Improved app analytics via Google Play Referrer

Google is upping the assistance to app developers with a new method of tracking and measuring app installations. With a bit if technical work behind the scenes, it promises to make the whole process easier and more secure.

New tools at the right price

Recognising how important analytics are for app success, Google is distributing a new toolset that will make it easier for developers to give marketers what they need. It’s called the ‘Google Play Referrer API’ and it is, of course, free.

The data it offers is simple yet integral: it tells you the referrer URL of the installed package, the time that the referrer click happened, and the time that installation began.

Apparently, it is also capable of detecting and discounting fake installs and fraudulent attempts, which might otherwise muddy the analytics.

From the horse’s mouth

Yes, third-party services have offered these sorts of metrics for a while. The new toolset makes it possible for developers to create a direct conduit, for app producers to retrieve reliable data directly from the Play Store.

For all the tech details—including dependency code and app integration guidance—send your best to the relevant post on the Android Developers Blog.

Analytics remain at the core of app marketing—if Google continues to improve this side of things, will it influence whether you go Android or Apple first?