How to Protect Mobile APIs by Adding IDAnchor to Signed Payload Using AI

Last updated August 12, 2025 by Appdome

This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload in Mobile apps.

What is IDAnchor to Signed Payload?

Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload is an anti-bot and API protection that binds every mobile session to a trusted device identity. In modern bot attacks and API abuse, adversaries often spoof devices, replay requests, or inject fake identifiers to appear legitimate. Without a cryptographic link between the session and a verified device, backend systems can be easily fooled—leading to account takeovers (ATOs), credential stuffing, fake signups, and loyalty fraud. This protection eliminates that blind spot by embedding trusted IDAnchor values into every signed request, giving backend APIs high-confidence validation of session origin and integrity. It’s especially critical for apps that require persistent identity assurance to enforce rate limits, block synthetic traffic, and comply with standards like PSD2 and FFIEC.

How Appdome Protects Mobile Apps by Adding IDAnchor to Signed Payload

Appdome’s dynamic Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload plugin for Android and iOS cryptographically signs outbound API requests with trusted IDAnchor values, such as persistent device ID and session context. This enables backend systems to detect bots, prevent API abuse, and enforce session trust with precision—regardless of credential reuse or behavioral masking. Developers configure which identity attributes to sign via the IDAnchor tab. This protection is a key layer in defending against sophisticated mobile bot traffic and API exploitation.

Note:

  • To enable Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload, you must first activate the IDAnchor protection within the IDAnchor category.
  • You need to update your backend/WAF to expect the IDAnchor header in the MobileBOT Defense signed payload. If not, the system will treat the value as missing and block the request.

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload Plugins:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload , you’ll need:

How to Implement Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload in Mobile Apps Using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Mobile Apps that Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload without an SDK or gateway:

  1. Designate the Mobile App to be protected.

    1. Upload an app via the Appdome Mobile Defense platform GUI or via Appdome’s DEV-API or CI/CD Plugins.

    2. Mobile App Formats: .ipa for iOS, or .apk or .aab for Android
    3. Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload is compatible with: Obj-C, Java, JS, C#, C++, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, and more.
  2. Select the defense: Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload.

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload feature as shown below:
        fusion set that contains Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload feature

      2. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.

      3. When you select the Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload.

        Fusion Set applied Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload

        Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload protection
        Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).

      4. Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set. Copy the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below): fusion Set Detail Summary image

        Figure 3: Fusion Set Detail Summary

      5. Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Circle CI or other system:
        1. Refer to the Appdome API Reference Guide for API building instructions.
        2. Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository.
    1. Add the Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload feature to your security template.

      1. Navigate to Build > Anti Bot tab > MobileBOT™ Defense section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On > Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload.
        Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload option

        Figure 4: Selecting Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload

    2. Initiate the build command either by clicking Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 4) or via your CI/CD as described in Section 2.1.4.
    Congratulations!  The Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload feature in Mobile Apps

    After building Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below: Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload shown in Certificate secure

    Figure 5: Certified Secure™ certificate

    Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload has been added to each Mobile app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.

Using Threat-Events™ for IDAnchor to Signed Payload Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps

Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when IDAnchor to Signed Payload is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for IDAnchor to Signed Payload in Mobile Apps, use AddObserverForName in Notification Center, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for IDAnchor to Signed Payload shown below.

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for IDAnchor to Signed Payload are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload
Threat-Event Mode
OFF, IN-APP DEFENSE Appdome detects, defends and notifies user (standard OS dialog) using customizable messaging.
ON, IN-APP DETECTION Appdome detects the attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (app chooses how and when to enforce).
ON, IN-APP DEFENSE Uses Appdome Enforce mode for any attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (gather intel on attacks and threats without losing any protection).
Certified Secure™ Threat Event Check x
Visible in ThreatScope™ x
Developer Parameters for Adding IDAnchor to Signed Payload Threat-Event™
Threat-Event NAME
Threat-Event DATA reasonData
Threat-Event CODE reasonCode
Threat-Event SCORE
currentThreatEventScore Current Threat-Event score
threatEventsScore Total Threat-events score
Threat-Event Context Keys
Timestamp The exact time the threat event was triggered, recorded in milliseconds since epoch
message Message displayed for the user on event
externalID The external ID of the event which can be listened via Threat Events
osVersion OS version of the current device
deviceModel Current device model
deviceManufacturer The manufacturer of the current device
fusedAppToken The task ID of the Appdome fusion of the currently running app
kernelInfo Info about the kernel: system name, node name, release, version and machine.
carrierPlmn PLMN of the device. Only available for Android devices.
deviceID Current device ID
reasonCode Reason code of the occurred event
deviceBrand Brand of the device
deviceBoard Board of the device
buildUser Build user
buildHost Build host
sdkVersion Sdk version
threatCode The last six characters of the threat code specify the OS, allowing the Threat Resolution Center to address the attack on the affected device.

With Threat-Events™ enabled (turned ON), Mobile developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in Mobile applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when IDAnchor to Signed Payload is detected.


The following is a code sample for native Mobile apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload:


Important! Replace all placeholder instances of <Context Key> with the specific name of your threat event context key across all language examples. This is crucial to ensure your code functions correctly with the intended event data. For example, The <Context Key> could be the message, externalID, OS Version, reason code, etc.



Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Mobile Apps by using Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload. There is no SDK and no library to code or implement in the app and no gateway to deploy in your network. All protections are built into each app and the resulting app is self-defending and self-protecting.

Releasing and Publishing Mobile Apps with Add IDAnchor to Signed Payload

After successfully securing your app by using Appdome, there are several available options to complete your project, depending on your app lifecycle or workflow. These include:

Related Articles:

How to Protect iOS Apps With IDAnchor Using AI

How to Protect Android Apps With IDAnchor Using AI

How to Protect Mobile Apps With Send IDAnchor on Demand Using AI

How to Protect Mobile Apps With Send IDAnchor on Compromise Using AI

How Do I Learn More?

If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.

Thank you!

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