Set up conversion rules

Conversion Rules are an advanced feature under the Protect pillar. They allow you to validate installs and user engagements by applying custom rules that you define.

Before you begin

Here's what you need to know before getting started.

Requirements

• Users with Admin, Editor, or Custom Editor permissions in Adjust.
• A single or multi-platform app in Adjust.

Set up a conversion rule

To set up a conversion rule, follow these steps.

1. Under Protection, select Conversion rules.

2. Select New conversion rule.

3. Enter a name for your rule.

4. Choose one of the following status:

   • Live - Rule is applied to attributions immediately when conditions are met.
   • Test - Use this to test your conversion rule. For conversion rules in Test status, we don't change the attribution source or send any callbacks.
   • Pause - Your rule is not applied to any attributions.

5. Select your app.

6. Select the rule type, and configure your rule accordingly.

   • Store
   • Region
   • Version
   • Region and campaigns match
   • Version and campaigns match

7. Select Create rule.

Once your rule is Live, Adjust checks attribution data against the rule configuration. This might change your attribution results. You will see these changes in your raw data exports and Datascape. For any rules in Test status, we don't change the attribution source or send any callbacks.

Attribution behaviours

For specific rule types, you can define how attribution results should be handled. The following options are available:

Unverified devices

• Installs from unverified devices are flagged as unverified.
• Adjust retains postbacks and aggregated data.
  • Raw data is shared as unverified_install activity for unverified devices.
  • Sources receive standard install callbacks without any change to the install attribution.
  • Cohort reporting is available up to campaign level.
• Unverified devices can be reattributed.

Untrusted devices

• This represents the highest severity level.
• Installs from untrusted devices are rejected.
  • Install postbacks are sent, but the install is marked as not attributed.
  • Sources may receive rejected_install callbacks, which can include fields such as click_id and the rejection reason. This data is provided for diagnostic and fraud-analysis purposes.
  • Cohort reporting is limited to high-level totals only. There is no breakdown by channel, campaign, or other granular dimensions.
• Untrusted devices cannot be reattributed.

Post-install activities

For specific rule types, you can apply rule conditions to all post-install activities (sessions, events, and ad revenue).
Post-install activities that do not meet the defined conditions are rejected.

• There are no changes to install attribution.
• If the install was attributed to a valid source (that is, not classified as an Untrusted device):
  • Raw data is shared as rejected_session, rejected_event, or rejected_ad_revenue activity.
  • Rejected activities are exposed in reporting under the Rejected sessions, Rejected events, or Rejected ad revenue buckets.

Rule types

Store

The 'Store' type rule allows app installs from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

If you want to set up the store rule, follow these steps:

1. Choose the allowed store(s). For single-platform apps, only the corresponding platform stores will be shown.

2. Choose what the attribution result should be if the store doesn't match the allowed stores:

   • Unverified devices
   • Untrusted devices

3. If you don't want the rule to be executed for specific channels, use the Exclude channels option.

4. Select Create rule.

With this rule, installs from outside the allowed stores are attributed to Unverified devices or Untrusted devices.

Region

The 'Region' type rule allows devices and installs from specific regions.

If you want to set up the region rule, follow these steps:

1. Choose what the attribution results need to be changed to, in case the regions don't match your specified region:

   • Unverified devices
   • Untrusted devices
   • This rule also supports Post-install activities

2. Under Rule conditions, choose multiple regions by setting conditions for Country:

   1. Condition type - Set to Is equal to or Exclude.
   2. Value - Choose a value from the list.

3. If you don't want the rule to be executed for specific channels, use the Exclude channels option.

4. Select Create rule.

With this rule, installs from outside the specified countries are attributed to Unverified devices or Untrusted devices.

Example: A 'Region' rule with

• Condition Type: Include
• Country Value: Japan

Interpretation: As a marketer, I want to accept only activities originating from the Japan region.

Behaviour:
Installs originating outside Japan are treated as Unverified, and any post-install activities that do not meet the rule conditions are rejected.

Version

The Version rule allows you to define conditions based on version-specific fields such as:

• App version
• SDK version
• Signature version
• OS version

You can use this rule to restrict attribution to devices running specific versions. If the conditions aren't met, attribution will be assigned to either unverified or untrusted devices, depending on your configuration.

If you want to set up the version rule, follow these steps:

1. Choose how attribution should behave if version data points don’t match your specified conditions:

   • Unverified devices
   • Untrusted devices
   • This rule also supports Post-install activities

2. Under Rule conditions:

   1. (Optional) Pre conditions act as global filters, limiting the rule's application. They must be satisfied before any group conditions are evaluated. For example, to apply this rule only to Android devices in a multi-platform app, use the following pre condition:

      • Condition: OS name
      • Condition type: Equal to
      • Value: Android

   2. (Required) Conditions – Add one or more version-based conditions that must be satisfied for the install to be attributed normally. Conditions within a group are combined using AND logic. Use separate groups to apply OR logic.

