When will the application receive a install_referrer with content utm_source=(not%20set)&utm_medium=(not%20set)?

Question

I'm using instll_referrrer tracking the user installation. Recently, I found a lot of user send the refer utm_source=(not%20set)&utm_medium=(not%20set) to my server.

I searched this on Google, and find a artical https://plus.google.com/+AndroidDevelopers/posts/E54ae9beKLB which tell me this will be set as default for user from deeplinks. And then I searched the definition of deeplink but I don't quite understand it.

From now on, if there is no referrer parameter in the URL, a default will be set to separate organic installs from deeplinks (i.e. a third party referral to your Play Store listing).

Dose this means if I received some install_referrer with content content utm_source=(not%20set)&utm_medium=(not%20set),the user who sent these referrer have installed my app by third party referral which has a format like {scheme}://{host_path} ?

Janetjaneta

Answer 1

The documentation states that it only occurs when you use the deeplink (http) to the play store:

For a deep link into Google Play where the referrer parameter is not present or empty, the referrer value provided is:

utm_source=(not%20set)&utm_medium=(not%20set)

For instance:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps

Documentation here: https://developers.google.com/app-conversion-tracking/third-party-trackers/android

Alithia

Thanks, but I still do not quite understand the different between organic and deeplink. For example ,if I click the link you posted (It's not an Ad) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps , how can Google Play decide to give me 'not set' or 'organic' ? – Janetjaneta

Deeplink would be when using your own domain name, otherwise it's when you use the play.google.com domain name. – Alithia

unable to understand that why my app is still getting utm_source=(not%20set)&utm_medium=(not%20set).need help.what should be excat url format so that i do not get not%20set – Hypogeum

i really cant understand where the given document link is talking about the mentioned issue..please help – Hypogeum

I got the same issue not able to understand the problem. – Estrous

Facing the same problem with this link play.google.com/store/apps/…> – Quadri

@HarishLalwani did you solve this problem? I have it currently :( – Capable

Google play store checks all the mail accounts which are logged into Google play and if you are logged in with work email (enterprise domain email id)it sets the UTM property as utm_source=(not%20set)&utm_medium=(not%20set). So try removing work email from google play store and verify. Use Google Play URL Builder to generate campaign URL. It's worked for me – Hemipode

@biki Today, you were my hero! Thank you! – Modernity

@Hemipode this worked for me. I don't see it mentioned anywhere. Where did you find it? – Codon

Answer 2

Google play store checks all the mail accounts which are logged into Google play and if you are logged in with work email (enterprise domain email id)it sets the UTM property as utm_source=(not%20set)&utm_medium=(not%20set).

So try removing work email from google play store and verify.

Use Google Play URL Builder to generate campaign URL.

It's worked for me

Hemipode

Is this behaviour documented somewhere? Also, is there a proper solution around it? And will the behaviour be the same for real users on production as well? – Codon

@Hemipode this is deprecated Google Play URL Builder, what to use now? – Deportment

@Hemipode How to clear Install Referrer Information when the process done? – Hylan

Answer 3

Your URL needs to have a "referrer" parameter, and encode your referrer in there. An example is

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=a&referrer=utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dcpc%26anid%3Dadmob

You can try to use this https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/android/v4/campaigns to create examples.

Binominal

How to clear Install Referrer Information when the process done? – Hylan

Answer 4

The apps do not pass referrer to the store if it comes from Google and Facebook.

So you get utm_source=(not%20set)&utm_medium=(not%20set)

Dripping