OneLink links and experiences

You can create links for the following user experiences:

• Social-to-app: Engage your users on social media and send them from social media posts to your app.
• App-to-app: Send users to your app via ads that they see in other apps.
• QR-to-app: Use QR codes to drive app installs by having users scan a QR code at key points during their offline customer experience. You can also put QR codes on your desktop site, or on TV and CTV ads to route users to your app.
• Email-to-app: Use email service providers (ESPs) to engage users via email and send them from their inbox to your app.
• Text-to-app: Create links for your SMS and messaging campaigns and engage users via texts messages.
• Referral-to-app: Create user invite links that allow users or influencers to invite others to your app or share specific in-app content, for example, an article.
• Custom link: For user journeys that don't fit one of the experiences mentioned above, you can create a OneLink custom link. Then, no matter where your users come from, whether via desktop or mobile, online or offline, owned or paid media, you can easily send them to the right place.

General settings is a section of the OneLink link creation process that applies to all experiences. 

To complete the general settings:

1. [Optional] Change the media source name.
2. [Optional] Change the campaign name.
3. [Optional] Turn on Retargeting if you plan to use this link to target existing users.
   

   This enables you to see the re-engagements performed by users clicking on your custom link.

   Existing users that click on non-retargeting links (UA) also launch the app, and have the same user experience. However, their re-engagements are recorded as regular sessions, which means it's impossible to measure the success of the owned media campaign.

   Important! For retargeting to work, you also need to enable retargeting for the app.
4.  [Optional] Turn on Ignore active users for retargeting and select the inactivity window.
   This adds the parameter af_inactivity_window=[number of days] to your link, and all users active during the period are ignored for retargeting.
5.  [Optional] In the Link branding subsection:
   • Select a different domain to reflect your brand. Learn more
   • Edit the URL ID to highlight the campaign offering. The URL ID must be maximum 50 characters and can be a combination of letters and numbers. By default, it is 8 characters.

Enable retargeting for the app

If Retargeting was never enabled for the app, you need to do it once. Learn more

To set Retargeting at the app level:

1. In the AppsFlyer dashboard, go to Configuration > App Settings.
2. In the Attribution section, enable Retargeting campaign measurement.
3. Click Save settings.

When a link is shared, open graph (OG) tags are used to generate a preview with a title, description, and image.

These OG tags may automatically be taken from the web URL or app store you are redirecting to. However, sometimes this method of generating a preview fails. Therefore, we recommend setting your social media previews in OneLink, either using the OneLink UI, or, for links not created in the OneLink UI, by adding OG tag parameters to your link.

The Social media preview feature is supported by the following platforms:

• Facebook (posts and DMs)
• Twitter (posts and DMs)
• iMessage
• WhatsApp
• LinkedIn (posts and DMs)
• Line
• Telegram
• Slack
• Signal
• KakaoTalk
• Discord
• Reddit

To create your own social media preview in the OneLink UI: 

1. In your OneLink custom link editor, go to the Share on social media section.
2. In the Social media preview section, enter a:
   • Title
   • Description
   • Image URL

To add OG tag parameters to your link (if it was not created in the OneLink UI):

• Add the following required parameters:
  • af_og_title (up to 40 characters)
  • af_og_description (up to 300 characters)
  • af_og_image 

Note: 

• You can add the OG tag parameters to your link outside the AppsFlyer UI.
• If you add separate OG tags for Twitter, they will override the regular AppsFlyer preview.

Social media apps may break the smooth experience of existing users using Universal Links. This can be overcome by:

• [Recommended] Creating a social app landing page.
  When creating a social media app landing page, we recommend making sure you have a URI scheme configured.
• [Alternative] Forcing the app to open using the af_force_deeplink=true parameter.
  Note: This parameter is automatically enabled for Kakaotalk, Naver, Naver-Blog, Chrome, Weibo, and Twitter. 

