Season 7, Episode 32: The CAPI revolution

<p>The Conversions API, or CAPI, represents a revolutionary development in the digital economy: it allows any platform with sufficient scale to extend its advertising scope beyond local context into the broader and more commercially valuable function of behavioral advertising, entirely outside of the purview of a browser or operating system. In this episode, I provide a history of the CAPI and its role in the <em>Everything is an ad network</em> phenomenon. I also explore the fundamental shift in the digital advertising landscape driven by the transition from browser-side pixels to the server-to-server CAPI, moving beyond the immediate impacts of Apple&#39;s App Tracking Transparency to a more permanent structural change in how commercial data is shared and utilized.</p><p>Articles cited in this episode:</p><ul><li><a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/everything-is-an-ad-network/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Everything is an ad network</a></li><li><a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/the-att-recession/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">The App Tracking Transparency recession</a></li><li><a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/is-the-capi-attribution-model-future-proof/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Is CAPI future-proof?</a></li><li><em><strong>The privacy shuffle</strong></em> (part <a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/the-privacy-shuffle/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">one</a>, <a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/the-privacy-shuffle-part-2/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">two</a>, <a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/the-privacy-shuffle-part-3-meta-resurrects-amm/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">three</a>, <a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/the-privacy-shuffle-part-4-google-shutters-privacy-sandbox/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">four</a>)</li><li><a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/privacy-manifests-fingerprinting-and-apples-intentions/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Privacy manifests, fingerprinting, and Apple’s intentions</strong></em></a></li><li><a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/podcast-metas-renaissance/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Podcast: Meta’s Renaissance</a></li><li><a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/does-apple-police-fingerprinting/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Does Apple police fingerprinting?</strong></em></a></li><li><a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/google-embraces-ip-based-fingerprinting/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Google embraces IP-based fingerprinting</a></li><li><a href="https://mobiledevmemo.com/apple-has-a-nuclear-option-with-privacy/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Apple’s privacy “nuclear option”</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>Thanks to the sponsors of this week’s episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:</p><ul><li><a href="https://webshop.xsolla.com/home?utm_source=content-syndication&utm_medium=infuencer&utm_campaign=webshop2025&utm_content=MDMPod" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠</a><a href="https://www.incrmntal.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠INCRMNTAL⁠⁠⁠</a>. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.</li><li><a href="https://www.branch.io/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Branch</a><a href="https://www.universalads.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠</a>. Branch is an AI-powered MMP, connecting every paid, owned, and organic touchpoint so growth teams can see exactly where to put their dollars to bring users in the door and keep them coming back</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Interested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact <a href="mailto:advertising@mobiledevmemo.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Mobile Dev Memo advertising</a>.</p><p>The Mobile Dev Memo podcast is available on:</p><ul><li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0RCsc3OW1p9jH5YC0qQTp0?si=jgSk98sURta7aWBpjkTpXg" target="_blank"