Install attribution for command-line tools

Know where your installs come from.

Advertise on social and search, and let Google Ads, Meta, TikTok and X optimise for the install itself.1

Start free Read the docs

Who runs it

acme.example/install01 Visit

Install acme

Version 2.4.0 for macOS and Linux.

ShellCopycurl -fsSL acme.example/install.sh | sh

A developer copies your command

Terminal02 Install

$ curl -fsSL acme.example/install.sh | sh
==> Downloading acme 2.4.0 (darwin-arm64)
==> Verifying checksum
✓ Installed acme 2.4.0 to /usr/local/bin
clitrail: linking this install to your recent visit to https://acme.example (DO_NOT_TRACK=1 turns this off) — https://clitrail.com/installer
# stderr is not a terminal, so the hook reports without printing a notice
$

The hook finds the visit receipt on this computer

Install events03 Attributed

Install completed just now

Channel: Google Ads
Campaign: sept-launch
Page: /install
Journey: 3 visits · 9 days
Method: Receipt

Google Adssubmitted
GA4submitted

01Outcomes

Ads that learn from installs, not clicks.

Install conversions sent

Google Adsgclid → click conversion
submitted
Metafbc, fbp → CLIInstall
submitted
TikTokttclid → Download
submitted
X Adstwclid → pixel event
submitted

Campaigns that optimise for installs

Each matched install goes back as a conversion their bidding can optimise for.

Installs by channel · 30 days

Channel	Visits	Installs
Google Ads	1,240	186
Developer communities	910	164
Organic search	2,380	143
Meta Ads	1,020	41

Installs by channel and campaign

Each attributed install carries its channel, campaign, landing page and referrer.

One install, three visits

−9 dSocialFirst touchnews.ycombinator.com → /blog/launch
−4 dOrganic searchgoogle.com → /docs
−12 minGoogle AdsLast touchsept-launch → /install
0Install completedfirst_run follows on first launch

The whole path to install

Every visit before the install, oldest first, with first and last touch.

02Benefits

Nothing for developers to work around.

Clean links
Install commands, docs and ad URLs stay exactly as they are.
Private by default
Off under DO_NOT_TRACK or in CI. Honours GPC. Stores no raw IPs.
No runtime to install
One POSIX shell script. No binary, no Node, no Python.
Every install path
Shell, npm, npx, Homebrew and Python: report the install or first run.
Reconstruction on paid plans
No receipt? A probable match from network, time and device signals.
Organisations and roles
Google or email-link sign-in. Invite teammates as owner, admin, member or viewer.

Destinations

GA4Available
Google AdsAvailable
MetaAvailable
TikTokAvailable
X AdsAvailable
WebhooksAvailable

03Specs

The spec sheet.

Built for the browsers behind up to about 6 in 10 desktop visits from developers.2

What works where

Website SDK: browser.js · 18.0 KB, 6.6 KB gzipped · no dependencies · no cookiesHow to add the website tag
Installer hook: report.sh · 29.8 KB of POSIX sh · curl or GNU wget · always exits 0How the installer hook works
Install paths: shell · npm · npx · Homebrew · Python · single binariesHow to call the hook on each install path
Events: install_started · install_completed · first_run · each once per installationHow to report first-run events
Opt-outs: DO_NOT_TRACK=1 · CLITRAIL_DISABLE=1 · CI · Global Privacy ControlHow opt-outs work
Supported environments: macOS, Linux: Supported in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Chromium (on Linux also Zen and the Snap and Flatpak builds) · Safari: Via handoff · Windows: Via handoff, from WSL · other devices: Probable (paid plans)How to get attribution in each browser
Destinations: GA4 mp/collect · Data Manager v1/events:ingest · Meta Graph v26.0 · TikTok Events v1.3 · X Ads API 12 · Standard WebhooksHow to set up each destination
Delivery: stable event IDs · backoff from 1 min to 24 h · Meta, TikTok and X retried only within 48 hHow retries and time limits work
Security: AES-256-GCM · separate vault store · write-only credentials, only over https · key rotation without downtime · sessions and receipts hashedHow secrets are stored
Privacy: no raw IPs · receipts expire after 30 days · data kept 395 days by defaultHow retention and deletion work
Accounts: Google or email-link sign-in · owner, admin, member, viewer · single-use invites, valid 7 daysHow organisations and roles work
Logs: exact bodies, credentials redacted · 7, 30 or 90 days by plan · S3 or webhook streams on EnterpriseHow logs and telemetry work
Limits: 16 KB request bodies · 1,200 events a minute per website · 30 a minute and 500 a day per clientHow limits apply
Hosting: Cloudflare Workers · SQLite Durable Object · secrets in a second, separate Durable ObjectHow the secret store is kept apart

04Pricing

Count installs free. Pay to attribute them.

Free

$0forever

Visits and installs, side by side.

Start free

Install-page visits against reported installs
Browser, OS and device distributions
Logs of every request CLItrail receives
No attribution and no destinations: installs are counted, never matched

Install paths: 1
Websites: 1
Domains per website: 5
Members: 1
Destinations per website: Not included
Log streams: Not included
Log retention: 7 days
Tracked events a month: 10,000

Standard Attribution starts here

$99per month

Attribution and ad conversions for one install path.

Choose Standard

Everything in Free
Installs by channel, campaign, page and referrer
Journeys with first and last touch
Reconstruction, and Safari or External reasons
GA4, Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, X Ads and webhooks
CSV export with attribution

Install paths: 1
Websites: 3
Domains per website: 10
Members: 3
Destinations per website: 10
Log streams: Not included
Log retention: Up to 30 days
Tracked events a month: 1,000,000

Enterprise

$499per month

Standard, for up to 10 install paths.

Choose Enterprise

Everything in Standard
Up to 10 install paths, each with its own hook
Log streams to Amazon S3, S3-compatible storage or a webhook
More websites, members and destinations

Install paths: 10
Websites: 25
Domains per website: 25
Members: 20
Destinations per website: 20
Log streams: 10
Log retention: Up to 90 days
Tracked events a month: 10,000,000

Billed monthly through Stripe. Cancel anytime. Attribution starts with installs reported after an upgrade.

Plans and limits

Start with one website

Find out which clicks become installs.