Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Reclassification We reclassified certain amounts in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows within the cash flows from operating activities section in the prior year to conform to the current year's presentation. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include the operations of AppFolio, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. We accounted for our investment in SecureDocs, Inc. (“SecureDocs”) under the equity method of accounting as we had the ability to exert significant influence, but did not control and were not the primary beneficiary of the entity. Our investment in SecureDocs was not material and any income (loss) activity was not material individually or in the aggregate to our Consolidated Financial Statements for any period presented. In December 2021, we sold our interest in SecureDocs. Refer to Note 4, Investment Securities and Fair Value Measurements for additional information. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue, expenses, other income, and provision for income taxes during the reporting period. Assets and liabilities which are subject to judgment and use of estimates include the fair value of financial instruments, useful lives of property and equipment and intangible assets, capitalized software development costs, incremental borrowing rate applied in lease accounting, impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets, period of benefit associated with deferred costs, stock-based compensation, income taxes, and contingencies. Actual results could differ from those estimates and any such differences may have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Segment Information Our chief operating decision maker reviews financial information presented on an aggregated and consolidated basis, together with revenue information for our core solutions, Value Added Services, and other service offerings, principally to make decisions about how to allocate resources and to measure our performance. Accordingly, we have determined that we have one reportable and operating segment. Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject us to credit risk consist principally of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, and investment securities. We maintain cash balances at financial institutions in excess of amounts insured by United States government agencies or payable by the United States government directly. We place our cash with high credit, quality financial institutions. We invest in investment securities with a minimum rating of A by Standard & Poor's or A-1 by Moody's and regularly monitor our investment security portfolio for changes in credit ratings. Concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable and revenue are limited due to a large, diverse customer base. As of December 31, 2023, (i) no individual customer exceeded 10% of our total revenues in any of the periods presented, and (ii) 26% of our accounts receivable balance was attributable to amounts due from a risk mitigation provider. For purposes of assessing concentration of credit risk and significant customers, a group of residents that are receiving services from a third party that controls and transfers the specified services are regarded as one single customer. Fair Value Measurements Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. We use a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value, which are the following: Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 - Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, in the marketplace. Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash We consider all highly liquid investments, readily convertible to cash, and which have a remaining maturity date of three months or less at the date of purchase, to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are recorded at fair value and consist primarily of bank deposits, and money market funds. Investment Securities Our investment securities currently consist of United States government agency securities and treasury securities. We classify investment securities as available-for-sale at the time of purchase and reevaluate such classification at each balance sheet date. All investments are recorded at estimated fair value and investments with original maturities of less than one year at the time of purchase are classified as short-term. Unrealized gains and losses for available-for-sale investment securities are included in accumulated other comprehensive income, a component of stockholders' equity. For available-for-sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position, we first assess whether we intend to sell, or whether it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of these criteria is met, the security’s amortized cost basis is written down to fair value through income. For securities in an unrealized loss position that do not meet these criteria, we evaluate whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit loss or other factors. If this assessment indicates a credit loss exists, the credit-related portion of the loss is recorded as an allowance for losses on the security. No allowance for credit losses for available-for-sale investment securities was recorded as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount, net of an allowance for credit losses. The allowance for credit losses is based on historical loss experience, the number of days that receivables are past due, and an evaluation of the potential risk of loss associated with delinquent accounts. Accounts receivable considered uncollectible are charged against the allowance for credit losses when identified. We do not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to our customers. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our allowance for credit losses was not material. Property and Equipment Property and equipment is stated at cost net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of assets as follows: Asset Type Depreciation Period Computer equipment 3 years Furniture and fixtures 7 years Office equipment 3 to 5 years Leasehold improvements Shorter of remaining life of lease or asset life Leases We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating lease right-of-use ("ROU") assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments, over the lease term at commencement date. As none of our leases provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of future payments. The operating lease ROU assets also include any lease payments made to the lessor before or at the lease commencement date and excludes lease incentives received and initial direct costs incurred. Our lease terms may include options to extend the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. We have lease arrangements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for as a single lease component. Leases with an initial term of twelve months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet; we recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Capitalized Software Development Costs Software development costs consist of certain payroll and stock compensation costs incurred to develop functionality of our internal-use software solutions. We capitalize certain software development costs for new offerings as well as significant upgrades and enhancements to our existing software solutions. Capitalized software development costs are amortized using the straight-line method over an estimated useful life of three years. We do not transfer ownership of our software, license, or lease our software to third parties. Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually at the reporting unit level or at other times whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. A qualitative assessment is performed to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of its reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. A quantitative assessment is performed if the qualitative assessment results in a more-likely-than-not determination or if a qualitative assessment is not performed. The quantitative assessment considers whether the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, in which case an impairment charge is recorded to the extent that the reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value. We test for goodwill impairment annually during the fourth quarter of the calendar year. Based on the annual assessment performed at November 1, 2023, we determined it was not more likely than not that our reporting unit fair value was less than its carrying value and no quantitative impairment test assessment was required. No impairment losses were recorded for goodwill during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. Intangible assets primarily consist of acquired database, domain names and patents, which are recorded at cost, less accumulated amortization. We determine the appropriate useful life of our intangible assets by performing an analysis of expected cash flows of the acquired assets. Intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis, which approximates the pattern in which the economic benefits of the assets are consumed. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets We assess the recoverability of our long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the asset or asset group to the future undiscounted cash flows we expect the asset or asset group to generate. Any excess of the carrying value of the asset or asset group above its fair value is recognized as an impairment loss. We recorded net lease-related impairment charges Revenue Recognition We generate revenue from our customers primarily for subscriptions to access our core solutions and Value Added Services. Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised services in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those services. We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of services, which are generally capable of being distinct, distinct within the context of the contract, and accounted for as separate performance obligations. Revenue is recognized net of any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. We recognize revenue in proportion to the amount that we have the right to invoice for certain core solutions and Value Added Services revenue, as that amount corresponds directly with our performance completed to date. Refer to Note 15, Revenue and Other Information for the disaggregated breakdown of revenue between Core solutions, Value Added Services and Other revenue. Core Solutions We charge our customers on a subscription basis for our core solutions. Our customers do not have rights to the underlying software code of our solutions, and, accordingly, we recognize subscription revenue over time on a straight-line basis over the contract term beginning on the date that our service is made available to the customer. The terms of our subscription agreements are monthly, annual, and multiyear and we typically invoice our customers for subscription services in monthly or annual installments, in advance of the subscription period. Value Added Services We primarily charge our customers on a usage basis for our Value Added Services. Usage-based fees are charged either as a percentage of the transaction amount (e.g., for certain of our electronic payment services) or on a flat fee per transaction basis with no minimum usage commitments (e.g., for our tenant screening and risk mitigation services). We recognize revenue for usage-based services in the period the service is rendered. Our electronic payments services fees are recorded gross of the interchange and payment processing related fees. We generally invoice our customers for usage-based services on a monthly basis for services rendered in the preceding month. We also have certain Value Added Services which are charged on a subscription basis. We typically invoice our customers for subscription-based services in monthly installments, in advance of the subscription period. We recognize revenue for subscription-based services over time on a straight-line basis over the contract term beginning on the date that our service is made available to the customer. Some subscription or usage-based Value Added Services, such as fees for electronic payment services, are paid by either our customers or clients of our customers at the time the services are rendered. We work with third-party partners to provide certain of our Value Added Services. For these Value Added Services, we evaluate whether we are the principal, and report revenue on a gross basis, or the agent, and report revenue on a net basis. In this assessment we consider if we obtain control of the specified services before they are transferred to the customer, as well as other indicators such as whether we are the party primarily responsible for fulfillment, and whether we have discretion in establishing price. Other Revenue Other revenue include fees from one-time services related to the implementation of our software solutions and other recurring or one-time fees related to our customers who are not otherwise using our core solutions. This includes legacy customers of businesses we have acquired where the customers haven't migrated to our core solutions. The fees for implementation and data migration services are billed upon signing our core subscription contract and are recognized as revenue in the period the service is rendered. Other services are billed when the services rendered are completed and delivered to the customer or billed in advance and deferred over the subscription period. Deferred Costs Deferred costs, which primarily consist of sales commissions, are considered incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. These costs are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of benefit that we have determined to be three years. We typically do not pay commissions for contract renewals. We determined the period of benefit by taking into consideration our customer contract term, the useful life of our internal-use software, average customer life, and other factors. Amortization expense for the deferred costs is included within sales and marketing expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. Deferred costs were $15.9 million and $15.8 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, of which $8.7 million and $8.1 million, respectively, are included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets and $7.2 million and $7.7 million, respectively, are included in Other long-term assets in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Amortization expense for deferred costs was $9.5 million, $8.1 million, and $6.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, no impairments were identified in relation to the costs capitalized for the periods presented. Cost of Revenue (Exclusive of Depreciation and Amortization) Many of our Value Added Services are facilitated by third-party service providers. Cost of revenue paid to these third-party service providers includes the cost of electronic interchange and payment processing-related services to support our payments services, the cost of credit reporting services for our tenant screening services, and various costs associated with our risk mitigation service providers. These third-party costs vary both in amount and as a percent of revenue for each Value Added Service offering. Cost of revenue also consists of personnel-related costs for our employees focused on customer service and the support of our operations (including salaries, performance-based compensation, benefits, and stock-based compensation), platform infrastructure costs (such as data center operations and hosting-related costs), and allocated shared and other costs. Cost of revenue excludes depreciation of property and equipment, amortization of capitalized software development costs and amortization of intangible assets. Sales and Marketing Sales and marketing expense consists of personnel-related costs for our employees focused on sales and marketing (including salaries, sales commissions, performance-based compensation, benefits, and stock-based compensation), costs associated with sales and marketing activities, and