Oracle Responsys integration with AppsFlyer

ESPs (Email Service Providers) can be excellent sources for segmented user traffic.

One of the challenges with ESPs is performing correct attribution and deep linking. ESPs wrap the deep linking URL with their own ESP's click recording domain. This procedure often breaks the functionality of iOS Universal Links and Android App Links. 

However, deep linking and click recording are still possible with ESPs that support Universal Links and App Links on top of their click recording domain. In addition, you can set up your own click domain to act as the click recording domain.

Prerequisites

• Configure your app to support deep linking with OneLink.
• Verify your SDK version (both Android and iOS)

Setting up Oracle Responsys click domain

Follow this section to set up your click domain (click recording domain) in Oracle Responsys.

Step 1: Set up a click domain in Oracle Responsys

To set up a click domain, follow Oracle Responsys official guide on how to create click domains. Oracle Responsys uses Link Tables to help record clicks for a specific campaign

Note, in Link tables, you can define IOS link URL to be the same as the Link URL:

Once you set click domains in Link Tables, Responsys uses these domains to wrap OneLinks that you include in email campaigns. This way, Responsys can record clicks in their system while preserving OneLink and deep linking functionality.

Step 2: Give Responsys an AASA (iOS) and an Asset Links file (Android)

Setting up your app

<activity android:name=".DeepLinkActivity">
    <intent-filter  android:autoVerify="true">
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
           <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
           <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
           <data android:scheme="https"
               android:host="click.example.com"
               android:pathPrefix="/campaign" />
     </intent-filter>
</activity>

Step 2: Setting up the app to resolve click domains

The SDK needs to resolve the OneLink behind the click domain to get the campaign details. The details are returned in the onAppOpenAttribution method.

To resolve click domains:

1. Make sure that your SDK version is at least 4.9.0.
2. List the click domains in the SDK property resolveDeepLinkURLs. This property needs to be set before SDK initialization. For more information please refer to SDK documentation here.
   
   Objective-C Swift

   [AppsFlyerTracker sharedTracker].resolveDeepLinkURLs = @[@"example.com",@"click.example.com"];

   AppsFlyerTracker.shared().resolveDeepLinkURLs = ["example.com", "click.example.com"]
   

   • Important! If you are using Movable Ink (MI) in conjunction with Oracle, you need to get the MI CNAME and internal domains from your MI account manager and add them to setResolveDeepLinkURLs, in addition to the click link for Oracle. Domain examples:
     • Oracle domain: oracle-click.example.com
     • MI CNAME domain: mi.example.com
     • MI internal domain: example.micpn.com
3. Add the following code so that the SDK can resolve the click recording domain:
   
   Objective-C Swift

   Add this code in AppDelegate.m

   - (NSDictionary *)allHTTPHeaderFieldsForResolveDeepLinkURL:(NSURL *)URL {
       if ([URL.host  isEqual: @"click.example.com"]) {
           return [NSDictionary dictionary];
       }
       else {
           return nil;
       }
   }

   Add this code in AppDelgate.swift

   func allHTTPHeaderFields(forResolveDeepLinkURL URL: URL!) -> [String : String]! {
       if (URL.host == "click.example.com") {
           /// Change User-Agent
           return [:]
       } else {
           return nil;
       }
   }
   

Sending your first email

1. Create a OneLink URL in the Link Management page (or manually).
2. When creating the OneLink URL make sure to URL encode all parameter values.
3. The following parameters are highly recommended to use:
   • pid (media source) - Use a media source that signifies this usage such as Email.
   • c (campaign) - The name of the campaign you want to measure.
   • af_dp - The deep link URI scheme you want to deep link your users into.
   • af_web_dp - Where to redirect users clicking the link on a desktop.
   • af_ios_url - Where to redirect users that don’t have the app clicking the link on an iOS device.
   • af_android_url - Where to redirect users that don’t have the app click the link on an Android device.
4. Place the OneLink URL in the email that you create in Responsys. Example:

   <a href="greatapp.onelink.me/abcd/1234567">Download my great app!</a>

   At this stage, Responsys wraps the above link with the click domain that you set in the previous steps. Any click on the click domain redirects to the OneLink attribution link. If the app is installed on the user's device, the click domain deep links into the app.

https://greatapp.onelink.me/abcd?pid=Email&c=Spring_Newsletter&is_retargeting=true&
af_dp=testapp://path/to/content&af_web_dp=https://www.example.com/path/to/content&
af_ios_url=https://www.example.com/path/to/content&af_android_url=https://www.example.com/path/to/content

Testing your links

After following all the required steps mentioned above, creating the appropriate OneLink URL, and placing it in an email, send yourself a test email.

What should you expect?

If you have the app installed, the app should be invoked. If the relevant AppsFlyer SDK deep linking APIs are implemented you should be deep linked into the relevant content.
In addition, a click should appear in both the AppsFlyer dashboard, attributed to the provided media source and campaign, and also in Responsys data.