Support Home > Links Overview > Adding Universal Link or App Link Support

Adding Universal Link or App Link Support

Feature Summary: Completing the following steps will allow you to create custom branded SmartLinks™ with Kochava-hosted Universal Link and App Link support.

 

NOTE: There are distinct differences in the creation of Universal Links (iOS) and App Links (Android). Where needed, specific instructions have been created for each platform.


Required Steps

  1. Confirm the implementation of the following minimum Kochava SDK versions or higher:
    • iOS native SDK version — 3.12
    • Android native SDK version — 3.7.0
    • Unity — 4.1.0
    • Xamarin — 3.0.0
    • ReactNative — 1.3.0
    • AIR — 2.5.0
    • Cordova — 2.5.0

  2. Confirm the implementation of the Enhanced Deep Linking Kochava SDK requirements.
  3. iOS Enhanced Deep Linking
    Android Enhanced Deep Linking

    In this step, you will configure your app to pass incoming Deep Links to the Kochava SDK. Kochava will look up and respond with the final intended in-app destination of the user. The app should use this information to route the user to the appropriate destination in the app. This value is originally provided to Kochava when the SmartLink™ is created, within the Universal Link/App Link destination if app is installed field (see screenshot below).

    NOTE: Please ensure that your marketing team is entering values in the below field in a format that is consistent with what your development team is expecting to receive from the SDK and are able to use it to route the user to their final destination within the app.

     

    Confirming Enhanced Deeplink

     

  4. Choose a custom subdomain name.
  5. SmartLinks created will take the following format: your-brand-name.smart.link/smartlinkID

  6. Associate the domain to the app.
  7.  

  8. Create an Apple App Site Association File/Android Digital Asset Links File.
  9.  

  10. Provide the following information to your Client Success Manager:
    1. Your chosen custom subdomain name: your-brand-name.smart.link.
    2. For iOS: Your Apple App Site Association file.
    3. For Android: Your Digital Asset Links file.
    4. The iOS and Android Kochava App IDs.
    5. The iOS and Android Kochava Test App IDs.
    6. Kochava will associate your custom domain to the test apps first, allowing you to confirm the above steps were implemented correctly. Associating it to your test apps first helps avoid your team potentially creating and trafficking SmartLinks that use your custom domain before testing can be completed. If you do not have test apps, simply create new ones and supply their app IDs. Add test to the app name to help distinguish them from the prod apps.

    7. Product Name and Product Icon:
    8. Product Name: Typically the same as the app name on the app store and should not be platform specific.

      Product Icon: Typically the same image as the app store icon. Should be a 1:1 aspect ratio (e.g., 512×512), something that works for both iOS and Android.

      When a user who does not have the app installed clicks on your_brand_name.smart.link, they will be briefly auto-redirected through a web page where your product name and icon will be displayed. When using SmartLinks™, this happens on the way to the if app is not installed destination defined during SmartLink™ creation.

    9. Fallback destinations:
      • iOS: Typically the app store. The iOS if app is not installed destination defined during SmartLink™ creation will override this fallback destination.
      • Android: Typically the app store. The Android if app is not installed destination defined during SmartLink™ creation will override this fallback destination.
      • Other: Typically your website. The if app is not installed destinations defined for other platforms or the catch-all destination defined during SmartLink™ creation will override this fallback destination.

  11. Wait for your Client Success Manager to confirm that your custom domain has been created.
  12. Your Client Success Manager can also assist you with the rest of the steps.

  13. Once your custom domain has been created, test successful implementation of Step 4 (Associate the domain to the App)
  14.  

  15. Create a test App Group that includes the test apps provided in Step 6 (Provide information to CSM).
  16. For more information, refer to our Creating App Groups support documentation.

     

    Create Test App Group

     

  17. Create a test SmartLink™ in the App Group.
  18. For more information, refer to our Create a SmartLink™ support documentation.

    1. Enter an in-app destination in the Universal Link/App Link destination if app is installed field.
    2. NOTE: Ensure that the value entered in this field is in a format that is consistent with what your development team is expecting to receive from the SDK and are able to use it to route the user to their final destination within the app.

    3. Enter if app is not installed destinations for iOS and Android (typically the app store).
    4.  

      Create SmartLink Test Group

     

  19. Test the SmartLink™.
  20.  

  21. If the expected behavior is achieved in Step 11 (Test the SmartLink™).
  22. Kochava recommends archiving the SmartLink™ created for the test app group in order to avoid it accidentally getting used for live traffic.

  23. Request that your Client Success Manager have your-brand-name.smart.link disassociated from the test apps and associated to your prod apps.
  24. Once you receive confirmation from your Client Success Manager, your setup is complete!

  25. Create an App Group for the production apps, if not already completed.
  26. Refer to our Creating and Editing App Groups support documentation for more information.

  27. Create the SmartLink™ with Universal Link/App Link Support.
  28. Refer to our Creating and Editing SmartLinks™ support documentation for more information.

 
 

Last Modified: Dec 19, 2023 at 1:43 pm