Skip to content

Wrong Install Time

What it detects

Section titled “What it detects”

SDK spoofing attacks fabricate conversion events by replaying valid-looking install sequences. One reliable signal is impossible or illogical timestamp ordering — for example, an install that finishes before it started, or a click that occurs after the install. The Wrong Install Time filter validates the full time sequence of each install event and rejects conversions where the order is invalid.

This filter applies exclusively to mobile app install campaigns.

How it works

Section titled “How it works”

Integr8 validates four timestamp ordering rules for every conversion:

  1. Begin before finish: begin_install_time must occur before finish_install_time + tolerance
  2. Landing page before install start: landing_page_time must occur before begin_install_time + tolerance
  3. Install finish before conversion: finish_install_time must occur before conversion_time + tolerance
  4. Click before landing page: click_time must occur before landing_page_time + tolerance

If any rule fails, the conversion is rejected with fraud_reason: wrong_install_time.

A configurable tolerance value accounts for device clock drift, SDK latency, and network delays without opening the filter to manipulation.

Configuration

Section titled “Configuration”

Navigate to Offers > Fraud Detection Groups > select a filter group > Wrong Install Time.

Parameter Default Range Description
tolerance — 5–999 sec Maximum allowed time discrepancy between sequential events

Timestamp parameters

Section titled “Timestamp parameters”

Pass these parameters in your conversion postback or SDK integration:

Parameter Description
begin_install_time Timestamp when app install started (Unix epoch or ISO 8601)
finish_install_time Timestamp when app install completed
landing_page_time Timestamp when landing page was shown to the user
conversion_time Timestamp when the conversion event occurred
click_time Timestamp when the ad click was recorded

If you integrate with Adjust, these timestamps are mapped automatically from Adjust’s postback parameters. Manual mapping is required for other attribution providers.

What happens when triggered

Section titled “What happens when triggered”

When a timestamp sequence fails validation:

  • The conversion is rejected with fraud_reason: wrong_install_time.
  • The click that originated the install is not attributed.
  • The event is logged and visible in Reports > Server Logs for debugging.
Section titled “Related filters”