Before getting started
Check if you're using the Trends or the Analytics report.
They're the same as you see on your App Store Connect top menu:
If you want to use the Analytics report instead, don't forget you must run our Chrome Extension to get that data.
If you're using the Trends report, please continue reading:
Discrepancies in the Trends report can be easily cleared by:
Breaking down your Units using the ProductTypeIdentifier (more details)
Setting the timezone to PST (Pacific Standard Time)
Apple's API brings data from the "Trends" - also known as "Sales and Trends" - tab. "Analytics" data, on the other hand, isn't included in the API
1 - The ProductType Identifier
This dimension lets you break down your units into App Installs, In-App Purchases, Updates, and Re-downloads.
Here's our summary of the main filters you might want to use:
| Filter |
If you want to see app installs only | ProductTypeIdentifier starts with 1 |
If you want to see all your in-app purchase sales | ProductTypeIdentifier starts with IA |
If you want to see in-app subscription sales only | ProductTypeIdentifier starts with 1A9 |
If you want to see in-app auto-renewable subscription sales only | ProductTypeIdentifier starts with IAY |
If you want to see updates only | ProductTypeIdentifier starts with 7 |
If you want to see re-downloads only | ProductTypeIdentifier starts with 3 |
See the full list of all ProductType Identifier codes on Apple's website.
2 - Confirming timezone discrepancies
To confirm that timezone differences cause any other discrepancies, you can do the following:
Go to the Trends menu
Select Units on the left-side menu
Change the timezone to PST (drop-down menu on the right side of the date picker)
It should look like this:
Doing this allows you to change the timezone to match what you see on the connector.
What else can go wrong?
Whenever I'm still finding major and inconsistent discrepancies despite the above, I ask myself the following:
Am I comparing the data from the right apps?
Are you using any other filter on your Data Studio dashboard?
Am I comparing the exact same dates from both?
Am I comparing the right metric (ex: Units vs Sales)?
Conclusion
Given that the data you see on Google Data Studio comes directly from Apple's Official API, there shouldn't be any doubt that what you see on your dashboard is the source of truth of your app's data.
Speaking from personal experience, it took me a few weeks to completely understand all the nuances of Apple's data. After digging, I realized I have more control over the data I see by fully exploring the ProductType Identifier dimension.
Still, if you're still struggling with this, do send us a message so we can help :)