With a social app landing page, users who click ads in social media apps are redirected to an AppsFlyer-generated landing page. From there, they can be deep linked, or continue to install the app.

AppsFlyer provides a variety of social app landing page templates. Element positions in the templates are fixed, but the elements themselves are customizable, including background image or color, titles, texts, images, buttons, tags, and more.

The social app landing page can be used with the following social media apps:

• Instagram
• Facebook/Facebook Messenger (Note: For Facebook and Facebook Messenger, if both URI scheme and a Social app landing page are set up, the Social app landing page doesn't display.)
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest for iOS
• Snapchat
• Twitter
• WeChat

User experience

When the user engages with the CTA button in the landing page:

• If app is installed: the clicking user launches the app.
• If app is NOT installed: the user is taken to the relevant app store. Upon install, it's possible to defer deep linking the user (explained in deep linking and deferred deep linking).

To use the social app landing page: 

1. Configure the landing page as described in the following section. 
2. Record the generated OneLink short URL.
   The social app landing page does not work with long OneLink URLs.
3. Post the OneLink short URL on the social app.

Attribution is determined based on your attribution settings.

To set up the Social apps landing page:

1. In your Custom link setup, go to the Share on social media section.
2. In the Social app landing page section, click Create landing page.
   A window to choose a landing page template opens.
   
   

   

3. To choose a landing page template, hover over the selected template and click Create.

   Tip: Hover over the 🛈 icon of a template to see in which cases it should be used. Clustered Poster and ShowAndTell are recommended for Instagram.

4. Customize all the elements in the landing page creative. To do so, select elements by name or click on them on the preview image.  
   Tip: Save your texts in case you replace the creative template.
5. Replace all template images with your own images.
   
   1. Enter image URLs including the extension, for example, https://example.com/image.png.
   2. Use one of the following file types: jpeg, jpg, png. 
      Note: webp format isn't supported. 
   3. The recommendations for the images are:
      
      

      Template image type	Maximum image file size	Image ratio
      Collection	300 KB	16:9 (horizontal)
      Trapeze Carousel ShowAndTell	300 KB	1:1
      Flyer Poster Blurry poster Clustered poster	300 KB	9:16 (vertical)

   4. If one or more of the images isn't an exact URL, an error will display, and you will not be able to review the creative.
      
      

      

6. To review the landing page creative, click Review.
   If changes are needed, click Back to editor.
   
   

   

7. To save your landing page, click Done.
   Important: New/updated landing page creatives only apply after generating/updating the custom link.
8. [Optional] To edit your landing page, click Edit social app landing page.

Deep linking means you retarget your existing app users and send them directly into a specific experience (for example, a specific page) within your app, without being directed to the app store or app home page first. These users are attributed using retargeting attribution.

Deferred deep linking means you give new users a similar deep linking experience as existing users. But their user flow is that first, new users are sent to the app store, and after they download and launch the app, they are sent to the specific experience or page.

Note: Setting up deep linking and deferred deep linking requires your Android and iOS developers.

To set up deep linking and deferred deep linking to direct users to a specific experience in the app:

1. Contact your iOS and Android developers to plan the deep_link_value to set on your links.
   • The deep_link_value is the value name for the specific in-app content that users will be directed to. The developers implement the desired behavior of the deep_link_value in the code. 
   • The developers implement the desired behavior in the code. Share the guide so they understand the technical flow and see examples:
     • Unified deep linking (UDL) for Android and iOS: For deep linking AND deferred deep linking new or existing users, with or without your app.
       Considerations for UDL:
       • Requires SDK V6.1 or later.
       • Click lookback window can be up to 15 minutes.
     • Note: Customers already using OneLink for deep linking may be using the legacy methods for Android and iOS, instead of UDL.
       

        Tip

       The marketer and developers must decide together on the best long-term system for the deep_link_value (and any other parameters/values) to minimize additional app updates.

