LinkOwl Blog

Attribution for indie devs

Practical guides on tracking what works — from Instagram posts to RevenueCat webhooks.

·6 min read

Apple Search Ads Attribution: Track Which Keywords Drive Purchases

Apple Search Ads tells you which keywords get taps. It doesn't tell you which ones drive actual purchases. Here's how to close that gap.

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·7 min read

How to Track App Downloads from Press Coverage

Your app just got featured in a newsletter or reviewed by a blog. How do you know how many downloads — and purchases — it actually drove? Here's how to track it properly.

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·6 min read

E-commerce attribution without Google Analytics

GA4 is free, powerful, and confusing. Here's how to get clean purchase attribution for your online store without wrestling with Google's latest analytics overhaul.

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·7 min read

Influencer tracking strategy for DTC brands

DTC brands live or die by knowing what works. Here's how to build attribution into every influencer deal so no sale goes untracked.

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·6 min read

How to Vet Influencers Before You Pay Them

Follower counts lie. Here's what actually matters when deciding whether an influencer is worth your money.

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·6 min read

Run a micro-influencer affiliate programme

You don't need 50 influencers and an agency to run an affiliate programme. Here's how small brands do it with five creators and a spreadsheet.

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·6 min read

Scaling influencer marketing for small e-commerce

One influencer deal is manageable. Twenty is chaos — unless you set up tracking properly from the start.

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·6 min read

Track sales in your brand ambassador programme

One-off influencer posts are easy to track. Ambassador programmes are harder. Here's how to keep attribution clean as creators post repeatedly over months.

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·7 min read

Compare influencer performance: who to rehire?

Rank your influencers by actual sales, not follower counts. Here's how to decide who gets booked again.

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·6 min read

How creators should handle brand deal tracking

If a brand sends you a tracking link, that's a good sign. Here's what it means and why it works in your favour.

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·6 min read

What's a good influencer conversion rate?

Benchmarks for influencer conversion rates by platform and niche, and how to tell if your campaigns are underperforming.

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·6 min read

How influencer attribution actually works

A plain-language explanation of how brands connect a sale back to a specific influencer's post.

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·5 min read

How brands track sales from the link in bio

Your link in bio gets clicks. But which post sent them there, and did they actually buy anything?

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·8 min read

How to structure a performance-based influencer deal

Commission-only, flat fee, or hybrid? How to build influencer deals that only cost real money when they work.

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·7 min read

How to structure a performance-based influencer deal

Commission-only, flat fee, or hybrid — how to pay influencers in a way that actually makes financial sense.

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·6 min read

Spent £500 on influencers, got zero sales — why?

You paid a creator, the post went live, and nothing happened. Here's what actually went wrong.

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·5 min read

TikTok Shop affiliate vs your own tracking link

TikTok Shop has built-in affiliate tracking. But it comes with trade-offs most brands don't think about until it's too late.

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·6 min read

Track influencer sales without the expensive platform

You don't need a £500/month influencer platform to know who's driving sales. Here's a lighter approach.

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·7 min read

Track TikTok sales without TikTok Shop

Not using TikTok Shop? You can still track which videos drive purchases on your own site or app.

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·6 min read

Tracking sales when an influencer mentions you

Not every mention comes with a tracked link. Here's how to make sure yours always do.

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·6 min read

Your first influencer campaign: how to track results

Running your first influencer deal? Set up tracking before they post so you actually know what happened.

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·5 min read

How to Give Every Influencer a Unique Tracking Link

One link per creator. Every sale traced. No coding, no spreadsheets, no nonsense.

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·7 min read

How to track sales from nano-influencers

Nano-influencers convert better than big accounts. But tracking their sales is harder because the numbers are smaller and messier. Here's how to do it properly.

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·6 min read

Why Your Influencer Isn't Driving Sales

50k views and zero conversions. Here's what's actually going wrong and how to fix it.

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·6 min read

How to Calculate Influencer ROI (Small Brand Guide)

A simple formula for working out whether your influencer spend is actually profitable — with real numbers, not estimates.

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·6 min read

How to Know If Your Influencer Marketing Works

Likes and views don't pay rent. Here's how to figure out whether your influencer partnerships are actually making money.

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·6 min read

The simplest tool for tracking influencer commissions

Spreadsheets and honour systems don't scale. Here's how to track what you owe each influencer based on actual sales data.

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·8 min read

Shopify influencer tracking without a monthly fee

You're paying influencers to promote your Shopify store. You deserve to know which ones actually drove sales. Here's how to track it without another monthly subscription.

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·3 min read

Shopify Setup Guide — Track Which Influencer Drives Sales

Set up LinkOwl on your Shopify store in under 5 minutes. No coding required.

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·6 min read

Which Instagram Post Is Actually Driving Sales?

Your bio link gets clicks — but which post sent them? Here's how to track Instagram down to the individual post.

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·6 min read

Adjust alternatives: cheaper options that work

Adjust is excellent if you can afford it. Here's what to use when you can't.

