SKAdNetwork postbacks vs Aggregated Event Measurement: don't conflate them

SKAdNetwork postbacks vs Aggregated Event Measurement: don't conflate them

People treat Apple's SKAN and Meta/Google's aggregated event tools as the same layer. They aren't, and mixing them double-counts.

SKAdNetwork postbacks
— ✓ The only Apple-sanctioned install truth on iOS, network-agnostic
— ✓ Crash-proof for compliance, no IDFA needed
— ✗ Coarse conversion values, 24-72h timer, null-conversion noise on low-volume campaigns

Aggregated Event Measurement (Meta) / on-device (Google)
— ✓ Richer funnel granularity inside that one channel
— ✓ Faster reporting cadence than SKAN's locked timers
— ✗ Channel-locked, useless for cross-network dedupe

Use SKAN as your cross-network spine for budget allocation. Use AEM-style data only inside the owning channel for creative and bid signals. Never sum them into one ROAS number.

Verdict: SKAN for allocation across networks, AEM for in-channel optimization only.
Best for: media buyers splitting spend across Meta, Google and DSPs on iOS.