Cost aggregation deprecation

Adjust has deprecated the legacy cost aggregation metrics on 25th April 2023 in favor of an improved ad spend source.

The deprecation affects the following products:

• The Ad Spend statistics page in the classic dashboard.
• Custom reports in the classic dashboard.
• Automated reports that pull ad spend data from the Adjust KPI service.

After the deprecation date, ad spend information will no longer be accessible in any of these locations. To ensure you continue to receive your ad spend data, you need to:

1. Check which metrics are being deprecated below.
2. Move your reports to Datascape to make use of the new Ad Spend metrics.
3. Move your KPI Service reports to the Report Service API.
4. Check out the FAQs below to make sure your questions are answered.

Deprecated metrics

The following metrics are being deprecated:

• Installs (Paid)
• Clicks (Paid)
• Impressions (Paid)
• Click (Cost)
• Impression (Cost)
• Install (Cost)
• Clicks
• Impressions

The following metrics will return a value of 0 in the classic dashboard and KPI Service, and will return information from the new Ad Spend pipeline in Datascape and the Report Service API:

• Clicks
• Impressions

The table below shows how these values are mapped in the Report Service API and Datascape reports. Attribution metrics such as click, impression, and install cost will return a value of 0, while network metrics return the value calculated by the new Ad Spend pipeline. The metrics mentioned below in the “KPI Service API” column will all return a value of 0 after the deprecation date.

Cost on Engagement and Ad Spend API

Data retrieved from the Ad spend on engagement method and partners using the Ad Spend API will still be available for all networks excluding:

• Apple
• Facebook
• Google
• Snapchat
• Twitter
• TikTok
• AppLovin

You can access this data using the “Ad Spend (Attribution)” metric in the KPI service, or the “Ad Spend” metric in Datascape and Report Service API.

Dashboard report migration

If you were using the Ad Spend reporting tab in the classic dashboard, you need to migrate your reporting over to Datascape. Datascape makes building reports easier and more visual and is built using the new pipeline. Refer to the metrics glossary for a full list of Ad Spend metrics you can use in Datascape.

To retrieve ad spend metrics from the new pipeline, choose the metric you want to report on and select “Network” from the dropdown sources list.

Example

If you currently use a report in the classic dashboard which reports on the following metrics:

• Clicks (Paid)
• Installs (Paid)
• Ad Spend (Attribution)

You can create a new report in Datascape with the following metrics and sources found in the Deliverable KPIs section:

Report Service migration

If you currently use the KPI service to generate ad spend reports, you need to transition to using the Report Service API for this data. You can see a full list of supported metrics in the Datascape metrics glossary.

To retrieve Ad Spend (cost) information from the Report Service API, you can use the ad_spend_mode filter to choose which source to retrieve information from:

• attribution: returns data from the old attribution ad spend pipeline.
• network: returns data from the new pipeline.
• mixed: returns data from the new pipeline in priority for all networks that have an API integration. Returns data from the Cost on Engagement and the Ad Spend API Ad Spend tracking methods for the other networks.

Example

If you currently use the KPI service to report on the following metrics:

• Clicks (Paid)
• Installs (Paid)
• Ad Spend (Attribution)

The resulting call might look like this:

https://api.adjust.com/kpis/v1/2eb2na2w54c3?start_date=2023-05-01&end_date=2023-05-31&kpis=paid_clicks,paid_installs,cost

You could use the following Report Service API call to retrieve results from the new Ad Spend pipeline:

https://dash.adjust.com/control-center/reports-service/report?ad_spend_mode=network&app_token=2eb2na2w54c3&date_period=2023-05-01:2023-05-31&dimensions=app,partner_name,campaign,campaign_id_network,campaign_network&metrics=clicks_network,installs_network,ad_spend

FAQs

What happens if I use the Ad Spend statistics page?

Leading up to the deprecation date, you will see a warning informing you of the upcoming deprecation. This warning points you to Adjust Datascape where you can use the new Ad Spend metrics. After the deprecation date, the Ad Spend page will still be accessible, but the Ad Spend metrics for Apple, Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok and AppLovin will be impacted and show a value of 0.

What happens if I don't update my custom reports?

Reports that use the existing KPI service ad spend data will continue to work after the deprecation date, however ad spend metrics will return incomplete information.

• Ad Spend (Attribution), Clicks (Paid), Click Cost, Impressions (Paid), Impression Cost, Installs (Paid), Install Cost: Apple, Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok, and AppLovin will all report 0.
• Clicks and Impressions: Apple, Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Twitter will report 0.
• Calculated Ad Spend KPIs will also be impacted for Apple, Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok, and AppLovin when Ad Spend becomes 0. For example: eCPM, eCPC, eCPI, ROI, RCR, ROAS.

Can I still see historical attribution KPIs in Datascape?

Yes. Historical data relating to these KPIs is visible in Datascape.