What is a software development kit (SDK)?

A software development kit (SDK) is a set of tools that provides a developer with the ability to build a custom app which can be added on, or connected to, another program. SDKs allow programmers to develop apps for a specific platform.

SDKs create the opportunity to enhance apps with more functionality, as well as include advertisements and push notifications onto the system.

Without an SDK, a lot of this pre-built functionality would have to be made from scratch. SDKs not only let you create new tools efficiently, but also make the process easier for everyone involved because everything is pre-built. New features just need to be made compatible with the current system.

Adjust’s SDK hosts a ton of features which stand out from the pack. For starters, you only have to install one SDK to begin tracking. The installation process is quick and functions on whatever platform or framework you have. With the Adjust SDK integrated, you unlocked conversion tracking, session analysis and standard usage KPIs – all in about five minutes.

We work hard to minimize the size of our SDK, ensuring that it won’t take up much space on your app. Our SDK is also open-source, the details of which can be found on Github. This allows developers to see exactly what will be integrated. We also take every possible measure to ensure that our SDK is secure: All communications from our SDK are encrypted, and we privately host the servers which handle your data instead of utilizing the cloud.

Adjust’s SDK Signature is designed to stop fraud in its tracks. We’re using a complex signature to provide the best security from traffic spoofing. In order to utilize this new layer of security, developers need to install an SDK version above 4.12. To find out more information about this fraud prevention feature, take a look at our product update.

You can also find out more information about how Adjust can help prevent fraudsters from stealing your ad spend, here.

We have always been privacy-first, and always will be. Adjust’s SDK is compliant with GDPR, and the company has been ePrivacy compliant since 2015. For example, with SDK 4.13 any ‘right-to-be-forgotten’ request means that user data is deleted from our systems. Real-time callbacks can also be used to inform our clients when users choose to be forgotten. This gives clients greater insight into how often this occurs, making it possible to discover the reasons why.

Adjust’s Web SDK provides clients with the ability to track installs, sessions and events that occur in web apps or on a web page. This enables marketers to track their campaigns from the very first ad view, to a landing page, and then to events – regardless of whether they occur on desktop or mobile web. Activities that occur in different views can therefore be tied together.

Data from Adjust’s Web SDK is reported in the dashboard, or via callbacks to your S3 Bucket or BI system. To learn more, take a look at our Github page for Web SDK.