OneLink™ 1/4: Converting users from owned media

You can use a single OneLink template to create a limitless number of OneLink URLs, however, in some cases, you might have to assign an app to more than one OneLink template.

For example, if you have multiple versions of an Android app for out-of-store markets, you may need a separate OneLink template per Android version, yet have the same iOS app assigned to all of them.

For each template to which you add an app (after the first template), complete the following instructions, according to the relevant deep linking method.

Yes, it's possible to delete a OneLink template, but only by contacting your CSM.
Note: If there are OneLink URLs using the deleted template out there, clicking users would not even be redirected to the app store. Therefore, make sure there are no OneLink URLs using the template before deletion. Alternately, see if you can just change the template configuration.

No, agencies are not able to create OneLink templates on their own. However, agencies can use existing OneLink templates to create custom attribution links for them. This can be done if the agency is a partner of ALL the apps in the template.

You can edit the subdomain in a OneLink template as long as there are not any custom links in AppsFlyer based on the template.

If you have already created custom links in AppsFlyer based on the OneLink Template, then editing the subdomain is not possible, due to the concern that there may already be live links in use and changing the subdomain breaks their redirection/deep linking behavior. To change the subdomain, you can either: 

• Create a new OneLink template with the different subdomain, and create links based on it.
• Delete all custom links in AppsFlyer that you created based on the template. Once there are no links based on the template, the subdomain will become editable.

Integrated Partner reserved pid values (ending with _int), cannot be used as media source values in Custom Attribution Links. Use the Integrated Partners setup to create partner-related attribution links. For more details, click here.

Do not use "Facebook," "Facebook Ads," "GoogleAdwords," "Twitter," or "Organic" as your custom media source name (case insensitive). Using these names for custom attribution links may affect attribution data integrity, as installs from your owned media would get attributed to integrated partners.

You can add further attribution parameters to enable you to perform a thorough drill-down analysis. 

See more information about AppsFlyer's Attribution Link Structure and Parameters.

Enabling the Customized Lookback Window button allows you to set the maximum click to install time. Installs (first launches) that take place within the lookback window are attributed to the media source. Installs that take place afterward, are attributed as Organic.

By default, the window is set to 7 days, but you may wish to set it otherwise in different cases.

More details about click lookback windows here.

Enabling the Cost per install button allows you to apply a specific CPI value for each install coming from the link.

Select the cost currency and then a numeric ONLY value (float - up to 4 digits after the decimal point) representing the CPI.

More details about measuring cost and ROI here.

Attribution link parameters: af_cost_currency, af_cost_value

Yes. When you set parameters on the attribution link, make sure that you use consistent naming. Do not use upper and lower case names intermittently.

If you don't keep the same case in parameter names, it might cause issues with viewing data in the dashboard and raw data.

For example, if you set pid=MyMediaSource on one attribution link and pid=mymediasource on another, discrepancies in data may occur. The same goes for any other param that you set on the attribution link. If you choose a case, upper or lower, make sure you always use it.

af_r, af_ios_url, af_android_url, and af_web_dp carry parameters from the attribution link or OneLink over to the redirected page. To prevent such parameters from being carried over to the redirected page, add af_param_forwarding=false to the attribution link.

OneLink is now the only supported method for creating custom attribution links for owned media.
In the past, app owners could also use single-platform (app-specific) custom links without using OneLink. This method is deprecated, and new custom links can only be created based on a OneLink template.
However, if you have legacy single-platform custom links, they still work as always. You can also view and edit your legacy links, by clicking the View legacy single platform links link, on the top right corner of OneLink Custom Links page.

Custom impression links enable you to:

• Measure the impressions to clicks conversion rates of your owned media.
• Receive attribution for clicks.
  AppsFlyer detects the user's device platform and attributes the click to the correct source.

Prerequisites: A working Onelink custom link

Who is involved:

Marketer and web developer

To create impression URLs for measuring impressions only:

1. In the AppsFlyer dashboard, go to Engagement & deep linking > OneLink Custom Links.
2. Hover over the Actions icon of the link you want to test and click Get URL. 
3. Copy the OneLink's long URL for editing.
   Example: 

   https://go.onelink.me/j7rN?pid=email&c=Spring&

4. Replace 'go' (or your app's unique subdomain) with 'impressions'.  
   Example: 

   https://impressions.onelink.me/j7rN?pid=email&c=Spring&

5. Copy the impression URL and send it to your developer.
6. Instruct your web developer to implement the impression URL in the website logic. 

