At a glance: Advertisers using OneLink links can brand them with their own domain. This improves campaign performance and increases brand exposure.
Branded Domains
- Branded Domains are used to brand attribution links with your brand and domain. For example, as illustrated in the preceding figure:
- OneLink: abcdef.onelink.me
- Brand abcdef.com
- Subdomain: For example, click
- Implement Branded Domains and use your full domain, with the attribution link being click.abcdef.com
- Branded Domains improve campaign performance because they:
- Drive trust: Capitalize on your branding, ensure consistent identity, remove friction from user journeys, and improve CTR rates.
- Allow deep linking using your brand.
- Are simple to implement and behave the same as OneLinks.
- Promote brand awareness: Your brand marks your campaigns, instead of a generic link.
- Enable emails to avoid being flagged as spam due to the link not matching the sender email.
Principles of implementation
Branded Domains are implemented by associating a full domain defined in your Domain Name System (DNS) with a OneLink subdomain. This is done by using standard settings in your DNS and setting up a Branded Domain in AppsFlyer. In addition, you will need to make some minor changes in your app to support Branded Domains .
You will need the assistance of the DNS admin, usually a member of your IT team or your DNS hosting provider and the app developer.
Multiple full domains can be associated with a single OneLink subdomain. This means you can have multiple brands using the same OneLink subdomain.
Setting up Branded Domains
Complete the action list to set up a Branded Domain.
Responsibility | Action | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Marketer assisted by the DNS admin | Set up a Branded Link in AppsFlyer | The DNS admin, usually a member of your IT team or your DNS hosting provider, needs to define the full domain (aka host) and set a CNAME record as described in the procedure. |
2 | Developer | Set up Branded Domains in the app | Make minor changes to the app code. |
3 | Marketer | Using and testing Branded Domains | |
As needed | Marketer | Editing and deleting Branded Domains |
Procedures
Set up a Branded Domain in AppsFlyer
Setting up a Branded Domain consists of associating a full domain set in your DNS with a OneLink subdomain in AppsFlyer as depicted in the following figure.
Branded Domain pointing to AppsFlyer servers
Before you begin:
- Choose a full domain name, for example, click.abcdef.com where abcdef.com is your brand.
- The subdomain, for example, click, can also be customized.
- Request that the DNS admin create the full domain (aka host).
- Request that the DNS admin set a CNAME record such that the full domain (Brand domain) points to the specified URL (aka AppsFlyer host). This is depicted in the figure Branded Link pointing to AppsFlyer servers (above).
To map your full domain to a OneLink subdomain:
- Go to Engagement & Deep Linking > Branded Domains.
- Click Add Branded Domain.
- In the Brand Domain field, enter your full domain as set in your DNS. For example, click.abcdef.com
Do not place a period after the domain. - Select the OneLink subdomain from the list that displays.
- Click Verify.
The DNS settings status displays. See troubleshooting in the event of an error.
To verify that a Branded Domain is operational:
- Go to Engagement & Deep Linking > Branded Domains.
- Select the branded link.
The edit window opens. - Click Verify.
The DNS settings status display. Both should have a green checkmark to confirm that they are correctly set in the DNS. If either has a red checkmark, contact your DNS admin.
Note: Your DNS records MUST enable letsencrypt.org to create a certificate for your domain (CAA).
Set up Branded Domains in the app
- Use the following SDK versions:
- Android V4.10.1 and later
- iOS V4.10.1 and later
- User invite referral (invite a friend) requires SDK version V5.2.0 and later for both iOS and Android
Branded Domains SDK implementation considerations
- When deep linking takes place using Branded Domains, the AppsFlyer SDK can't get conversion data for installs and deep linking.
- To overcome this, the developer uses the
setOneLinkCustomDomain
andoneLinkCustomDomains
SDK API for Android and iOS respectively. - This API queries the branded link, gets the OneLink to which it is mapped, and finally queries the OneLink to get conversion data. Example setting.
Ensure that you update the intent-filter of the manifest to include your brand domain by setting the android:host.
Use this API before initializing the SDK in the Android global application class.
Example
public class AFApplication extends Application {
@Override
public void onCreate() {
super.onCreate();
AppsFlyerConversionListener conversionListener = new AppsFlyerConversionListener() {
// implement AppsFlyerConversionListener callbacks
// see https://support.appsflyer.com/hc/en-us/articles/207032126#integration-32-initializing-the-sdk
}
// set branded link domain
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setOneLinkCustomDomain("promotion.greatapp.com");
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().init(AF_DEV_KEY, conversionListener, this);
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().start(this, AF_DEV_KEY);
}
}
If you have several branded domains, pass them all to the API to ensure that you always get the conversion data and can deep link into the app.