       The deep_link_value can be based on a product SKU, social media post ID, URL path, or anything else. We strongly recommend agreeing with your developers on a system that allows for you to enter dynamic values on your chosen parameter, so you can generate many different deep links that go to different content within the app, without any further changes to the app code by the developers.

       See the following URL examples. The deep_link_value of a fruit type was chosen by the marketer and developer together. And the developers made the values dynamic, so the marketer could enter any fruit without the need for further work by the dev team. 

       https://onelink-sample-app.onelink.me/H5hv?pid=Email&c=fruit_of_the_month&deep_link_value=apples...

       https://onelink-sample-app.onelink.me/H5hv?pid=Email&c=fruit_of_the_month&deep_link_value=bananas...

       https://onelink-sample-app.onelink.me/H5hv?pid=Email&c=fruit_of_the_month&deep_link_value=peaches...

2. After receiving confirmation from the developers that the app behaves according to the selected parameters and values, in the Deep linking and redirection section of the link setup page, enter the Deep link value according to what you decided with the developers.
3. [Optional] If your deep linking requires more than one in-app experience (for example, you want to direct users to a product, and separately offer them a discount), you can add an Additional deep link value (that uses the parameter deep_link_sub1) to the deep linking data payload. You can add further deep link parameters  (deep_link_sub2-10) in the Additional parameters section. 
   1. Contact your iOS and Android developers to plan the values.
   2. The developers implement the desired behavior in the code. Share the guides for Android and iOS with the developers to understand the technical flow and see examples.
   3. In the Additional parameters section, add custom parameters deep_link_sub2-10 and values as required, according to what you decided with the developers.

To send new users to  a landing page, instead of to the app store:

1. In the Deep linking and redirection section of the link setup page, under When app isn't installed, select to send users to a different URL.
   The custom Android and iOS URLs redirect new users to the landing page you specify. 
   Note! If your OneLink template already has a set value for a custom URL, these custom link URLs override it. 
2. For iOS 15+, you can also send new users to custom product pages.

You may want to add additional parameters to your link, such as Campaign, Ad set name, Ad name, Channel, your own custom parameters, or 1-5 subscriber parameters. This enables a more granular analysis of your marketing efforts. Read more about additional attribution parameters.

You can also add additional deep linking parameters (deep_link_sub2-10).

To add parameters:

1. In the Additional parameters section of the link setup, click Add parameter.
2. Select the parameter to add or enter a custom parameter.

You can test whether your link works to redirect:

• New users without your app installed
• Existing users with your app installed

New users without your app installed

Prerequisites: A registered test device without the app.

To test your link:

1. In the AppsFlyer dashboard, go to Experiences & deep linking > OneLink Custom Links.
2. Hover over the Actions icon of the link you want to test and click Get URL. 
3. Send the short or long URL to your phone. You can either:
   • Scan the QR code with your phone camera or QR scanner app.
   • Email or WhatsApp yourself the link, and open it on your phone.
     Note: Do not paste into iOS notes, or directly into a mobile browser. Often, the mobile operating system intentionally will not open the app in this context.
4. Click the link on your mobile device.
   Depending on your platform, it should take you to the app store or landing page.
   Note: A real click on a mobile device is needed. Javascript or 301/302 redirects can't trigger Universal Links and Android App Links. Even basic redirections fail with these methods on some browsers.
5. Download and launch the app.
   • The app should open to its home screen.
   • If you implemented deferred deep linking, the app should open to the content you specified in the link parameters. 
6. In the AppsFlyer Overview dashboard look for a new install.
   Look for a new click and install under media source (e.g. test) and the campaign name you put in the URL.

Link not working as expected? Check out the OneLink FAQ and troubleshooting guide.

Existing users with your app installed

Prerequisites: An Android and/or iOS device with the app installed. Make sure it is the app source and version where the developer(s) made changes (and implemented Universal Links, App Links, and/or URI schemes).