Now you have an impression URL, that can be used to count impressions on your website pages but can't attribute new installs. For view-through attribution, follow the next steps.

To use impression URLs for attribution:

1. Prepare the impression URL as described in the earlier steps.
2. Add the visitor's device ID, IDFA (idfa=) for iOS users and GAID (advertising_id=) for Android users.

    Note

   • For iOS 14 devices, IDFA is not collected.
   • If GAID isn't available for some reason include Android ID (android_id=) on the link. If that isn't available use IMEI (imei=).
   • The Device ID values can be hashed for better security using SHA1. The parameter name should begin with "sha1_" and be followed by the parameter name and the hashed value, e.g., sha1_idfa, sha1_advertising_id, sha1_android_id and sha1_imei
3. [Optional] If you wish to change the default 1-day view-through lookback window value, add the af_viewthrough_lookback parameter with the new value. For example, af_viewthrough_lookback=5d&.
4. Copy the impression URL and send it to your developer.
5. Instruct your web developer to implement the impression URL in the website logic. 

Full impression URL example:

https://impressions.onelink.me/j7rN?pid=email&c=Spring&af_viewthrough_lookback=5d&.sh

Advertisers may want to use OneLink with "viral" posts on social apps, as potential users that are exposed to such posts cannot be targeted in advance according to their devices.

Unfortunately, limitations set mainly by Apple's Universal Links, in conjunction with restrictions of some of the social apps, complicate the use of OneLink for deep linking, and sometimes even for basic device recognition, redirection and attribution.

The following table summarizes what you can do with OneLink in today’s popular social apps:

OneLink is mainly used with owned media; not with ad networks.

It is rare for ad networks to require OneLink since they usually advertise on apps. This enables them to know the user's platform, device ID, etc., so their app and platform-specific attribution links suffice.

However, sometimes ad networks don't know the users' platform in advance—for example when they run email or SMS campaigns themselves.

1. Go to Integrated Partners on your Android app's dashboard and select the relevant ad network.
2. Copy the app's attribution link from the setup window, and save it to an external document.
3. For your iOS app, repeat steps 1+2.

Now build the attribution link:

4. Make sure OneLink is properly set up.
   In the Attribution section, use "test" as the media source name.
5. Click Generate Link.
   The short and long URLs appear.
6. Copy the long URL.
7. In the long link, Replace the "test" media source with the exact PID of the integrated partner to the link https://greatapp.onelink.me/U8ru?pid=network_int&c=MyCampaign
8. Add ALL parameters from BOTH attribution links.
   If the attribution link of the iOS and Android app are identical, simply copy the parameters from either one of the links. Otherwise, make sure you have all the parameters from both links.

If all the integrated network parameters are added correctly, once OneLink is clicked and the user is redirected to the right platform, the required parameters are sent to the network within a postback after the user installs.

https://greatapp.onelink.me/3287867539?pid=network_int&c=email&
idfa{$IDFA}&gaid={$GAID}&clickid=$SITEID&
af_sub1=[pixel_code]&af_sub2=[creative]

Yes, there are a couple of Instagram limitations:

• Due to the way Instagram renders the text of a page post, links do not become clickable when entered into a post caption.
• Linking from profile website links is possible. However, for iOS, you need URI scheme, or a Social landing page set up.

To overcome this, OneLink can recognize clicks in WeChat and load a dedicated landing page instructing the user to click the options button and then to click Open in Browser. This opens the redirect URL defined in the OneLink template setup.

If the user’s WeChat language is registered as Chinese, OneLink generates a localized version of the landing page:

• Total URL length must not exceed 2000 characters
• Link Name and Media Source: must not exceed 100 characters
• The following characters are not allowed [<>;(){}`#']
• Short URL ID must not exceed 50 characters

Yes. Using target="_blank" in the HTML href tag does not result in redirection to Google Play or App Store. If the OneLink URL is placed inside an html a tag with the  target="_blank" attribute, it opens a blank page in Chrome on Android and iOS. This affects OneLink functionality. Make sure that the a tag doesn't include the target attribute.