Client SDK events vs server-to-server postbacks: which feeds your attribution

Client SDK events vs server-to-server postbacks: which feeds your attribution

MMPs accept both event paths. Picking wrong means lost events or inflated numbers.

Client-side SDK events
— ✓ Captures full in-app behavior, no backend work to add new events
— ✓ Needed for the install/session signals attribution depends on
— ✗ Spoofable, lost on crashes, blocked by some privacy setups

Server-to-server postbacks
— ✓ Tamper-resistant, the truth for purchases and revenue
— ✓ Survives client failures, dedupes cleanly server-side
— ✗ Engineering overhead, can't see UI-only interactions

Use the SDK for install, session, and UI engagement signals. Send anything money-related, purchases, subscriptions, refunds, server-side so fraud and client crashes can't corrupt your revenue truth. Most mature stacks run both, split by event sensitivity.

Verdict: SDK for behavioral/engagement events, S2S postbacks for all revenue and fraud-sensitive events.
Best for: teams whose purchase numbers don't reconcile between app and billing.