Deep links and deferred deep links

Deep linking turned from a navigation trick into a core mobile marketing tool. It sends users to a specific screen with the right content, bridging web and mobile.

How deep links work

A deep link is a URI scheme that opens a specific screen in a mobile app, skipping the home screen. Unlike regular links, deep links activate the installed app and pass it transition context.

Types

Linking technologies

Traditional deep links (custom URL schemes)

Work only if the app is installed
Simple URI scheme implementation
No fallback to web
Example: myapp://product/123

Universal Links (iOS) / App Links (Android)

Use HTTP(S) URLs
Auto fallback to web
Need domain verification
Example: https://example.com/product/123

Deferred deep links

Work even without the app
Preserve context through install
Need an attribution SDK
Land on the target screen after first launch

Implementation

Configure both the app and the web infrastructure.

iOSAndroid

Setup:

Register URL scheme in Info.plist
Configure Associated Domains
Host apple-app-site-association file
Handle incoming links in AppDelegate

Domain validation:

{
  "applinks": {
    "apps": [],
    "details": [{
      "appID": "TEAMID.bundleID",
      "paths": ["/products/*", "/categories/*"]
    }]
  }
}

Setup:

Declare intent-filter in AndroidManifest.xml
Configure App Links with auto-verification
Host assetlinks.json
Handle intents in Activity

Digital Asset Links:

[{
  "relation": ["delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls"],
  "target": {
    "namespace": "android_app",
    "package_name": "com.example.app",
    "sha256_cert_fingerprints": ["..."]
  }
}]

Deferred deep links

Traditional deep links break when the app isn't installed. Users land in the store and lose context. Deferred deep linking carries intent through the install.

Flow

graph TD
    A[Click on link] --> B{App installed?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Open target screen]
    B -->|No| D[App Store / Google Play]
    D --> E[App installation]
    E --> F[First launch]
    F --> G[SDK retrieves saved context]
    G --> H[Open target screen]

Attribution matching steps:

Save context before redirect

Capture device fingerprint
Save campaign parameters
Record timestamp and referrer

Match after install

Match device fingerprint
Check attribution window
Validate install source

Restore context

Read saved parameters
Pass deep link data to app
Navigate to target

Use cases

E-commerce: ad to purchase

Scenario:

User sees a product ad on Instagram
Clicks, but app isn't installed
Goes to App Store and installs
First launch lands on the product page from the ad

Result: purchase conversion 2-3x higher than normal install.

Content platforms: sharing and engagement

Scenario:

User receives an article link via messenger
App not installed, web version opens
Web shows "Read in App"
After install, the article opens automatically

Result: new user retention 40-60% higher.

Attribution and measurement

Deep linking is central to mobile attribution. It lets you track the journey from source to in-app conversion.

Attribution parameters

Deep link with attribution parameters:

https://example.com/product/123?
  utm_source=facebook
  &utm_medium=paid_social
  &utm_campaign=summer_sale
  &utm_content=carousel_ad
  &deep_link_sub1=audience_lookalike
  &deep_link_sub2=placement_feed

Standard parameters:

Parameter	Purpose	Example
utm_source	Source	facebook, google, email
utm_medium	Channel	cpc, organic, referral
utm_campaign	Campaign ID	summer_sale_2025
utm_content	Creative	video_15s, banner_320x50
utm_term	Keyword	for search campaigns

Performance metrics

Conversion:

Click-to-Install Rate: installs after deep link click
Deferred Deep Link Conversion: conversion of deferred-linked users
Deep Link Attribution Rate: correctly attributed installs

Engagement:

Deep Link Session Duration: session length from deep link
Retention by Deep Link Source: retention by source
Deep Link Re-engagement Rate: returns via deep links

Attribution windows

Standard windows

Click-to-install:

iOS: 1-7 days (24 hours recommended)
Android: 1-30 days (7 days recommended)

View-through:

1-24 hours for video typically
Not applicable for direct deep links

Re-engagement:

7-30 days
Depends on usage frequency

Limits

iOS App Tracking Transparency

ATT (iOS 14.5) cuts attribution capability:

IDFA loss: no advertising identifier without consent
Probabilistic matching limited: Apple bans fingerprinting
SKAdNetwork: limited attribution, 24-48 hour delay

Android Privacy Sandbox

Google is rolling out iOS-like limits:

GAID restrictions: explicit permission required
Privacy Sandbox for Android: new attribution APIs
Fingerprinting bans: no persistent identifiers

Technical issues

Platform fragmentation:

iOS vs Android implementation differences
OS version incompatibility
Browser and app behavior differences

Routing:

Conflicts with the website's web version
Edge case handling
Need for fallback flows

Attribution platforms

Full deferred deep linking needs specialized platforms.

Platform	Strengths	Cost
Branch	Market leader, rich features	Free tier
AppsFlyer	Attribution and antifraud focus	From $0.05 per install
Adjust	Easy integration, reliable	Custom
Kochava	Advanced analytics	From $500/month
Firebase Dynamic Links	Free, limited	Free

Selection criteria

Technical:

Platform and OS coverage
SDK and docs quality
Redirect speed and reliability
Customization

Analytics:

Attribution and reporting depth
Real-time vs batched data
Integrations
Cohort analysis

Best practices

UX

Contextual hints:

Use smart app banners and custom prompts to explain the value of installing.

Progressive navigation:

Don't force install. Show value in web first.

Personalized onboarding:

Adapt first launch to the source context.

Technical

Recommendations

Use Universal Links / App Links

Best UX
Search engine support
Auto fallback

Implement fallbacks

Web version for unsupported devices
Install error handling
Alternative conversion paths

Minimize redirects

Each redirect is a potential drop-off
Use direct links when possible
Cache routing data

Test all scenarios

Browsers and OS versions
App installed vs not
Different sources

Monitoring

Key metrics:

Technical Success Rate: successful deep link transitions
Attribution Match Rate: install matching accuracy
Time to Content: from click to target display
Fallback Conversion Rate: conversion through fallback paths

A/B tests:

Link and parameter formats
Onboarding variants after deferred linking
Re-engagement strategies
Attribution windows and matching logic

Statable approach

Statable is building mobile analytics around lightweight integration and privacy-first architecture, not heavy SDKs.

The attribution system is designed to work under iOS ATT and Android Privacy Sandbox. We reconstruct the journey without violating platform privacy policies.

The platform offers a unified interface for all deep link types, with a visual route builder and auto-generated technical configuration. Marketers create and test campaigns without engineering involvement.

We focus on transparency over closed black-box algorithms. Every attribution decision comes with logic and customization options.

About AI participation in writing articles

This article, like many others on our site, was created, written and proofread by a team of developers. Of course, not without the participation of AI assistants. We don't hide this and believe that modern systems are already quite good at handling simple tasks and, relatively speaking, writing an article about Viewport yourself is quite strange. It won't come out significantly better and will take a lot of time. But providing basic understanding to beginner webmasters is necessary. Of course, after the article is written by assistants - there's always proofreading, and this is where not one or two people participate, and only after that the article is published.

Ready to improve mobile attribution?

Sign up for a free trial of Statable. Get full deep linking control, accurate install attribution, and tools to optimize mobile campaigns.

Ready to take control of your web analytics? Try Statable free for 30 days — no credit card required, full feature access, GDPR-compliant by default. Start your free trial or view a live demo.