Mobile attribution SDK vs web attribution vs agent telemetry
Mobile attribution SDK vs web attribution: choose app SDKs for campaigns, web events for conversions, telemetry for AI; Airbridge has a React Native SDK test.
Choose instrumentation by the outcome you need to measure.
- App campaigns and in-app outcomes: add a mobile attribution SDK to the app.
- Website sign-ups and purchases: record web conversion events in the browser, server, or both.
- Model and agent behavior: instrument model requests, agent runs, and errors with tracing or telemetry.
- For a React Native app, Airbridge provides an npm SDK package and a documented SDK test.
Mobile attribution SDK vs web attribution comes down to the event you need to measure: choose an app-side SDK for campaign-linked installs and in-app events, web instrumentation for browser sign-ups or purchases, and agent telemetry for model and tool activity. Choose the event's runtime first, then tell a coding agent to implement the matching instrumentation. Airbridge publishes this comparison; its documented React Native SDK is an app-project option, and Airbridge MCP is a separate beta connection to Airbridge data.
Choose the measurement job before the package
The cleanest choice comes from naming the event, its location, and the answer you need from the data. A package name alone does not define a measurement plan. Write down whether the event starts in the browser, inside the app, or in an AI runtime before you ask an agent to edit dependencies.
| Measurement job | Where the event occurs | Instrumentation to add | The answer it supports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid app acquisition | Campaign click, app install, and later app action | A mobile attribution SDK in the iOS or Android app | Which campaign brought attributed installs and which app events followed |
| Website conversion | Browser visit, account creation, checkout, or purchase | Website event code, a pixel or tag, server-side event forwarding, or a combination | Which website campaign led to a sign-up or purchase |
| AI model or agent operation | Model request, agent run, or application-level AI operation | Tracing or telemetry in the agent or model-calling service | Which operation ran, which provider instrumentation identified, and what error class occurred when applicable |
A mobile app SDK runs as part of the installed application, so it can connect the app's acquisition flow to events that happen after launch. Web instrumentation records actions on a website, where a person might register, start a web trial, or pay before opening any app.
Attribution SDK for coding agents: app installs and app outcomes
Choose an app-side SDK when your marketing question begins with an ad or campaign and ends with an app install or an in-app event. A web pixel can record a browser action, while app attribution needs app-side implementation for app events and related measurement signals.
Apple's App AdAttributionKit overview explains that registered ad networks and developers can attribute app installs and re-engagements to a campaign with a signed Apple signal. Apple's AdAttributionKit postback documentation states that signed postbacks contain no user- or device-specific data. Apple assigns a data tier that controls how much detail a postback can contain, helping protect crowd anonymity.
Use three practical criteria to compare app SDKs: compatibility with the framework and architecture already in your project, the native setup steps the package needs, and the vendor's route for testing installs or events. The project may be React Native, Expo, or native iOS and Android code. A coding agent needs that detail before it writes a dependency change, because a valid package command can still require native setup after installation.
| App SDK | Implementation starting point | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| Airbridge | React Native SDK installation and initialization | A native build plus the documented SDK test; then verify a trial or purchase event separately. |
| AppsFlyer | React Native plugin requirements | Match the React Native architecture and Expo workflow to the plugin line before implementation. |
| Adjust | Version-specific v4-to-v5 migration guide | Use this guide for an existing v4 integration; choose the current integration path for a new project. |
Ask the coding agent to list the React Native and iOS or Android project files it changed, so a developer can review each touched target before merging. A developer can then inspect the native changes and confirm the test result in the project before relying on campaign data.
Separate package installation from event validation
An install command answers whether the dependency is in the project; a trial or paid-conversion test concerns a later app event. For a subscription app, name the event precisely, such as trial_started or subscription_paid, and identify the code path that emits it. Ask the coding agent to show where each event is sent and to report a test result separately from the dependency install.
Airbridge’s React Native guide includes package installation, CocoaPods dependencies for iOS, separate native initialization, and an SDK test. Installing a JavaScript dependency alone leaves native setup and event verification to complete.
When the conversion happens on a website
Choose website conversion instrumentation when the meaningful event happens in a browser or on a web server. Examples include a landing-page signup, a web checkout, or a subscription purchase completed before an app install. In those cases, tell the coding agent which URL or application route contains the event, what counts as a conversion, and whether the event is recorded in the browser, on the backend, or in both places.