allocated shared and other costs. Marketing activities include advertising, online lead generation, lead nurturing, customer and industry events, and the creation of industry-related content and collateral. We focus our sales and marketing efforts on generating awareness of our software solutions, creating sales leads, establishing and promoting our brands, and cultivating an educated community of successful and vocal customers. Advertising expenses were $8.6 million, $9.2 million and $9.4 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and are expensed as incurred. Research and Product Development Research and product development expense consists of personnel-related costs for our employees focused on research and product development (including salaries, performance-based compensation, benefits, and stock-based compensation), fees for third-party development resources, and allocated shared and other costs. Our research and product development efforts are focused on expanding functionality and the ease of use of our existing software solutions by adding new core functionality, Value Added Services and other improvements, as well as developing new products and services. We capitalize our software development costs which meet the criteria for capitalization. Amortization of capitalized software development costs is included in depreciation and amortization expense. General and Administrative General and administrative expense consists of personnel-related costs for employees in our executive, finance, information technology, human resources, legal, compliance, corporate development and administrative organizations (including salaries, performance-based compensation, benefits, and stock-based compensation). In addition, general and administrative expense includes fees for third-party professional services (including audit, legal, compliance, and tax services), transaction costs related to sales of subsidiary businesses, regulatory fines and penalties, other corporate expenses, impairment of long-lived assets, and allocated shared costs. Depreciation and Amortization Depreciation and amortization expense includes depreciation of property and equipment, amortization of capitalized software development costs, and amortization of intangible assets. We depreciate or amortize property and equipment, software development costs, and intangible assets over their expected useful lives on a straight-line basis, which approximates the pattern in which the economic benefits of the assets are consumed. Stock-Based Compensation We recognize stock-based compensation expense for restricted stock awards ("RSAs") and restricted stock units ("RSUs") with only service conditions on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. For RSUs with both service and performance conditions ("PSUs"), compensation cost is recorded on a graded-vesting method, if it is probable that the performance condition will be achieved. Adjustments to compensation expense are made each period based on changes in our estimate of the number of PSUs that are probable of vesting. PSUs will vest on the vesting date and upon achievement of the relevant performance metric once such calculation is finalized in accordance with our internal policies. We estimate a forfeiture rate to calculate our stock-based compensation expense for our stock-based awards. Income Taxes We recognize deferred tax liabilities and assets for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that some of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In evaluating the need for a valuation allowance, we consider the weighting of all available positive and negative evidence, which includes, among other things, the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative taxable income or losses, future projections of profitability, and the duration of statutory carryforward periods. Net Income (Loss) per Common Share Basic net income (loss) per share includes no dilution and is computed by dividing net income (loss) for the period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is computed by dividing net income for the period by the weighted average number of shares of common stock and potentially dilutive common stock outstanding during the period. The dilutive effect of outstanding options and equity incentive awards is reflected in diluted net income per share by application of the treasury stock method. The calculation of diluted net income per share excludes all anti-dilutive common shares. Net income (loss) per common share was the same for shares of our Class A and Class B common stock because they are entitled to the same liquidation and dividend rights and are therefore combined in the table below. The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per common share (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 Basic net income (loss) per share: Numerator Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders $ 2,702 $ (68,119) $ 1,028 Denominator Weighted average common shares outstanding 35,636 35,015 34,583 Less: Weighted average unvested restricted shares subject to repurchase 7 5 5 Weighted average common shares outstanding; basic 35,629 35,010 34,578 Net income (loss) per common share; basic $ 0.08 $ (1.95) $ 0.03 Diluted net income (loss) per share: Numerator Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders $ 2,702 $ (68,119) $ 1,028 Denominator Weighted average common shares outstanding; basic 35,629 35,010 34,578 Add: Weighted average dilutive options outstanding 333 — 959 Add: Weighted average dilutive RSUs outstanding 455 — 164 Weighted average common shares outstanding; diluted 36,417 35,010 35,701 Net income (loss) per common share; diluted $ 0.07 $ (1.95) $ 0.03 Potentially dilutive securities that are not included in the calculation of diluted net income (loss) per share because doing so would be antidilutive are as follows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 Unvested Restricted Stock Awards 6 6 4 Options 120 516 846 Restricted Stock Units 20 1,162 837 Total potentially dilutive securities 146 1,684 1,687 Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted In October 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2021-08, " Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers ," which requires contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination to be recognized and measured by the acquirer on the acquisition date in accordance with ASC 606, " Revenue from Contracts with Customers ," as if the acquirer had originated the contracts. ASU 2021-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, with early adoption permitted. We adopted ASU 2021-08 on January 1, 2023. Adoption did not have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures ”. The amendments “improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses.” In addition, the amendments enhance interim disclosure requirements, clarify circumstances in which an entity can disclose multiple segment measures of profit or loss, provide new segment disclosure requirements for entities with a single reportable segment, and contain other disclosure requirements. ASU 2023-07 is effective for calendar year-end public business entities in the 2024 annual period and in 2025 for interim periods. Early adoption is permitted. We expect to adopt ASU 2023-07 for 2024 annual period and 2025 interim periods, retrospectively. We are currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on our Consolidated Financial Statements. In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures , which requires that an entity, on an annual basis, disclose additional income tax information, primarily related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid. The amendment in the ASU is intended to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The guidance will be applied on a prospective basis with the option to apply the standard retrospectively and is effective for calendar year-end public business entities in the 2025 annual period and in 2026 for interim periods with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on our Consolidated Financial Statements. |