What is a postback URL? Server-to-server tracking explained
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Read the articleTwo campaigns can deliver the same number of installs at very different prices, and with very different results a week later. Often the reason is one word in the traffic description: incent.
This guide explains the difference between incentivised and non-incentivised traffic, when each one makes sense, how they behave, and how to brief a network so you get the traffic you actually want.
What incent traffic is
Incentivised (incent) traffic comes from users who get a reward for completing an action: coins in a game, points, cashback, mobile recharge or gift vouchers. They usually find the offer on an offerwall or a rewards app that lists tasks such as "install this app and open it" or "register and complete KYC".
The user's main reason to act is the reward, not interest in your product.
What non-incent traffic is
Non-incentivised (non-incent) traffic comes from users who act because they are interested. They saw an ad, a review, a comparison article, a social post or a search result, and chose to try the product. Nobody paid them to do it.
The key differences
IncentNon-incent Why the user actsTo earn a rewardInterest in the product Cost per actionLowerHigher Speed and volumeFast, large burstsSteadier RetentionUsually lowUsually higher Best forVolume, rank pushes, simple tasksLong-term users and revenue When incent traffic makes sense
Incent traffic is not bad traffic. It is a different tool, and it works well when the goal matches what it does best:
- A launch or ranking push, when you need many installs in a short window.
- Deep events with a clear reward, such as paying for completed KYC or a first transaction, where the user must genuinely finish the step.
- Re-engagement, bringing back users who installed before.
Both app stores have rules about rewarding users for installs, ratings and reviews. Check the current Google Play and App Store policies before you buy incent installs, and never reward ratings or reviews.
When non-incent traffic is the right choice
- You need users who keep coming back: subscriptions, fintech, trading, e-commerce, gaming with in-app purchases.
- You optimise on lifetime value or return on ad spend, not on install counts.
- Your brand cares where it appears and who sees it.
Why mixing them causes problems
The biggest risk is not incent traffic itself. It is incent traffic that is not labelled. If incentivised users are mixed into a non-incent campaign, retention drops, cost per real user rises, and nobody can tell which source caused it. In the worst cases, sources pass off rewarded users as organic interest to earn a higher payout.
Signs that incent traffic is leaking into a non-incent campaign include very short time from install to the paid event followed by no further activity, sudden volume spikes from one source, and day-1 retention far below your other sources. Our article on the signs of install fraud covers more patterns to watch.
How to brief a network
- State clearly whether incent is allowed, allowed only for specific events, or not allowed.
- Run incent and non-incent on separate offers with separate payouts, so the data never mixes.
- Set KPIs per traffic type, such as minimum day-1 retention or event rates.
- Ask for source-level reports, so you can see which publishers send which kind of user.
For app campaigns specifically, our guide to app install campaigns in India explains how to set KPIs and measure quality after the install.
How we handle it
At Adperience Media every campaign states its allowed traffic types up front, incent and non-incent run as separate offers, and conversions are checked for fraud before billing. Send us your product, target event and CPA and tell us which traffic types you want; we will reply with a proposal by email.