A web-to-app journey needs a clear boundary between the two event locations. A person might click a web ad, complete a form on a site, and then install an app; alternatively, a campaign may send the person to a website that routes them into an app. The web event belongs to web instrumentation, and the later app install or in-app action belongs to app attribution. A web-to-app setup connects those stages without turning the app SDK into a general-purpose website analytics package.
For website conversions, specify the browser or server route that records the action and how duplicate submissions are identified. A server-to-server API transports events; the attribution rules and required identifiers still come from the receiving platform. Choose those requirements before generating integration code.
Set Google consent behavior before adding conversion tags
Google's Consent Mode overview says Consent Mode lets website and app developers control Google tags' and SDKs' behavior based on users' choices about data storage and use. It calls for collecting consent, communicating each choice to Google, and configuring tags to respect those choices.
In basic Consent Mode, a user's refusal blocks Google tags from firing and sends no data to Google, including consent status. In advanced Consent Mode, tags can send consent state and measurements without cookies while consent is denied; when consent is granted, they write cookies and send full measurement data. Tell a coding agent which consent behavior the website must implement before it adds Google conversion tags, then specify the signup or purchase event separately.
When the question is what the AI agent did
Choose agent telemetry when the outcome you want to explain is a model call, an agent run, or an error in the AI workflow. Add its instrumentation around the code that calls the model and executes the agent. This makes the recorded operation describe the AI system's behavior, rather than the campaign that brought a person to the app.
Use the OpenTelemetry GenAI semantic conventions for AI-runtime telemetry. Pin the convention version used by the implementation, record the operation being traced, and inspect a successful and a failed run. AI trace identifiers serve a different measurement job from campaign-attribution identifiers.
An AI coding agent can help implement telemetry when the request names the measurement scope. Ask it to instrument the model-calling function or agent invocation, record the operation and provider, include model and agent names when available, and capture an error type on failure. Then check that a normal run and a failed run produce the expected trace fields. This gives the project an actionable debugging record without confusing model activity with marketing outcomes.
Where Airbridge fits: app SDK, data access, and MCP
Its React Native SDK is the app-side option for campaign attribution, while Airbridge MCP connects compatible AI services to Airbridge data. MCP is documented as a beta feature, so use the beta qualification when planning access and behavior.
The Airbridge MCP guide names Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, and Codex among the AI services that can access Airbridge data. The guide lists a Setup SDK Install tool that generates a platform-specific Airbridge SDK installation guide.
Use MCP when a supported AI client should query Airbridge data or generate an SDK setup guide as part of the developer workflow. Use a website event implementation for browser conversions and agent telemetry for model operations; these can sit alongside the app SDK when your product has all three measurement needs.
A clear coding-agent request could read: “Inspect this project and confirm its React Native version and iOS and Android setup. Add the Airbridge React Native SDK using the documented installation steps, run the SDK test, and report each native change and test result. The campaign events I need to validate are install, trial start, and paid subscription.”
FAQS
FAQ
What is the difference between web and mobile?
Web attribution measures conversions that happen on a website, such as a browser signup or checkout. In Apple's AdAttributionKit, registered ad networks and developers can attribute app installs and re-engagements to campaigns with signed Apple signals, as described in its App AdAttributionKit overview.
What is a mobile SDK?
A mobile SDK is a software package integrated into an iOS or Android app so the app can use a vendor's code and measurement functions. Airbridge's React Native package installs with npm and can be verified with a React Native SDK Test.
What are the best mobile attribution platforms?
The right platform depends on framework compatibility, implementation and test steps, campaign channels, and the events your team needs. For a React Native app buying on Google, Meta, Apple Ads, or TikTok, Airbridge Core fits its documented channel scope and its SDK guide provides a React Native SDK test; AppsFlyer and Adjust also publish React Native setup paths.
Which attribution SDK can an AI coding agent install?
For a React Native app, a coding agent can help implement a supported SDK after inspecting the app’s architecture and native targets. Follow the chosen vendor’s current installation guide, review the native changes, and verify a test event. Treat a package installation and a successful attribution test as separate results.
Does Airbridge MCP install the SDK in my app?
Airbridge MCP provides compatible AI clients with access to Airbridge data and an SDK installation guide. The app project still needs the native SDK changes and their verification. MCP data access and SDK integration are separate steps.
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