Collect Advertising ID (IDFA)

The Zeotap iOS SDK can collect the device's Advertising Identifier (IDFA) — also known as a Mobile Advertising ID (MAID) — and the user's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) authorization status, and attach them to the user payload of every event.

How the IDFA is obtained depends on the iOS version:

• iOS 13 and below: the SDK collects the IDFA automatically, provided advertising tracking is enabled on the device. No extra integration is required.
• iOS 14 and later: Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework requires explicit user permission. Your app requests this permission and passes the result to the SDK using one of the two methods below.

When collection succeeds, the SDK adds the following keys to the user payload of tracked events:

Key	Description
advertising_id	The IDFA string. Present only when the ATT status is authorized.
att_authorization_status	The ATT authorization status (see values).

Prerequisite

To request tracking authorization on iOS 14+, add the NSUserTrackingUsageDescription key to your app's Info.plist with a short, user-facing explanation of why you request access. Apple displays this string in the native ATT prompt.

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Method A: setAdvertisingIdByATTStatus

Pass the ATT authorization status to the SDK and let the SDK retrieve the IDFA from the device for you.

Syntax

Collect.getInstance()?.setAdvertisingIdByATTStatus(status: ATTrackingManager.AuthorizationStatus)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
status	ATTrackingManager.AuthorizationStatus	Yes	The status returned by ATTrackingManager.requestTrackingAuthorization.

Behavior

• When status == .authorized, the SDK reads the IDFA from ASIdentifierManager and adds both advertising_id and att_authorization_status to the user payload.
• For any other status (.denied, .notDetermined, .restricted), the SDK adds only att_authorization_status. No advertising_id is sent.

Example

import AppTrackingTransparency

ATTrackingManager.requestTrackingAuthorization { status in
    Collect.getInstance()?.setAdvertisingIdByATTStatus(status: status)
}

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Method B: setATTStatusAndAdvertisingId

Pass both the ATT status and the IDFA string explicitly. Use this when you manage IDFA retrieval yourself (for example, behind a custom consent UI).

Syntax

Collect.getInstance()?.setATTStatusAndAdvertisingId(
    status: ATTrackingManager.AuthorizationStatus,
    advertisingId: String = ""
)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
status	ATTrackingManager.AuthorizationStatus	Yes	The ATT authorization status.
advertisingId	String	Optional	The IDFA string to store. Defaults to an empty string.

Behavior

The SDK stores exactly the advertisingId you pass. Provide the IDFA only when the status is authorized; omit it (or pass "") otherwise.

Example

import AppTrackingTransparency
import AdSupport

ATTrackingManager.requestTrackingAuthorization { status in
    switch status {
    case .authorized:
        Collect.getInstance()?.setATTStatusAndAdvertisingId(
            status: status,
            advertisingId: ASIdentifierManager.shared().advertisingIdentifier.uuidString
        )
    case .denied:
        Collect.getInstance()?.setATTStatusAndAdvertisingId(status: status)
    case .notDetermined:
        Collect.getInstance()?.setATTStatusAndAdvertisingId(status: status)
    case .restricted:
        Collect.getInstance()?.setATTStatusAndAdvertisingId(status: status)
    @unknown default:
        break
    }
}

---

Authorization status values

The SDK records att_authorization_status using these string values:

ATTrackingManager.AuthorizationStatus	Value sent in payload
.authorized	authorized
.denied	denied
.restricted	restricted
.notDetermined	notDetermined

note

The not-determined value is camelCase notDetermined. When you build downstream segments that filter on att_authorization_status, match these exact values.

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Best Practices

1. Initialize the SDK first. Call Collect.initialize(option:) (typically in application(_:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:)) before requesting tracking authorization.

2. Request at the right moment. Show your own context (pre-permission) screen before triggering the native ATT prompt, and avoid requesting during critical flows.

3. Add NSUserTrackingUsageDescription. The ATT prompt will not appear without it.

4. Respect the user's choice. When the status is not authorized, the SDK does not send an advertising_id; continue to operate without it.

Related Documentation

• Track User Consent: Manage GDPR / CCPA consent signals.
• Consent Configuration Options: SDK options such as optout, useConsent.
• Apple — Requesting authorization to track: Official ATT reference.