Data point

How it works

The SDK in your app reports each tracked in-app event to the attribution tool. The tool stores the event, attaches it to a campaign where it can, and adds one to your monthly count. At the end of the billing period the count is compared with the amount your plan includes.

The exact boundary is set by each vendor, so read its definition. Airbridge defines one data point as one event it collects for your app, like an install, a trial start or a purchase, and states that clicks and impressions on tracking links are free.^[1]

When it matters

It matters when you read a usage figure. A data point count is a count of events, so it cannot be compared with a user count or an install count. A person who installs, starts a trial, subscribes and renews has produced four data points. To forecast cost, count events per month as shown in estimating your monthly bill.

How it relates to attribution

A data point is the raw material of an attribution report. The install event is what gets matched to an ad, and the purchase event is what turns that match into revenue per campaign. Paying per data point means paying for the events the reports are built from, whether or not a paid ad produced the user. Vendors that charge only for matched installs use a different unit, the paid conversion. Allowances, rates and ways to keep the count down are in how data point pricing works, and this entry does not repeat them.