The formula, the data sources, the pitfalls — and how to keep CPI current across platforms without rebuilding it every week.
A front-end efficiency metric. Cheap installs that never activate aren't actually cheap — CPI is a leading indicator, not the goal.
CPI pulls from multiple platforms, each with its own definition and refresh lag. The moment you finish the report it's out of date — so it gets rebuilt next week. The fix is to automate the inputs and the write-back, not just the chart on top.
Illustrative. Spend $22,000 with 11,500 attributed installs → CPI = $1.91. Don't add the platform's self-reported installs on top of the MMP's — that double-counts the same users and makes CPI look better than it is.
Platform self-reported installs overlap with MMP-attributed installs — sum both and you double-count. Pick one install source and stick to it.
Opera pulls the inputs across AppsFlyer and your ad platforms, applies your cost per install definition, reconciles the sources, and appends the result to your existing report — append-only, formulas preserved — then schedules it and posts a summary.
"Refresh the CPI report with this week's numbers by channel, and flag anything off target."
Skip automation while the cost per install definition is still being argued about, while the report's structure changes weekly, or for one-off analyses. Automation pays on stable, recurring reports — lock the definition first, then put it on a schedule.
Opera is built to touch production reports and live ad accounts without breaking anything:
See this running on your own reports.A 45-minute workflow audit maps your current process and shows exactly what Opera automates — step by step.
Estimate the hours and fully-loaded labor cost your team spends on recurring reports — and what Opera gives back.