Send first-party events

Use the SpendDaddy API when your backend sends subscription and attribution events directly instead of using RevenueCat.

Before you start

Choose SpendDaddy API while adding your app, then copy the generated API key into a server-side secret store.

Never embed this key in a mobile app or other downloadable client. Anyone with the key can send events for the connected app.

All requests use:

Authorization: Bearer <spenddaddy_api_key>
Content-Type: application/json

The base URL is https://api.spenddaddy.app.

Identify an install

Call POST https://api.spenddaddy.app/identify when your backend first sees an app user. Send the same stable user ID you will use for later events.

curl https://api.spenddaddy.app/identify \
  --request POST \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $SPENDDADDY_API_KEY" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "appUserId": "user_123",
    "installedAt": "2026-07-17T12:34:56Z",
    "asaToken": "optional_apple_ads_attribution_token"
  }'

Field	Required	Description
appUserId	Yes	Stable identifier for this app user.
installedAt	No	Install time in ISO 8601 format. Defaults to the time SpendDaddy first sees the user.
asaToken	No	Apple Ads attribution token obtained by your app and forwarded to your backend.

Example response:

{
  "status": "identified",
  "created": true,
  "attribution": "fetched"
}

created is true when SpendDaddy created the app user. attribution is fetched, failed, or not_requested depending on whether an Apple Ads token was supplied and resolved.

Apple can take a few seconds to make attribution available after install. SpendDaddy retries briefly; if the response still says failed, call /identify again later with the same token. Tokens stay valid for 24 hours. Sending the token gives SpendDaddy Apple's claim type, so it can tell tap-through installs from view-through ones.

Send an event

Call POST https://api.spenddaddy.app/event for trials, purchases, renewals, refunds, and cancellations.

curl https://api.spenddaddy.app/event \
  --request POST \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $SPENDDADDY_API_KEY" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "appUserId": "user_123",
    "eventType": "initial_purchase",
    "occurredAt": "2026-07-17T12:40:00Z",
    "eventId": "evt_01",
    "transactionId": "txn_01",
    "productId": "monthly_pro",
    "amount": 9.99,
    "currency": "USD",
    "revenueBasis": "net_proceeds",
    "store": "app_store",
    "country": "US"
  }'

Event fields

Field	Required	Description
appUserId	Yes	The same stable user ID used with /identify.
eventType	Yes	One of the supported event types below.
occurredAt	Yes	Event time in ISO 8601 format.
eventId	Required for explicit revenue unless transactionId is set	Stable identifier. Resending the same ID updates the stored event instead of adding a new one.
transactionId	Required for explicit revenue unless eventId is set	Store transaction identifier.
renewalNumber	No	Renewal sequence number when available.
productId	No	Subscription or product identifier.
amount	Required for revenue events	Positive revenue amount. Send refunds as a positive amount; SpendDaddy applies the negative sign.
currency	Required with revenueBasis for revenue events	Three-letter currency code. Legacy calls without a basis default to USD when omitted.
revenueBasis	Recommended for revenue events	net_proceeds means amount is already after tax and store commission. gross means it is before those fees.
taxPercentage, commissionPercentage	For gross proceeds calculation	Fractions from 0 to 1; both are needed to calculate proceeds. If either is missing, gross is stored but net proceeds remain unknown. Do not send fees with net_proceeds.
store	No	Store that processed the event, such as app_store.
country	No	Two-letter country code when available.

SpendDaddy still accepts calls without revenueBasis and stores them as legacy_assumed_net, meaning the amount is assumed to be net but not verified. Send a stable eventId or transactionId with explicit revenue so corrections update the same event. Refund amounts are positive in the request and stored as negative revenue/proceeds.

Supported event types

Event type	Requires amount
trial_started	No
trial_converted	Yes
initial_purchase	Yes
non_renewing_purchase	Yes
renewal	Yes
refund	Yes
cancellation	No

Example response:

{
  "status": "ingested",
  "created": false
}

Here, created says whether SpendDaddy created the app user while processing the event. It does not say whether the event was new.

Retries and duplicate events

Provide a stable eventId or transactionId whenever possible. If a request times out, retry it with the same identifiers and payload so SpendDaddy can recognize the existing event.

Errors

Status	Meaning	What to do
400	Unsupported event type, missing revenue amount, or invalid amount.	Correct the request body and retry.
401	Missing, invalid, disabled, or rotated API key.	Confirm the bearer token, or rotate the key in Settings → API & webhooks.
422	A required field is missing or has an invalid format.	Compare the request with the field tables above.

Rotate the API key

Open the app in SpendDaddy, go to Settings → API & webhooks, and select Rotate API key under First-party attribution API.

Rotation invalidates the previous key immediately. Update the server-side secret used by every event sender before sending more requests.