App store dimension
The app store dimension identifies the distribution channel an app came from — Google Play, the Apple App Store, or others. GA4/Firebase captures it for app streams. This page explains how it is populated, how it differs from the platform dimension, and why it is not full install attribution.
What this means
The app store dimension records the marketplace an app was distributed through — Google Play, the Apple App Store, or alternative stores. GA4/Firebase populates it for app data streams, letting you split behaviour by distribution channel.
It is most useful when one app ships to multiple stores, because audiences, payment behaviour, and update cadence can differ between marketplaces in ways worth analysing separately.
- Names the marketplace the app came from
- Populated for app data streams
- Most useful for multi-store distribution
Store vs platform, and what it is not
The store is not the platform. Platform tells you Android vs iOS vs web; store tells you the specific marketplace — and on Android a single platform can map to several stores. Keep the two dimensions distinct when reasoning about distribution.
The store dimension is also not install attribution. Knowing an install came from Google Play does not tell you which ad or campaign drove it; that requires install-referrer / attribution data, which is a separate mechanism. Read store as distribution context, not acquisition credit.
- Platform = OS; store = marketplace (many stores per OS)
- Store is not the marketing source of the install
- Install attribution needs a separate referrer mechanism
How it appears in analytics and logs
An app store value names the distribution channel for the install. It tells you the marketplace, not the marketing source that drove the install — that needs install-referrer attribution.
Diagnostic use case
Distinguish traffic and behavior by the store an app was distributed through, especially when you ship to more than one marketplace.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID treats store as coarse acquisition context for apps, complementing first-party engagement data without relying on cross-app identifiers.
Common mistakes
- Confusing app store with the platform dimension.
- Reading store as the campaign that drove an install.
- Assuming a single store when shipping to several.
Privacy and accuracy notes
The store is distribution metadata, not personal data. It describes where software came from, not who the user is.
Related pages
- Platform dimension: web, Android, or iOS
Platform is the dimension that records the broad surface a hit came from: web, Android, or iOS. In GA4 it is determined by the data stream the event arrived through, since a property can combine app and web streams. It is coarser than the operating-system dimension and is the right axis for comparing app versus web behaviour — but mixing app-only and web-only metrics across platforms is a frequent reporting error.
- App version dimension
The app version dimension reports which build of your mobile app a session ran. GA4/Firebase reads it from the app's version string automatically. This page explains how it is populated, why multiple versions coexist in the wild, and how version skew affects event and funnel analysis.
- First user source dimension
The first user source dimension records the origin of a user's very first session — their acquisition source — and keeps it fixed for the user's lifetime. GA4 sets it from the referrer or campaign on the first visit. It is user-scoped, so it answers 'how did we acquire this person?' rather than 'where did this visit come from?', and confusing it with session source distorts attribution.
- Attribution analytics
Pair store context with first-party engagement.
Sources and verification notes
- Google Analytics Help — [GA4] Automatically collected dimensions (app)Lists app store among automatically collected app dimensions.
- Firebase — App distribution and storesBackground on app-stream store metadata.
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.