Microsoft today announced some new advertising and campaign tracking capabilities for Windows Store apps.
The company is adding pubCenter integration into the Dev Center, which will allow developers to manage their app’s ads right from the Dev Center. Starting today, developers will be able to create ads, and view their ad reports right int he Dev Center. Alongside integrating pubCenter, Microsoft is also adding some new advertising performance reports:
- Account-level advertising report that shows the revenue for all ad units
- App-level advertising report that show the ads-in-app revenue for each app (shows data only if your ad units were used only in that single app).
- Advertising performance summary in the dashboard
- Data export for advertising performance
- The ability to link Dev Center and pubCenter accounts
It’s worth noting that if you’re a developer using ads for the first time in Dev Center, a pubCenter account will be created for you automatically. However, Microsoft states that developers should continue using pubCenter to view their payment information.
Microsoft has also introduced the ability to hide ads that aren’t appropriate for children under 13 – however, the feature will be available for developers next month:
In addition to these advertising improvements, beginning in September developers can indicate if their app targets children under 13 as defined in the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If a developer selects this option, Microsoft will disable its behavioral advertising services when delivering advertising to the app. If a developer’s app is directed at children under the age of 13, he or she must select this option in the ‘Monetize” section in Dev Center.
Microsoft is also making the Campaign tracking feature live today – with campaign tracking, users will be able to track the referral source for visitors. If you’ve promoted your apps using a marketing campaign URL, you’ll be able to track the traffic and other stats using the campaign tracking feature.
If you want to know more about the latest additions, including official documentation, head over to this link.