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·6 min read

Adjust alternatives: cheaper options that work

Adjust is good at what it does. But if your app makes less than your attribution tool costs, something's wrong.

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·6 min read

Best Mobile Attribution Tools in 2026

An honest comparison of mobile attribution tools by price tier. From enterprise MMPs to pay-per-sale options for indie devs.

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·6 min read

Discount Codes vs Tracking Links: Which Wins?

Promo codes are easy. Tracked links are accurate. Here's when to use each, and why the smartest brands use both.

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·7 min read

Marketing attribution models explained simply

First-touch, last-touch, linear, data-driven — what each one actually means and which matters for your app.

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·7 min read

Measuring influencer marketing ROI (with real data)

Views don't pay your bills. Here's how to track what influencers actually sell, not just what they show.

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·7 min read

How to Pay Influencers Based on Their Sales

Flat fees are a gamble. Commission-based deals align everyone's incentives. Here's how to set them up properly.

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·6 min read

TikTok Attribution for App Developers

TikTok drives downloads, but its built-in analytics won't tell you who actually bought. Here's how to track purchases back to specific videos.

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·7 min read

Track TikTok Influencer Sales for Your Clothing Brand

TikTok creators can sell clothing like nothing else. But which ones are actually driving purchases? Here's how small brands track it.

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·7 min read

The UTM tracking guide for app marketers

UTMs work brilliantly for websites. Applying them to app marketing requires a different approach — here's how to do it properly.

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·6 min read

What Is Marketing Attribution? (Plain English)

Marketing attribution tells you which of your marketing efforts actually led to a sale. Here's how it works, without the jargon.

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·6 min read

Which Influencer Actually Drove That Sale?

You're sending product to creators and seeing sales come in. But which creator is actually responsible? Here's how to find out.

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·6 min read

Affiliate link tracking for mobile apps

Running an affiliate or referral programme for your app? Here's how to give each partner a tracked link and see who's driving real purchases.

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·10 min read

AppsFlyer alternatives in 2026: what actually works at every budget

AppsFlyer is the default choice for mobile attribution. But defaults aren't always the right choice. Here's what else is out there — ranked by who each tool is actually built for.

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·8 min read

Attribution for subscription app developers

Subscription apps need to know which channels drive subscribers, not just downloads. Here's how to track it properly.

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·6 min read

Branch alternatives for mobile attribution

Branch is built for teams with dedicated mobile engineers. If you don't have one of those, here's what else is out there.

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·7 min read

Calculating real CPA for your app

Cost per acquisition means nothing if you can't tie purchases back to the campaign that drove them. Here's how to fix that.

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·12 min read

Mobile attribution explained: what it is, how it works, and how to pick a tool

A plain-language guide to mobile attribution for developers and marketers who've heard the term but never quite understood what's happening under the hood.

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·7 min read

QR code attribution for app purchases

QR codes are everywhere again — on packaging, flyers, event stands, even receipts. But most of them point to a generic App Store link with zero tracking. Here's how to fix that.

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·6 min read

Tracking app sales from your email newsletter

Your newsletter gets opens and clicks. But which edition actually drove a purchase? Here's how to connect your email campaigns to real app revenue.

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·6 min read

App Attribution After iOS 14: What Actually Works

ATT broke most attribution tools. Fingerprinting is dying. Here's what still works for indie developers who need to know which channels drive purchases.

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·5 min read

The Best Influencer Attribution Tool for Small Brands

Big influencer platforms charge hundreds a month. If you just need to know which creator actually sells, there's a cheaper way.

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·5 min read

Adding Attribution to Your RevenueCat Setup

RevenueCat handles subscriptions and purchases. But it won't tell you where those subscribers came from. Here's how to add that missing piece.

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·5 min read

Track App Downloads from Podcast Sponsorships

Podcast attribution is notoriously difficult. Listeners hear your ad, but they don't click anything. Here's a tracked-link approach that actually works.

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·8 min read

How to attribute app purchases to social media posts

You posted a reel, a TikTok, a tweet. Downloads went up. But did that specific post cause the purchase? Here's how to trace sales back to individual social media posts.

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·7 min read

Link tracking for app marketing campaigns

Every app marketing campaign needs tracked links. Without them, you're spending money and hoping for the best. Here's how to set up link tracking that actually tells you what's working.

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·8 min read

Shopify attribution: finding what actually sells

Shopify tells you how much you sold. It's less helpful at telling you why. Here's how to fill the attribution gaps so you know which channels are pulling their weight.

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·7 min read

App attribution without a heavy SDK

Most attribution tools ship massive SDKs that bloat your app, collect data you didn't ask for, and take hours to configure. There's a lighter way to track what's working.

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·9 min read

Organic vs paid app downloads: attribution guide

You're getting downloads from both paid ads and organic discovery. But unless you can tell them apart, you can't tell what's actually working. Here's how to separate the two.

