Apple Search Ads finally joins the SKAN party! What you need to know

Better late than never. Apple just announced it will add support for SKAdNetwork (now called AdAttributionKit) in Apple Search Ads (ASA) later this month.

Starting April 10, 2025, Apple Search Ads will finally start using SKAN the same way other networks have been doing since iOS 14.5. About time, right? This dual-attribution approach is actually pretty sweet – you’ll keep all that juicy and granular campaign data from Apple’s API (aka AdServices API) while finally being able to compare ASA with other channels on equal footing through unified SKAN metrics.

What’s coming?

The initial rollout covers SKAN versions 1-3, supports click-through attribution only, and includes the following ASA placements: Search Results, Search Tab, Today Tab, and Product Pages. Other Ad Attribution Kit goodies will come later.

What this means for advertisers

If you’re relying mostly on SKAN for your iOS campaign optimization, here’s what to watch for:

• Better coverage, but still limited: with ASA, SKAN coverage will get a nice coverage boost, but will remain limited to a short time window and limited measurement. 
• Apple to apple comparison: now that ASA is part of the SKAN, you’ll finally be able to fairly evaluate it alongside other channels using an identical attribution methodology. 
• A possible drop in ASA numbers: If you’re used to analyzing ASA in Apple’s dashboard, you’ll notice fewer attributed conversions reported in SKAN due to the shorter 24-hour measurement window versus ASA’s longer window. Slow-to-convert users might not be counted in SKAN resulting in reduced ROAS under SKAN’s short-term measurement.
• A possible shift in attribution credits: ASA might impact some of those multi-touch attribution scenarios in 2 ways: On one hand, high-performing ASA campaigns could lose some conversion credit to competing channels. On the other hand, since ASA often appears at the end of the conversion funnel and has now joined the SKAN party, it takes a portion of the SKAN attribution pie — potentially reducing conversion numbers for your other marketing channels.
• Conversion scheme review: If ASA drives a significant portion of your acquisitions, you might want to tweak your conversion value setup (AppsFlyer’s Revenue Model and SKAN Schema Templates can help simplify the process and reach better results).
• No SKAN 4 / AAK support yet: when comparing different media sources, watch out for those with SKAN 4 (48 hours) that might show better performance due to the 1 extra day. (Tip: Use AppsFlyer’s SKAN version data for a distinguished side-by-side comparison).< AAK >

Whether you’re all-in on SKAN or relying on our Single Source of Truth (SSOT) solution, this is good news — more attribution signals from Apple’s ecosystem mean better data quality and deeper insights into your iOS campaign performance.

Not familiar with SSOT? No worries – here’s a quick breakdown of how it works and why it matters.

Your Single Source of Truth just got better

AppsFlyer Single Source of Truth (SSOT) seamlessly merges multiple attribution mechanisms into a single view, deterministically deduplicating conversions that might otherwise be counted twice across different systems (as claimed by Apple  here). This creates one comprehensive dashboard where advertisers can access all their insights without fragmentation. Plus, thanks to our data models, you get the best of both worlds: standardized 24-hour attribution for comparison alongside extended measurement windows that capture Day 7 in-app events and longer LTV projections — all in one place.

Quick checklist for developers:

1. Enable ASA in SKAN configs: Add Apple’s SKAN network ID to your app’s Info.plist.
2. Forward Postbacks to MMP: Ensure you forward SKAN postbacks from Apple directly to your MMP. This is required to analyze Apple Search Ads (ASA) performance under SKAN.
3. Enable SSOT: Consider using AppsFlyer’s Single Source of Truth to unify ASA and SKAN attributions, minimize fragmentation, and prevent double counting.
4. Monitor and compare post-April: Measure how ASA performance looks in SKAN vs. API — then gradually align your conversion scheme with the new reported behavior and refine budget allocation once you have the full picture.

What now?

Some might say this change is another iOS earthquake, but since advertisers asked for it for years – it’s not a surprising move. There are still some open questions like for example, will SKAN be used for optimization of ASA campaigns or will it just be for reporting purposes? Time will tell.

What we do know is that if you’re an AppsFlyer customer, we’ve got you covered. We remain committed to providing the best attribution tools and the highest signal coverage in the industry. Our solutions are already primed to seamlessly integrate this new data source, ensuring you can navigate Apple’s evolving measurement landscape with confidence and clarity.