Enable Google Marketing Platform (New)

Overview

Google Marketing Platform (GMP) is Google's suite of enterprise advertising and measurement products. Branch's Google Marketing Platform integration tracks attribution for installs and post-install events from Display & Video 360 (DV360) and Campaign Manager 360 (CM360) campaigns.

Google Marketing Platform is a self-attributing network (SAN), which means GMP runs its own attribution and reports results back to Branch via API rather than receiving traditional postbacks from Branch.

For more information about integrating ad partners in general, visit our Ad Partner Integration Guide.

This guide covers Google Marketing Platform (Display & Video 360 and Campaign Manager 360). If you're integrating Google Ads (Search, App Campaigns, YouTube, or Display through Google Ads), see the Google Ads guide instead.

Note: this guide is for new Branch
This guide covers integrating Google Marketing Platform in the new Branch experience. For information on Google Marketing Platform in legacy Branch, visit our legacy guide.

Partner capabilities

Capability	Details
Company type	Self-Attributing Network
Deep linking	Limited: `dclid` macro pass-back supports click attribution SAN API-Driven Deferred Deep Linking is not supported
Attribution	Click-through attribution, View-through attribution
Ad campaign types	Display & Video 360 (DV360), Campaign Manager 360 (CM360)
Supported platforms	iOS, Android, Roku, Android TV, Amazon Fire, Vizio
Cost ingestion support	Not supported
Pricing models	CPM, CPC
Engagement Builder Ad Partner Integration	Not available

Before you begin

To set up the Google Marketing Platform integration, you need:

Branch's Performance product enabled for your Branch account. Contact your Branch account manager or visit https://branch.io/pricing.
A Branch account with access to Configuration > Ad Partners and admin permissions to enable and configure integrations.
A Google Marketing Platform account with admin access to Campaign Manager 360 or Display & Video 360.

Enable Google Marketing Platform

Setting up Google Marketing Platform in Branch requires three steps:

In GMP: Generate a Link ID for each app and platform you want to track.
In Branch: Sign in to Google Marketing Platform.
In Branch: Paste your Link IDs into Account Settings.

Generate a Link ID in GMP

A Link ID connects Branch to GMP via Floodlight, GMP's measurement and attribution system. Generate a Link ID from whichever GMP product you use.

Important: One Link ID covers attribution for both CM360 and DV360. You do not need separate Link IDs for each GMP product.

Option 1: In Campaign Manager 360

Sign in to Campaign Manager 360.
Select your advertiser, then select Floodlight > Configuration.
Under Attribution settings, select Add a mobile measurement partner.
Select Branch from the partner list.
Select your app and complete the link configuration.
Copy the Link ID. You'll need it in Branch.

Option 2: In Display & Video 360

Sign in to Display & Video 360.
Navigate to Partner settings > Measurement > Attribution partners.
Under Branch, select Link.
Select your app and complete the link configuration.
Copy the Link ID. You'll need it in Branch.

Connect Google Marketing Platform to Branch

In Branch, navigate to Configuration > Ad Partners > Google Marketing Platform.
Select Connect with Google Marketing Platform and sign in with Google.
- Follow Connect with OAuth in the general Ad Partner Integration Guide for the full sign-in flow.
In Account Settings, paste your Link IDs into the appropriate fields for each platform you want to track:
- Android Link ID
- iOS Link ID
- Roku Link ID
- Android TV Link ID
- Amazon Fire Link ID
- Vizio Link ID
Select Save.

Caution: GMP and Google Ads

If you use both the Google Marketing Platform integration and the Google Ads integration in Branch, attribution is assigned to whichever partner's data arrives first. To avoid attribution conflicts, ensure campaigns are managed through the correct integration for each product.

Configure attribution

To configure attribution windows, select the Attribution windows tab on the Google Marketing Platform page.

Important: To minimize discrepancies when comparing Branch and GMP reporting, match your Branch attribution windows to the settings configured in your GMP campaigns.

Attribution type	Default
Click to start session	1 day
Click to install	7 days
Click to conversion event	30 days
Impression to start session	1 day
Impression to install	1 day
Impression to conversion event	7 days
Deep linking duration	120 minutes

Configure events

To configure event mappings, select the Event config tab on the Google Marketing Platform page.

Follow Configure events in the general Ad Partner Integration Guide for the event mapping flow. The full Branch-to-GMP event name reference is in Data mappings below.

Caution: Floodlight activities limit

GMP supports a maximum of 30 custom Floodlight activities per advertiser. Plan your event mapping accordingly and prioritize the events most important for campaign optimization.

Verify your data

After your integration is connected and events are flowing, you can verify data is reaching GMP and Branch:

In Branch Liveview: confirm events from your app appear in real time. This is the fastest way to confirm SDK events are firing.
In Branch Analysis dashboards: review attributed installs and events where Ad Partner Name = Google Marketing Platform.
In Campaign Manager 360: confirm conversions appear in your Floodlight activity reports.
In Display & Video 360: confirm conversions appear in your campaign reporting under Insights > Conversions.

Attribution coverage

GMP attribution in Branch depends on which GMP products your campaigns use. CM360 serves as the primary attribution source when it's part of the campaign setup, because it tracks impressions and clicks across all DSPs, including third-party buyers.