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·6 min read

Adjust Alternative for Small Apps

Adjust is built for scale. If your app makes a few hundred a month, you need something that matches your size. Here's what works instead.

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·7 min read

AppsFlyer Is Too Expensive — What Indie Devs Use Instead

AppsFlyer starts at hundreds per month. If your app makes less than that, you need a different approach to attribution. Here's what actually works for indie developers.

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·5 min read

Attribution for fashion and clothing brands

You posted a reel, ran a collab, and sales went up. But which one worked? Here's how small clothing brands can track what actually drives purchases.

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·5 min read

Branch.io Alternative for Simpler Attribution

Branch does a lot. Maybe too much. If you just want to know which link drove a sale, there's a lighter way.

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·6 min read

Budget app marketing: only pay when it works

When your app makes £300 a month, spending £200 on attribution tools is backwards. Pay-per-sale tracking means your measurement costs never outpace your revenue.

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·7 min read

Deep Linking vs Attribution: What's the Difference?

Deep links take users somewhere. Attribution tells you why they came. Mixing them up means you'll buy the wrong tool.

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·7 min read

Attribution tracking in Expo apps (no heavy SDK)

Expo developers shouldn't need to eject or install a 20MB binary to know which marketing link drove a purchase. Here's a lighter way.

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·5 min read

How to know which ad is actually working

Impressions and clicks don't tell you much. The only number that matters is purchases. Here's how to connect your ads to real revenue.

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·7 min read

Measuring Influencer ROI for Mobile Apps

Follower counts and engagement rates tell you almost nothing about whether an influencer deal actually made money. Here's how to measure the bit that matters.

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·7 min read

Mobile attribution explained for indie developers

Attribution tells you which marketing activity led to a purchase in your app. Here's what that actually means when you're a solo developer with a real budget.

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·6 min read

Mobile Attribution Without the Monthly Fee

Most attribution tools charge hundreds a month whether you make sales or not. Pay-per-sale attribution flips that — you only pay when your app actually earns money.

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·7 min read

Marketing attribution for React Native apps

You're running ads, posting on TikTok, paying influencers. Purchases are coming in. But which channel is actually driving them? Here's how to track it in React Native.

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·7 min read

Which Channel Drives Your RevenueCat Sales?

RevenueCat tells you someone bought a subscription. It doesn't tell you why. Here's how to figure out which marketing channel actually drove each purchase.

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·5 min read

How to Track Which Instagram Post Drives App Sales

Most indie devs post on Instagram with no idea which post actually drove a purchase. Here's how to fix that with attribution links.

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·6 min read

Tracking Reddit Ads to App Purchases

Reddit drives weirdly targeted installs. The problem is knowing which subreddit, post, or ad actually led to a purchase. Here's how to fix that.

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·5 min read

Track Sales Per Influencer for Your App

Giving every influencer a unique link is obvious. Actually seeing which ones drive purchases is the part most people get wrong.

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·6 min read

How to Track TikTok Sales for Your App

TikTok can drive thousands of downloads overnight. But which video actually led to a purchase? Here's how to track that properly.

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·7 min read

Which Marketing Link Actually Drove That Sale?

You posted on TikTok, Reddit, and your newsletter this week. Three purchases came in. Which channel earned them? Here's how to stop guessing.

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·6 min read

Attribution for X (Twitter) app campaigns

X ads can drive app installs, but the platform won't tell you which ones turned into paying customers. Here's how to close that gap without a full MMP integration.

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·6 min read

Track App Downloads from YouTube Sponsorships

You paid a YouTuber to talk about your app. Downloads went up. But did those downloads come from the sponsorship, or would they have happened anyway? Here's how to find out.

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·6 min read

Give Every Influencer a Unique Tracking Link

One link per influencer. That's the whole trick. Here's how to set it up so you can see exactly who's driving purchases.

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·6 min read

UTM Tracking for Mobile App Purchases

UTM parameters work brilliantly for websites. Getting them to work for mobile app purchases takes a different approach — here's what actually works.

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·7 min read

You vibe-coded an app — now track its marketing

Building an app with AI took you a weekend. Figuring out which marketing channel actually drives purchases? That's the part nobody talks about.

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·6 min read

What is app attribution and why does it matter?

You're spending time and money marketing your app. Attribution is how you figure out which of those efforts actually led to a sale.

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·6 min read

Which marketing channel actually works for small brands?

You're posting on Instagram, running TikToks, sending newsletters, and trying ads. Something's working. You just don't know what. Here's how to find out.

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·6 min read

Why Indie Developers Need Attribution (And Why Enterprise Tools Aren't the Answer)

AppsFlyer and Branch are built for companies spending £50k/month on ads. If you're an indie dev trying to grow a £500/month app, they'll cost you more than your app makes.

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·6 min read

How to Set Up Purchase Attribution with RevenueCat

RevenueCat handles your purchases. LinkOwl tracks where those purchases came from. Here's how to wire them together in about 15 minutes.

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