What is Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP)?
A Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) is a third-party company that provides unbiased measurement and attribution for mobile app marketing campaigns. MMPs act as a neutral intermediary between app developers and advertising networks, determining which ad network, campaign, or creative drove each app install and subsequent in-app event.
The term "partner" reflects the trusted third-party role: because MMPs are independent from both the advertiser and the ad network, their attribution data is considered unbiased — critical for accurate billing and performance measurement.
How it works
MMPs integrate with both sides of the advertising ecosystem:
App-side SDK — The MMP SDK is installed in your app. It captures install events, in-app events (purchases, sign-ups, etc.), and device data for attribution matching.
Ad network integrations — MMPs maintain pre-built integrations with hundreds of ad networks (Meta, Google, TikTok, etc.) to receive click and impression data.
Attribution logic — When your app is opened for the first time, the MMP SDK sends device data to the MMP servers, which match it against recent ad clicks/impressions from integrated networks. The MMP determines which network gets credit based on the attribution model (usually last-click).
Reporting — MMPs provide dashboards showing install counts, cost data, ROI metrics, and funnel analysis broken down by network, campaign, creative, and more.
Major MMPs include AppsFlyer, Adjust, Kochava, Branch, and Singular.
Why it matters
MMPs solve a critical trust problem in mobile advertising:
- Unbiased measurement — Ad networks have an incentive to over-claim installs; MMPs provide neutral, trusted attribution - Cross-network deduplication — If a user clicks ads on multiple networks before installing, the MMP ensures only one network gets credit - Fraud detection — MMPs identify fake installs, click flooding, click injection, and other fraud tactics - Consolidated reporting — One dashboard for all ad networks instead of checking each network individually - Cost aggregation — Combine spend data from all channels to calculate true cost-per-install and ROAS
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an MMP if I use Redirectly?
Redirectly and MMPs serve different primary purposes. Redirectly focuses on deferred deep linking and organic/owned-channel attribution — ensuring users land on the right content after install. MMPs focus on paid advertising attribution across ad networks. Many apps use both: Redirectly for deep linking and user routing, and an MMP for paid media measurement.
What is the difference between an MMP and a deep linking platform?
An MMP primarily measures which advertising campaigns drive installs and in-app events. A deep linking platform (like Redirectly) primarily routes users to specific in-app content via links. There's overlap — some MMPs offer deep linking and some deep linking platforms offer attribution — but the core focus differs.
Related terms
Mobile Attribution
The process of identifying which marketing channel, campaign, or touchpoint led a user to install or engage with a mobile app.
SKAdNetwork
Apple's privacy-preserving framework for measuring the effectiveness of advertising campaigns that drive app installs, without revealing user-level data.
App Tracking Transparency (ATT)
Apple's iOS framework that requires apps to request user permission before tracking their activity across other companies' apps and websites.
Deferred Deep Linking
A deep linking technique that preserves the intended destination through the app install process, routing users to specific content after they install and open the app for the first time.