Facebook Ads Overview

Overview

Branch Links can be used together with Facebook ads, allowing you to track ad-driven installs on the Branch Dashboard and deep link those new users directly to the content the first time they open your app. Refer to Facebook's Ad Guide to learn more.

Facebook's Ad Platform supports numerous campaign types and a shared set of advertisement formats. This guide will help you navigate Facebook's Advertisement Platform and show you how to use Branch Links in all major Facebook ad types.

Campaign Support

This documentation supports the following Facebook Ad Campaigns:

Connecting Multiple Apps

If you have more than one app using the same Facebook Account ID, SKAdNetwork data may only appear in one of those apps. Do not connect the same Facebook Account ID in multiple apps to avoid visualization issues.

Please note: Facebook has indicated that links are not supported in all placements.

Data Mapping Between Branch and Facebook

Event Names

Standard vs Custom Events

Please follow the Tracking Commerce, Content, Lifecycle and Custom Events guide when implementing event tracking in the Branch SDK. When tracking any of the Facebook events that are mapped to the Branch custom event, use the event name from the table below; e.g. branch.logevent('AdClick').

Campaign/Ad Data

Creative Data

Note: creative_id and creative_name are automatically set server-side on Facebook Cost, Clicks, and Impressions sent to Branch.

Metadata

Branch will send all content items tracked for an event, if supported.

Also, Branch will automatically map "fb_content_type":"product" for in-app events when the advertiser tracks ContentMetadata via a Branch SDK. Otherwise, Branch will not add the fb_content_type variable.

Viewing Facebook Data

You can see analytics on impressions, clicks, installs, opens and conversion events on various pages of the Branch Dashboard.

Reporting Discrepancies

• If you're seeing discrepancies, please see Common Sources of SAN Reporting Discrepancies.

Facebook's Advanced Mobile Measurement Agreement

On October 29th, 2021 Facebook deprecated the AMM (Advanced Mobile Measurement) program, resulting in click and impression log-level data no longer available to export. Advertisers that incorporate installs into their attribution model can still measure the aggregate number of view-through and click-through installs from Facebook in Ads Manager and in their Branch dashboard to the ad ID level of granularity.

To programmatically export aggregate data for your Facebook campaigns, you can use Branch’s Aggregate API.

You can also allow agencies and ad networks to pull aggregate data themselves and be confident that 3rd parties will only be exporting data filtered to the access level they've been granted

Any event attributed to a Facebook ad will look like an organic event when accessed via Webhooks, the Daily Export API, and CSV Exports.

Data Limitations

Data Limitations

• Branch may redact specific metrics/events (ex. INSTALLS) through the Branch Dashboard or through Aggregate Exports of Facebook-attributed campaigns when aggregation levels are not high enough to prevent the potential de-anonymization of specific Facebook users or if it is non-aggregated view-through and click-through data.

  • In these cases, the Branch Dashboad will display "undisclosed" in reports and Aggregate Expots will show null in responses.

• Only for Android events, you can get the event detail but not "undisclosed" with Facebook Install Referrer

• We cannot send device-level Facebook attribution data to third parties, unless attribution results utilized the  Facebook Install Referrer or Aggregate Event Measurement

• This data is also not returned in the deep link session initialization callback within the app. If you have analytics needs that are not met by the Branch Dashboard, please contact us and include "Facebook MMP + Feature Request" in the subject.

• Branch will purge last-attributed data after 60 days.

Facebook Limited Data Use

On July 1st 2020, Facebook introduced a new Limited Data Use (LDU) feature to support customer compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). This feature enables you to limit how Facebook uses the data of California users collected by you or by third parties on your behalf.

If the Limited Data Use feature is enabled, Facebook has indicated it will process such data in accordance with their role as a “service provider” under the CCPA, with respect to personal information from residents in California; i.e. Facebook will limit use of that data subject to their State-Specific Terms.

By default, Branch’s Facebook integration has the Limited Data Use feature enabled. This means that Branch sends Facebook the LDU flag as enabled with your Branch conversion data by default. Therefore, conversion metrics (e.g installs or other down funnel events) for California users will not be available in your reporting. NOTE: You will still see aggregate click, impression, and cost data for users in California.

However, Branch has provided a customer-controlled toggle in the event you desire to disable the Limited Data Use feature in your dashboard configuration. We recommend that you consult with your legal counsel to understand any implications of disabling the Limited Data Use feature for the Facebook integration as they pertain to CCPA or other state specific data protection laws, and to determine whether disabling the Limited Data Use feature will meet your needs.

To disable the Limited Data Use feature:

1. In the left-hand navigation panel under Channels & Links, click on Ads and then click Partner Management.

2. Find and select Facebook using the Ad Partners search feature.

3. On the Ad Partner settings: Facebook page, click on the Events Config tab.

4. On the Event Config tab, scroll down to the bottom and deselect Limited Data Use (LDU) Flag.

5. Click Save.

Troubleshooting

We also have a document with FAQs and Advanced Options for Facebook Ads. We recommend starting with one of the guides above, then jumping into the FAQ and Advanced Options when you have questions or need to troubleshoot.