Users, devices and push tokens
When analysing the performance of a push campaign, it is worth distinguishing the number of tokens from the number of users: they are not equivalent, and the gap tends to grow over time.
What each thing counts
Section titled “What each thing counts”| Concept | What it is | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| Historical install | A download of the app at some point | A device that has it today |
| Device | A specific installation on a specific piece of hardware | A person |
| Push token | The identifier a notification can be sent to | A current permission |
| Registered token | A token stored in the database | A token that is still valid |
| Active user | A person who uses the app within a period | A token |
| Active device | An installation that has opened the app within a period | A registered token |
| Campaign audience | The tokens a send targets | The ones that will receive it |
| Send | A notification accepted for delivery | A delivered notification |
| Delivery | A notification that reached the device | A notification that was seen |
Why a token is not a user
Section titled “Why a token is not a user”Three reasons that add up.
One person can have several devices. A phone and a tablet are two tokens and a single person. If you target by token, that person receives the campaign twice.
A token only exists if permission was given. In a Reskyt app, the push token exists only if the user accepted notifications. A user who did not grant the permission is not in the token base, regardless of their activity in the app.
A token can outlive the use of the app. Someone who installed the app two years ago, accepted notifications and has not opened it since still counts as a registered token.
Why the base shrinks over time
Section titled “Why the base shrinks over time”It is normal for part of the tokens to stop being valid. A base that is not cleaned up loses real reach through several paths at once:
Uninstalls. The token stops being deliverable, and there is not always an immediate signal confirming it.
Device change. The user is still a customer, but their old token no longer points anywhere.
Reinstalls. The installation identifier and the push token do not survive an uninstall: on reinstall a new token is generated, and the old one stays in the database as residue.
Rotation and expiry. Apple’s and Google’s notification services can invalidate or rotate tokens.
Loss of permissions. The user can turn off notifications from the system settings without uninstalling the app. The token remains registered.
Age. The older a token is, the lower the probability that it still corresponds to a live installation.