attribution windows: If your MMP uses 7-day click but Meta's postback is configured for 1-day click, late converters won't be credited.

Review event name mapping: Typos in event names cause silent failures. "Purchase" and "purchase" are different strings.

Verify value parameters: Some platforms reject postbacks if required parameters like currency code are missing.

Inspect user privacy settings: Users who enabled Limited Ad Tracking (LAT) or didn't provide ATT consent won't have their conversions attributed, even with correct postback setup.

For a comprehensive approach to diagnosing attribution gaps, see our attribution discrepancy troubleshooting guide.

Troubleshooting Common Postback Issues

Issue 1: Postbacks Delayed by 6-12 Hours

Cause: Server-side processing bottlenecks or batch-based postback sending.

Solution: Check your MMP's postback delivery settings. Most platforms offer real-time and batch modes. Real-time delivery fires postbacks within seconds of the event, while batch mode accumulates events and sends them hourly or daily. Switch to real-time for algorithm optimisation.

Issue 2: Duplicate Postbacks Inflating Conversion Counts

Cause: Multiple SDKs firing the same event or retry logic sending duplicate postbacks after network failures.

Solution: Review your app's event instrumentation. If you're running Firebase and a third-party MMP simultaneously, ensure purchase events only fire once. Your MMP should handle deduplication, but implementation bugs sometimes bypass this.

Issue 3: Revenue Values Don't Match Transaction Amounts

Cause: Currency conversion errors, passing gross revenue instead of net revenue, or incorrect decimal formatting.

Solution: Define clearly whether your postbacks should include taxes, refunds, and platform fees. Most marketers pass gross revenue (what the user paid) and handle refunds separately in their BI tools.

Verify decimal separators match platform expectations. Some APIs expect "29.99" while others require "2999" (price in cents).

Issue 4: Postbacks Rejected with "Event Outside Attribution Window"

Cause: Events firing too long after the install, or install postback delayed causing all subsequent events to appear out of sequence.

Solution: Check your app's event timing. If registration happens 48 hours after install but your attribution window is 24 hours, either shorten your onboarding flow or extend the attribution window.

Also verify install postbacks send immediately. If the install postback is delayed by 12 hours, all subsequent events will appear to occur before the install, causing rejection.

How Modern MMPs Simplify Postback Configuration

Traditional postback setup requires hours of configuration per ad platform, technical knowledge of event schemas, and ongoing monitoring for silent failures. Even experienced performance marketers struggle with the complexity of maintaining accurate postbacks across Meta, Google, TikTok, and emerging channels.

Platforms like Linkrunner have automated much of this workflow. Linkrunner's guided postback configuration walks through each platform with pre-built templates for standard events, automatic validation testing, and real-time error detection. What typically takes 4-6 hours per network reduces to under 30 minutes.

The platform's unified dashboard shows postback delivery status across all ad networks in one view, eliminating the need to check multiple tools daily. When postbacks fail, automated alerts specify the exact issue (missing parameter, expired window, invalid event name) and provide remediation steps.

For teams managing multiple apps or agency partners juggling dozens of client accounts, this operational efficiency compounds. A single growth marketer can maintain clean postback configuration across 10+ apps without engineering support for routine troubleshooting.

If your team is spending more than 2-3 hours weekly on postback maintenance, request a demo from Linkrunner to see how automated configuration and monitoring streamlines your workflow.

Key Takeaways

Postback configuration directly determines whether your ad platform algorithms optimise toward valuable users or just install volume. Properly configured postbacks create a closed feedback loop that improves campaign performance continuously as algorithms learn user quality patterns.

The core implementation principles apply across all platforms: capture click IDs in tracking links, map app events to platform standard events, validate postback delivery with test workflows, and monitor for failures daily.

Platform-specific nuances matter. Meta requires Conversion API setup with standard event mapping. Google performs best with Firebase integration and value-based bidding enabled. TikTok needs event source configuration and creative optimisation linking.

Advanced techniques like value-based bidding, custom conversion events, and cohort-based postbacks unlock performance gains once basic configuration is working reliably.

Most importantly, postback configuration isn't a one-time setup. Regular validation catches breaking changes before they waste meaningful budget. The teams seeing consistent 20-30% ROAS improvements over 8-12 weeks are those running weekly postback health checks and fixing issues immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for ad algorithms to optimise after postback configuration?

Meta and TikTok typically need 50-100 conversion events before algorithms can optimise effectively. For Google UAC, the learning period is about 10-14 days or until you accumulate 15-20 conversions per day. During this period, performance may fluctuate as the algorithm explores different audience segments.

Should I send every in-app event as a postback or only key conversions?

Send only high-value events that represent true conversion intent. Sending too many low-value signals (app opens, screen views, button taps) dilutes algorithm learning. Focus on events that correlate with revenue: purchases, subscriptions, qualified signups, or completion of paywall screens.

Why do my MMP install counts not match Meta's reported installs?

Attribution window differences cause most discrepancies. Your MMP might use 7-day click while Meta defaults to 1-day click. Also, users who didn't provide ATT consent on iOS won't be counted in Meta but may appear in your MMP's view-through attribution. A 10-15% variance is normal.

Can I use multiple MMPs simultaneously for different attribution models?

Yes, but this creates complexity. Many teams run Firebase for Google campaign optimisation and a third-party MMP like Linkrunner for cross-platform attribution. The key is ensuring each SDK tracks distinct events or that your app logic prevents duplicate event firing.

What's the difference between Meta's Conversion API and the older MMP postback integration?

CAPI is server-to-server and more reliable than client-side pixel tracking. It requires stricter event schema compliance and data hashing for PII. The older integration was more forgiving but less accurate. Meta is deprecating older methods in favour of CAPI.

How do I handle refunds in postback configuration?

Most platforms support negative-value postbacks for refunds, but implementation varies. The safest approach is sending gross revenue initially and adjusting ROAS manually in your BI tools. If you send real-time refund postbacks, ensure they match to the original purchase event via transaction ID.

What conversion value should I assign to signup events with no immediate revenue?

Use your customer lifetime value (LTV) data to estimate signup value. If 25% of signups convert to paid users with ₹400 average revenue, assign each signup ₹100 value (0.25 × ₹400). Update these values quarterly as your LTV data improves.

Why are my TikTok postbacks working but Meta postbacks failing?

Different platforms have different parameter requirements. Meta requires strict adherence to standard event names and parameters, while TikTok is more flexible. Common Meta issues include missing currency codes, incorrectly formatted revenue values, or using custom event names instead of standard ones like "Purchase".

How often should I review and update postback configuration?

Weekly for the first month after implementation to catch issues early. Then monthly checks are sufficient unless you add new events, change SDK versions, or notice attribution discrepancies. Set up automated alerts in your MMP to notify you immediately when postback delivery drops below 95%.

Can postback configuration affect iOS 14.5+ ATT prompt compliance?

No, postbacks happen server-to-server after users have interacted with your app. ATT consent affects whether your MMP can access the device's IDFA for attribution, but properly configured postbacks work regardless of ATT status by using alternative identifiers.

Looking for more technical implementation guides? Check out our resources on strategic SKAN 4.0 decoding frameworks, event taxonomy implementation, and smart tactics to boost ROAS.