To test your link:

1. In the AppsFlyer dashboard, go to Experiences & deep linking > OneLink.
2. Click the selected OneLink template.
3. From the list, select the Custom link.
4. Hover over the Actions icon of the link you want to test and click Get URL. 
5. Send the short or long URL to your phone. You can either:
   • Scan the QR code with your phone camera or QR scanner app.
   • Email or WhatsApp yourself the link, and open it on your phone.
     Note: Do not paste into iOS notes, or directly into a mobile browser. Often, the mobile operating system intentionally will not open the app in this context.
6. Click the link on your mobile device.
   • The app should open to its home screen.
   • If you implemented deep linking, the app should open to the content you specified in the link parameters. 
7. Go to the AppsFlyer Retargeting dashboard.
   Look for a new click/re-engagement (app open) under your link's media source (e.g. test) and the campaign name you put in the URL.

Link not working as expected? Check out the OneLink FAQ and troubleshooting guide.

Custom impression links enable you to:

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

Prerequisites: A working OneLink long URL. Short URLs are not supported.

Who is involved:

Marketer and web developer

To create impression URLs for measuring impressions only:

1. In the AppsFlyer dashboard, go to Experiences & 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 long URL for editing.
   Example:  https://subdomain.onelink.me/j7rN?pid=email&c=Spring
4. Replace the subdomain (or the entire Branded Domain, if you're using one) 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. Make sure view-through attribution is turned on.
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=1d.
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=1d

With the launch of iOS 15, Apple provides iCloud+ users with a feature called Private Relay, which gives them the option to encrypt their web-browsing traffic and hide their exact location, IP address, and the contents of their browsing traffic. If users opt-in to Private Relay, this could interfere with attribution and deferred deep linking. Meaning, once a new user without the app goes to the App Store, and installs and launches the app, Private Relay could prevent them from being sent to a specific page in the app.

To ensure that deferred deep linking (DDL) continues to work as expected, you need to implement one of the following AppsFlyer solutions:

• [Recommended] App Clip-based solution: Create an App Clip that gives you user attribution data, and directs users to a customized App Clip experience similar to the one you want DDL to achieve. The app clip can also include a flow to direct users from your App Clip to your full app.
• Clipboard-based solution: Create a web landing page that copies the deferred deep linking data from the URL and correctly redirects the user to the app. Note: This solution does not help with attribution.

Basic example

Mark is the marketer of a successful grocery delivery service called "Feed Me." Mark targets his user-base phone numbers to download Feed Me's new mobile iOS and Android apps. An SMS campaign is planned. However, Mark doesn't know which users have Android or iOS devices. He also doesn't know whether or not they have the app installed.

To solve this, Mark sends users an SMS containing a short URL powered by OneLink. When users receive the SMS and click the link:

• If they don’t have the app yet, it automatically directs them to the appropriate app store or landing page, where it's easy for them to install the app.
• If they already have the app installed, the app opens for them.

The new installs and re-engagements are attributed to the SMS campaign, enabling Mark to check the success of the SMS campaign in AppsFlyer. 

Deep linking example

Mark the marketer's SMS (from the previous example) had mild success in getting users to download and open the app. However, not many users who clicked the link and opened the app converted to place an order.

Mark decides to increase conversion by offering a free bag of peaches, apples, or avocados with every purchase. For this, Mark creates a smooth, deep-linking experience for existing users. He sends his user base a detailed email stressing the benefits of these 3 healthy fruits. 

For each fruit mentioned in the email, Mark includes a link with a deep link value powered by OneLink, configured (with the help of mobile developers) to:

To solve this, Mark sends users an SMS containing a short URL powered by OneLink. When users receive the SMS and click the link:

• If they already have the app installed, they are taken straight to the relevant fruit page.
• If they don’t have the app yet, they are directed to the appropriate app store or landing page, based on their device. And then, once they download and open the app, they are taken straight to the fruit page.