DSPs vs self-attributing networks in-app: the reconciliation gap

DSPs vs self-attributing networks in-app: the reconciliation gap

Self-attributing networks (SANs) like Google and Meta claim installs directly to your MMP. DSPs and most other in-app sources report via standard postbacks. Mixing them without understanding the difference double-counts.

SANs
✓ Claim installs before non-SANs in the attribution waterfall
✗ You can't independently verify their claims — they grade their own homework

Non-SAN DSPs / in-app networks
✓ Standard click/impression postbacks your MMP arbitrates fairly
✗ Always lose contested installs to SANs, making them look worse than they are

The fix: run incrementality tests on SANs periodically. A SAN that 'attributes' lots of installs may be claiming organic. Holdout tests, not last-touch, reveal true contribution.

Verdict: never compare SAN and non-SAN ROAS on last-touch — SANs are structurally advantaged; test incrementality.
Best for: buyers blending Google/Meta with programmatic in-app.