Mobile UA Audit Checklist

Run through this before you add a dollar of budget. If you can’t tick most boxes in a section, that’s where your money is leaking.

1. Economics

• CAC is defined per channel, not just blended.
• LTV is net of store fees, refunds and churn.
• A payback target exists and is written down (e.g. under 12 months).
• LTV:CAC is tracked and sits at 3:1 or better.
• Contribution margin per cohort is known.

2. Measurement

• An MMP (AppsFlyer or Adjust) is live and trusted.
• SKAN conversion values encode real value, not a vanity event.
• Web and app revenue reconcile in one place.
• At least one incrementality or geo test has been run.
• Decisions are made on payback, not last-click.

3. Channels

• Budget is weighted toward channels that clear payback.
• Apple Search Ads is capturing high-intent iOS search.
• UAC and/or Meta are carrying scale.
• TikTok has a real creative pipeline, not recycled ads.
• Wasted spend has been identified and cut.

4. Creative

• There’s a defined testing cadence, not ad-hoc uploads.
• Fatigue is monitored and winners are refreshed before CPA drifts.
• Production can ship enough new concepts each week to feed scale.
• Creative learnings are documented, not lost.

5. Funnel & monetization

• The paywall has been price-tested.
• Onboarding and trial-to-paid are measured.
• Web2App has been considered for margin and data.
• Activation, not just install, is the real north star.

6. Scaling

• Budget-allocation rules are explicit.
• Scaling thresholds and kill criteria are defined.
• Reporting cadence keeps spend honest.
• Someone owns the number end to end.

Scored fewer than you’d like? That’s normal, and it’s exactly what an audit fixes.