This document describes the process for creating Dynamic Deep Linking. Dynamic Deep Linking provides the convenience of creating a single Tracker or Smartlink with the versatility to take a user to any supported in-app or web destination.
The process of creating Dynamic Deep Linking involves dynamic macro replacement and eliminates the need to create individual Trackers or Smartlinks for each supported deep link destination, which for certain apps or websites, could be quite a few different destinations that marketers want to drive users to. For example, consider a use case for a shopping app.
USE CASE: Within a shopping app there could be dozens, hundreds, or even more products each with their own unique product page. If a marketer wants to configure tracking to drive users to various different unique product pages in the app, there are two ways to go about this. One way would be to create separate Trackers or Smartlinks each with their own hard coded deep link destinations for each individual product page. This would lead to a large number of Trackers or Smartlinks which is inconvenient and more difficult to manage and report on. The better method would be to utilize the dynamic deep linking functionality that Kochava provides so that a marketer can create a single Tracker or Smartlink that has the ability to drive a user to any valid deep link destination.
Using a Custom Parameter
This section outlines creating a Tracker or Smartlink which includes a custom parameter that will work as a placeholder to insert a deep link destination prior to the link being trafficked.
NOTE: Any key and value naming convention can be used for this custom parameter.
Tracker Setup
- Create a Tracker. For more information on creating a Tracker and the associated settings, refer to our support documentation.
- Enter a Destination URL.
- Enter a Deep Link, surrounded by curly brackets {}.
- Under Custom Parameters:
- Enter a Key.
- Enter a Value, surrounded by curly brackets {}.
NOTE: It is crucial that the same exact naming convention that was used in the key of the custom parameter is used in the deep link destination. It is case sensitive
- Save the Tracker.
Once the Tracker is saved, the custom parameter that was entered will be included explicitly in the URLs that are generated. This is where the desired deep link destination needs to be inserted prior to trafficking the links.
Tracker Click URL Example —
https://control.kochava.com/v1/cpi/click?campaign_id=kosuccess-ios-2r01e8f148ac7d22&network_id=10731&deeplink={insert_deeplink_here}&site_id=success_site&device_id=device_idTracker Click URL Example with Deep Link URI Inserted —
https://control.kochava.com/v1/cpi/click?campaign_id=kosuccess-ios-2r01e8f148ac7d22&network_id=10731&deeplink=appname://product_id/12345&site_id=success_site&device_id=device_idSmartLink Setup
- Create a SmartLink. For more information on creating a SmartLink and associated settings, refer to our support documentation.
- Select Destination if app is installed > Custom.
- Enter a custom parameter surrounded by {} in the available destination.
NOTE: In the examples below, {deeplink} is used in the custom parameter field.
- Save the SmartLink.
Once the Smartlink is saved, the custom parameter that was entered will be included explicitly in the URLs that are generated. This is where the desired deep link destination needs to be inserted prior to trafficking the links.
Smartlink Click URL Example —
https://smart.link/j81ix1yqom6kt?deeplink={insert_deeplink_here}Smartlink Click URL Example with Deep Link URI Inserted —
https://smart.link/j81ix1yqom6kt?deeplink=appname://product_id/12345With one of the above configurations in place, Kochava’s system will automatically recognize the macro that is used as the deep link destination {deeplink} and will pull whatever the value that is a part of that custom parameter in the Click URL deeplink=appname://product_id/12345 and that value appname://product_id/12345 will become the deep link destination that is used.
Click URL Values Persisted
It is also possible to have a value persisted from the Click URL to the deep link destination as a component of the deep link. For example, the custom parameter that is used when creating the Tracker or Smartlink could be something like product_id={insert_product_id_here}. Then the saved deep link destination could be appname://product_id/{product_id}.
Tracker Click URL Example —
https://control.kochava.com/v1/cpi/click?campaign_id=kosuccess-ios-2r01e8f148ac7d22&network_id=10731&product_id={insert_product_id_here}&site_id=success_site&device_id=device_idTracker Click URL Example with Product ID Inserted —
https://control.kochava.com/v1/cpi/click?campaign_id=kosuccess-ios-2r01e8f148ac7d22&network_id=10731&product_id=12345&site_id=success_site&device_id=device_idSmartlink Click URL Example —
https://smart.link/j81ix1yqom6kt?product_id={insert_product_id_here}Smartlink Click URL Example with Product ID Inserted —
https://smart.link/j81ix1yqom6kt?product_id=12345The end result in each of these examples would be a deep link destination of appname://product_id/12345 as the value 12345 is persisted from the product_id parameter from the Click URL and replaces the {product_id} macro in the deep link destination.