Campaign scenario	Attribution source	Notes
CM360 + third-party DSP	CM360 via Floodlight	CM360 tracks impressions and clicks across any DSP serving the campaign.
CM360 + DV360	CM360 via Floodlight	When both products are in use, CM360 is the attribution source.
DV360 only	DV360	Attribution flows directly from DV360 when CM360 is not part of the campaign.

Data mappings

Campaign data

Branch field	GMP field	Definition	Possible values
`~advertising_partner_name`	-	Automatically set by Branch when GMP claims attribution.	`Google Marketing Platform`
`~channel`	`product_type`	The GMP product that served the ad.	`dv360`, `cm360`
`~creative_id`	`creative_id`	Unique ID of the creative that was served.	GMP creative ID
`~secondary_publisher`	`placement_id`	Unique ID of the placement where the ad was served.	GMP placement ID
`~placement`	`placement_name`	Name of the placement where the ad was served.	GMP placement name
`~ad_id`	`line_item_id`	Unique ID of the line item (DV360) or placement (CM360) that delivered the ad.	GMP line item ID
`~ad_name`	`line_item_name`	Name of the line item (DV360) or placement (CM360) that delivered the ad.	GMP line item name

Event names

Branch event	GMP event
`INSTALL`	`FIRST_OPEN`
`REINSTALL`	`REINSTALL_OPEN`
`OPEN`	`SESSION_START`
`PURCHASE`	`ECOMMERCE_PURCHASE`
`ADD_TO_CART`	`ADD_TO_CART`
`VIEW_ITEM`	`VIEW_ITEM`
`VIEW_ITEMS`	`VIEW_ITEM_LIST`
`SEARCH`	`VIEW_SEARCH_RESULTS`
`ADD_TO_WISHLIST`	`CUSTOM`
`INITIATE_PURCHASE`	`CUSTOM`
`ADD_PAYMENT_INFO`	`CUSTOM`
`COMPLETE_REGISTRATION`	`CUSTOM`
`TUTORIAL_COMPLETE`	`CUSTOM`
`ACHIEVE_LEVEL`	`CUSTOM`
`UNLOCK_ACHIEVEMENT`	`CUSTOM`
`SPEND_CREDITS`	`CUSTOM`
`RATE`	`CUSTOM`
`SHARE`	`CUSTOM`
`SUBSCRIBE`	`CUSTOM`
`START_TRIAL`	`CUSTOM`
`CLICK_AD`	`CUSTOM`
`RESERVE`	`CUSTOM`

Data limitations

Be aware of the following GMP-specific data behaviors in Branch:

No cost, click, or impression data: GMP does not provide cost, click count, or impression data to Branch. These fields will be empty in Branch reporting.
No web-to-app view-through attribution: GMP view-through attribution only covers in-app events. Web-to-app view-through attribution is not supported.
iOS ATT gap: On iOS, users who have not granted App Tracking Transparency (ATT) permission cannot be matched to GMP campaigns via device ID. Attribution for these users relies on probabilistic methods and is less precise than device-ID matching.
Non-Google inventory: When DV360 serves ads on non-Google-owned inventory, attribution accuracy may vary compared to Google-owned and -operated inventory.
Limited dimensions without Branch Links: Without Branch Links in your GMP ad creatives, some campaign dimensions (such as ad name and creative name) may not be available in Branch reports.
60-day purge: Branch purges last-attributed GMP data after 60 days.

Troubleshooting

Branch and GMP numbers don't match

Some discrepancy between Branch and GMP is expected. Common causes include:

Attribution window mismatch: Make sure your Branch attribution windows match the settings configured in your GMP campaigns.
Click date vs. conversion date: GMP attributes by click date; Branch attributes by conversion date. For events that occur days after the click, daily totals will differ even though cumulative totals align over time.
iOS ATT traffic: Users who haven't granted ATT permission may be attributed differently in Branch and GMP due to the absence of a device ID for deterministic matching.
Reporting delay: GMP can delay reporting by up to 24 hours. Compare trailing periods rather than real-time data.

See Common sources of SAN reporting discrepancies for the full list.

No conversions appearing in GMP

If events are flowing in Branch Liveview but not appearing as conversions in GMP, check the following:

Link ID: Confirm the Link ID in Branch Account Settings matches the one generated in GMP.
Floodlight activities: Confirm your Floodlight activities are configured and active in CM360. New Floodlight activities can take up to 24 hours to begin recording conversions.
Event mapping: Confirm the events you want to track are mapped in the Event config tab in Branch.

Missing campaign data in Branch reports

If campaign dimensions (such as ad name or creative name) are missing in Branch reports, Branch Links may not be present in your GMP ad creatives. Without Branch Links, Branch receives only the data GMP sends via the SAN API, which does not include all creative-level dimensions.

If entire campaigns are missing from Branch attribution, confirm that the GMP account connected to Branch is the account that owns and serves those campaigns. Campaigns managed by a different GMP account will not be attributed in Branch.

Additional resources

For more on Google Marketing Platform and Branch, see the Google Marketing Platform FAQ and our guide on Common Sources of SAN Reporting Discrepancies.