Example
AppsFlyerLib.getInstance().setOneLinkCustomDomain("promotion.greatapp.com",
"click.greatapp.com",
"deals.greatapp.com");
To associate domains for iOS Universal Links:
- Set up the OneLink domain/subdomain as an associated domain in Xcode.
- Set up the branded domain as an associated domain in Xcode.
- Set up the branded link to be able to get conversion data using the method below.
Use the API in the AppDelegate.m, inside the didFinishLaunchingWithOptions method:
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {
/** APPSFLYER INIT **/
[AppsFlyerLib shared].appsFlyerDevKey = @"SED_DEV_KEY";
[AppsFlyerLib shared].appleAppID = @"123456789";
[AppsFlyerLib shared].oneLinkCustomDomains = @[@"promotion.greatapp.com"];
//...
//...
}
If you have several branded domains, pass them all to the API to ensure that you always get the conversion data and can deep link into the app.
Example
[AppsFlyerLib shared].oneLinkCustomDomains = @[@"promotion.greatapp.com", @"click.greatapp.com"];
The API should be used in the AppDelegate.swift, inside the didFinishLaunchingWithOptions method:
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions
launchOptions: [UIApplicationLaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
AppsFlyerLib.shared().appsFlyerDevKey = "6CQi4Be6Zs9oNLsCusPbUL"
AppsFlyerLib.shared().appleAppID = "340954504"
AppsFlyerLib.shared().oneLinkCustomDomains = ["example.com"]
//...
//...
}
If you have several branded domains, you can pass them to the API as an array of strings. This ensures that no matter what branded link is used, you always get the conversion data and can deep link into the app.
Example
AppsFlyerLib.shared().oneLinkCustomDomains = ["promotion.greatapp.com", "click.greatapp.com"]
Using and testing Branded Domains
Prerequisites:
Before using and testing, Branded Domains complete the steps in the Branded Domains workflow.
To create and test branded domains:
- Create a custom attribution link using the OneLink template mapped to the branded domain.
- Copy the custom attribution link to a text editor.
- The custom attribution link is made up of a OneLink subdomain, OneLink ID, and custom Link ID. Replace the OneLink subdomain with the Branded Domain full domain. Example:
Custom attribution link Branded Domain abcdef.onelink.me/A1bc/dc1234ef click.abcdef.com/A1bc/dc1234ef - Use the branded link to test installs and deep linking.
- If you use raw data reports as part of the testing, the Original URL field is populated by the branded links.
Editing and deleting Branded Domains
Editing enables you to change the mapping of an existing full domain to a different OneLink subdomain. There is no need to set a CNAME.
Caution
Modifying the Branded Domain of active campaigns may alter or disable link functionality.
To edit a branded domain mapping:
- Go to Experiences & Deep Linking > Branded Domain.
- Click the Action button.
- Click Edit.
To delete a branded domain mapping:
- Go to Experiences & Deep Linking > Branded Domain.
- Click the Action button.
- Click Delete.
Troubleshooting, traits, and limitations
Troubleshooting
Symptom | Cause/solution |
---|---|
Branded Domain cannot be mapped to a OneLink template |
|
Branded Domain is not deep linking into the app |
|
No installs measured from Branded Domains |
|
No re-engagements recorded from branded domains |
Ensure that the following are active and configured:
|
During Branded Domain setup, Domain doesn't exist message displays |
|
During Branded Domain setup, AppsFlyer CNAME not found message displays |
|
Traits and limitations
Trait | Yes ✓ / No x | Remarks |
---|---|---|
Ad network access | x | |
Agency access | x | Agencies cannot access the Branded Domains section to create Branded Domains. However, they can create OneLinks custom links using a Branded Domain subdomain. |
Agency transparency | x | |
App-specific time zone | N/A | |
App-specific currency | N/A | |
Character limitation | N/A | When entering your branded domain, the last character cannot be a period ("."). |
Size limitations | N/A | |
Rate limitation | ✓ |
Branded Domain SSL/HTTP certificates are arranged by AppsFlyer using Let's Encrypt, with a rate limit of 50 new certificates per week per domain. |
Organic data | ✓ | |
Non-organic data | ✓ | |
Data freshness | N/A | |
Historical data | ✓ | |
Account user access | ✓ |