Meta AEM Technical Setup

Overview

With iOS 14.5 and later, Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework requires apps to request user permission before accessing the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). When users decline tracking permission (which is often the case), traditional attribution methods become limited. To address this challenge, Meta introduced Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM).

Meta's AEM is a privacy-preserving protocol that allows measurement of web and app events from iOS 14.5+ devices, even when users have opted out of tracking.

Campaign support

AEM supports two kinds of Meta campaigns:

How AEM works

Instead of using device-level identifiers like IDFA, AEM utilizes aggregate identifiers:

These identifiers are forwarded to Facebook through all conversion events for re-engagement campaign optimization.

Implementation prerequisites

SDK requirements

1. Implement the Branch iOS SDK into your mobile app.

   1. Minimum version: SDK v2.1.2

   2. Recommended version: latest

2. Coordinate with your marketing team to enable the Facebook integration in Branch.

Technical requirements

The technical requirements for AEM depend on your campaign type.

For all AEM campaigns (MAI and MAE):

• Ensure your event postbacks in Branch are configured to send events to Meta (coordinate with your marketing team on event mappings).

For MAE campaigns:

• Your app must support iOS Universal Links or URI schemes.

• Your app must properly handle deep links in Meta campaigns.

For MAI campaigns:

• MAI campaigns work automatically once AEM is enabled. No additional deep linking configuration is required.

Set custom anonymous ID

This step is optional. Branch automatically creates and sets a GUID for the anon_id field and sends that to Facebook. Most implementations do not need to modify this setting.

However, you may want to set a custom anon_id if you:

• Have an existing user identification system you want to align with across platforms.

• Need to maintain consistent IDs across multiple attribution providers.

• Have specific user privacy or identifier requirements unique to your app.

If you determine you need a custom ID, use the setAnonID method:

Branch.setAnonID("your-custom-anon-id")

[Branch setAnonID:@"your-custom-anon-id"];

Testing and verification

Verify event implementation

In your app:

• Trigger a test event (e.g., make a test purchase).

• Check Branch Liveview to confirm the event appears.

• Verify the event includes any required parameters (like revenue for purchases).

In Meta Events Manager:

• Coordinate with your marketing team to verify events appear in Meta Events Manager.

• Check for any errors or warnings about event eligibility.

Note

Event data typically appears within minutes to hours after configuration, but allow up to 24 hours for full propagation through Meta's systems.

AEM data structure

AEM provides the following campaign-level data in Branch:

• campaign_id - Meta campaign identifier

• ad_id - Ad identifier  

• creative_id - Creative identifier

• secondary_publisher - Placement (Instagram, Facebook, Audience Network, etc.)

• ad_set_id - Ad set identifier

Data limitations

Due to Meta's privacy-preserving approach, the campaign_name field will show as Unpopulated in Branch reports and exports. This is a Meta limitation that affects all mobile measurement partners using AEM.

Learn more

For more on Branch's iOS attribution approach, see iOS Attribution Best Practices.

FAQ