When running mobile app ad campaigns, advertisers often rely on Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) to track, and attribute installs and in-app events. Roku Ads Manager integrates with MMPs to help advertisers measure performance alongside other channels.
Two concepts are important to understand:
How Self-Attributing Networks (SANs) work, and
Why reporting between MMPs and Roku Ads Manager may differ
Note: some MMPs use the term SRN (self-reporting network) instead of SAN. These are interchangeable"
What is a Self-Attributing Network (SAN)?
A Self-Attributing Network (SAN) is an ad platform (like Roku, Meta, or Google) that doesn’t rely solely on traditional click or impression tracking links to measure conversions. Instead, SANs use a “claim-and-confirm” process with MMPs:
Step 1: User action recorded – The advertiser’s app SDK (from the MMP) records installs or in-app events and sends them to the MMP in real time.
Step 2: MMP pings SAN – The MMP sends these events to Roku Ads Manager asking if Roku has a matching ad interaction (Action Ad click or impression) for that user.
Step 3: SAN responds with a claim – If Roku served an ad to that user within the attribution window, Roku “claims” the conversion and provides user and campaign metadata (timestamp, user IDs, campaign name, etc).
Step 4: MMP arbitrates attribution – The MMP compares Roku’s claim with other potential sources (other SANs, click trackers, or organic) using its waterfall rules (e.g., click > view, deterministic > probabilistic, attribution window settings).
How this differs from non-SAN networks
SANs (like Roku) can self-attribute by making a claim. This means Roku knows which ads it delivered and asserts whether it drove the event.
Non-SAN networks rely on click or impression tracking links. These links send user IDs to the MMP based on click and impression events and the MMP determines whether there was an attribution.
Why might conversion numbers look lower in the MMP than in Roku Ads Manager?
Sometimes advertisers notice that Roku Ads Manager reports more conversions in the platform than what their MMP dashboard shows. This is expected, because Roku reports all claims, while the MMP only shows final attributions after arbitration.
Here are the most common reasons for differences:
Attribution window mismatch - Roku may claim a conversion (e.g., from an 8-day-old impression), but if the MMP’s view attribution window is 3 days, it won’t attribute the event.
Waterfall prioritization - if another network has a stronger claim (like a deterministic click) than Roku’s view-through claim, the MMP attributes it to the other source even though Roku claimed it. Decisioning here is determined by the attribution model set within the MMP (e.g. last touch, first touch, weighted, etc).
View-through overrides - Roku may claim based on an impression, but the MMP may ignore that if a click from another source exists.
Key takeaway: Roku Ads Manager’s conversion numbers show the total number of claims, while your MMP only displays attributed conversions after arbitration. This difference is normal and occurs with all SAN integrations, not just Roku.
What are the benefits of being a SAN Network?
Self-attributing network integrations begin with the MMP sending app event data to the ad platform. The ad platform then uses its own identity graph to perform attribution and returns conversion claims to the MMP. This model gives the ad platform full visibility into app events, allowing it to optimize campaign delivery more effectively by learning from past conversion behavior.
Post-back integrations, by contrast, are simpler. In this model, the ad platform sends all impression data to the MMP, which handles attribution independently. However, this approach limits the amount of performance data available to the ad platform, reducing its ability to optimize impression delivery often resulting in reduced campaign outcomes.
Major performance ad platforms like Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap use self-attributing network integrations for this very reason: they can access full-funnel app data to drive conversions more efficiently.
Roku Ads Manager is the first standalone CTV advertising platform to support a self-attributing network integration with the MMPs, unlocking similar performance benefits for CTV advertisers that have historically been limited to social platforms.
Summary
Roku Ads Manager is a Self-Attributing Network (SAN), meaning it can claim conversions directly with the MMP.
Non-SAN networks only work via click or impression tracking links.
Roku may show more conversions than your MMP because Roku reports all conversion claims, while the MMP only reports attributed winners after applying its own cross-platform attribution rules to decide which network gets credit.