iOS 14 Changes Coming to Facebook.
Recently, Apple has announced changes with iOS 14 that will impact how advertisers receive and process events from tools like the Facebook SDK and the Facebook pixel. Advertisers that target, report, and optimise on web conversion events from any of Facebook's business tools will be affected. The tools will also start processing pixel conversion events from iOS14 devices using Aggregated Event Measurement to preserve user privacy while running effective campaigns.
Apple will soon require those apps in the App Store that 'tracks' behaviour to show a prompt to iOS14 users. This is under their App Tracking Transparency framework. This means that Apple will prohibit certain data collection and whatever was collected can only be shared to advertisers if people opt into tracking on iOS14 devices via the prompt.
How this can affect ads' performance and reporting?
With around 35-40% of users on Apple's devices (iPhone, iPad, etc.), ad performance may decline because audience size may not include people on iOS 14. In response to this, Facebook's ads personalisation and performance reporting will be limited for both app and web conversion events. Some conversion events will no longer be available with a limit of 8 per domain plus other limitations. Furthermore, it has also updated its conversion attribution model and setting.
What is an attribution setting?
The attribution setting aka ‘lookback window’ is a limited amount of time during which conversions can be credited to an ad. This setting is also used to provide data for further campaign optimisation. For example, with a 28-day click setting, Facebook's algorithm will learn from conversions that happen within 28 days and show ads to people most likely to convert within 28 days.
But that's no longer the case. This has recently been updated to allow up to a maximum of 7-days. Conversion events that happen after 7 days will no longer be credited to that ad people clicked on. Remarketing/learning will also be limited to people most likely to convert within 7 days. This will have a great effect on products that are expensive for an individual and takes a long time before a 'customer consideration', where they have to think it over before they purchase.
Aside from the limit on the conversion attribution window, other reporting limitations across Ads Manager, Ads Reporting, and the Ads Insights API include:
Real-time reporting will not be supported (delayed reporting).
Statistical modelling may be used to account for results at the ad set and ad levels unless the campaign is composed of a single ad set and ad (estimated results).
Delivery and action breakdowns, such as age, gender, region, and placement will not be supported (limited audience demographics).
The bottom line
Just to be clear, this does not directly affect a businesses' sales and revenue. Purchases are just reported less on Facebook. Hence, there will be a decline in ad performance and purchases may be attributed to a different channel like direct, organic, etc… or the next marketing campaign customers click on. It is always important to continue optimising marketing campaigns and ensure overall website revenue is providing a good amount of ROAS.
Actions you can take to prepare
To prepare for these changes, advertisers can take specific actions to prepare and continue to deliver and measure the performance of campaigns. This include but are not limited to the following:
Update to Facebook’s SDK for iOS 14
Verify your website’s domain
Configure 8 preferred web conversion events per domain in Events Manager
We’ll try to provide updates and additional resources as they become available.