3. If you don't want the rule to be executed for specific channels, use the Exclude channels option.

4. Select Create rule.

Example:
As a marketer, I need to define a rule that follows the security team’s requirements for my multi-platform app. The requirement is to block installs only (the rule should not apply to post-install activities) on Android if:

• App version is lower than 2.2.1 and device OS version is lower than 6.0.0
• App version is lower than 2.9.1 and device OS version is lower than 7.1.2

Attribution behaviour if the condition does not match: Untrusted devices
Include post-install activities: Disabled

Pre conditions: [OS name] [Equal to] [Android]

Match conditions:

Group 1 [App version] [Greater than or equal to] [2.2.1] [OS version] [Greater than or equal to] [6.0.0]

Group 2 [App version] [Greater than or equal to] [2.9.1] [OS version] [Greater than or equal to] [7.1.2]

• Case 1: Install OS name is iOS

  • Result: rule is skipped

• Case 2: Install OS name is Android, App version is 2.3, OS version is 6.1

  • Result: Condition matched. No rejection.

• Case 3: Install OS name is Android, App version is 2.1, OS version is 6.1

  • Result: Condition didn’t match. Attribution rejected.

Pin/Unpin functionality

You can pin a condition to convert it into a pre condition. This is a simple way to apply global filters that must be satisfied before any group conditions in the rule are evaluated. It’s especially helpful when you realize a condition should determine whether the rule should apply at all.

To pin a condition: Click the pin icon next to the condition in the group. It will move to the Pre conditions section.

To unpin a pre condition: Click the unpin icon. The condition will return to the group conditions section.

Region and Campaigns match

The 'Region and campaigns match' type rule allows devices and installs from your chosen region and campaigns.

If you want to set up the region and campaigns match rule, follow these steps:

1. Under Set the channel filter, select the Channel, Campaign, and Adgroup to choose the campaign.
2. Under Rule conditions, choose multiple regions by setting conditions for Country:
   1. Condition type - Set to Is equal to or Exclude.
   2. Value - Choose a value from the list.
3. Select Create rule.

Example: For a 'Region & Campaigns Match' rule with

• Campaign ‘Channel’ value: Moloco
• Country Value: USA

Interpretation: For the Moloco campaign, I want to attribute installs coming from the USA.

Behaviour: If there is an install from outside the USA, it will not be attributed to any Moloco campaign even if the last engagement (that won the attribution) came from Moloco.

Adjust searches for the preceding best engagement. If an eligible engagement was found, then it is awarded the attribution for the install. If no engagement was found, then the install is attributed to Organic.

Version and Campaigns match

The Version and campaigns match rule allows attribution only for installs that match both a specific app version and campaign.

You can use this rule to ensure that only installs from specific app versions are attributed to designated networks. For example:

• Network A should only receive attribution if the app version is 3.0.5.
• Network B should only receive attribution if the app version is 3.0.6 or 3.0.7.
• Network WW should only receive attribution if the app version contains the “_ww” suffix (e.g., 3.0.8_ww).

To set up a Version and Campaigns match rule:

1. Under Set the channel filter, select the Channel, Campaign, and Adgroup for the campaign you want to match.

2. If using a multi-platform app, select the platforms to which the rule should apply.

3. Under Rule conditions, choose a Condition type and a Value:

   • Condition type must be one of the string or semantic versioning condition types.
   • For the value, enter one or more values depending on the selected type.
   • Adjust compares the value with:
     • app_version_short on iOS
     • app_version on all other platforms

4. Select Create rule.

Example

For a Version & Campaigns Match rule:

• Campaign Channel value: WW
• App Version condition: [Contains] _ww

Interpretation: For the WW channel, I want to attribute only installs that have app versions ending with _ww.

Behaviour: If an install has an app version that does not contain _ww, it will not be attributed to any WW campaign — even if the last engagement came from WW.

Adjust will look for the next eligible engagement. If one is found, attribution is assigned to that source. If not, the install is attributed to Organic.

Manage your conversion rule

On the Conversion rules page, you can:

• View a list of your conversion rules.
• View the status of the rule and change its status.
• Select (edit icon) to edit the rule. You can change the rule name, status, type, and its settings.
  • You cannot change the app for which you created the rule.
• Select (delete icon) to delete the rule.

Reporting

Here you can find details about how Adjust reports conversion rules data in Datascape. This uses the following structure in reports.

Attribution changed to Unverified devices

Attribution changed to Untrusted devices

Dimensions

• Unverified devices
• Untrusted devices

Metrics

Unverified, Untrusted devices attribution behaviours

• Installs
  1. Unverified Installs Store Rule
  2. Unverified Installs Region Rule
  3. Unverified Installs Version Rule
  4. Rejected Installs Store Rule
  5. Rejected Installs Region Rule
  6. Rejected Installs Version Rule
• Reattributions
  1. Unverified Reattributions Store Rule
  2. Unverified Reattributions Region Rule
  3. Unverified Reattributions Version Rule
  4. Rejected Reattributions Store Rule
  5. Rejected Reattributions Region Rule
  6. Rejected Reattributions Version Rule

Rejected post install activities

1. Rejected sessions region rule
2. Rejected events region rule
3. Rejected ad revenue region rule
4. Rejected sessions version rule
5. Rejected events version rule
6. Rejected ad revenue version rule

"Skip the source" attribution behaviour

1. Unverified engagements region campaign rule
2. Unverified clicks region campaign rule
3. Unverified impressions region campaign rule
4. Unverified engagements version campaign rule
5. Unverified clicks version campaign rule
6. Unverified impressions version campaign rule