App Clip Setup

An App Clip is a lightweight version of an app which enables a user to experience the app without downloading the full app. App Clips are fast and lightweight to provide quick load times, allowing users to complete simple tasks such as playing a level in a game, renting a scooter or ordering food. While the user is in the App Clip experience they will have the option to download the full app.

Integration

Add Kochava Universal Link Support

App Clips can only be opened via Universal Links. To track this activity, advertisers must integrate with Kochava for Universal Link support. This will allow for generating SmartLinks that have Universal Link support. For more information about Kochava Universal Links, refer to the following support documents:

• Adding Universal Link or App Link Support
• Understanding Universal Links

Implementing Enhanced Deep Linking

Enhanced Deep Linking facilitates attribution, as well as passing the URI destination for a given user to the app for routing within the app. For more information about Enhanced Deep Linking, refer to our support documentation.

Create a New App in Kochava

 

4. Click Add an App.
5. Enter the App Name.

 

BEST PRACTICES: Kochava recommends the following naming convention (App Name-Platform-AccountName) in order easily locate specific apps. The use of dashed, dots or hyphens is acceptable to use to separate the different parts of the app name.

 

6. Select iOS App Clip as the platform.
7. Select Integration > SDK: Native iOS.
8. Select any additional App Settings. For more information, refer to our Create/Edit an App support documentation.
9. Click Save.

 

Create an App Group

If your full iOS App is not already added to an App Group, create a new App Group and add the App Clip App, as well as the full iOS App to it. If your full iOS App is already added to an App Group, simply add the App Clip App to the same App Group. For more information on creating App Groups, refer to our support documentation.

Create URI Destinations (Recommended)

1. Select Links > Destinations.

 



 

2. Click Add a Destination.
3. Ender the Destination Name.
4. Select the App.
5. Select Type > Deep Link.
6. Enter the Destination URL.

 



The destination that is setup in this section will be available for selection when creating a SmartLink.

Tracking the App Clip Prompt to Download Full App

1. Within the App Clip, advertisers can prompt users to download the full app.
• The app page itself is dedicated to a full app download prompt.
• Utilize Apple’s standard full app download bottom banner.
2. Neither of the two options/action buttons should contain a SmartLink. Kochava will be able to attribute to full app downloads without having to generate/track a click at this step.

Register your Custom SmartLink Domain in App Store Connect

Before launching an App Clip, the operating system checks if the clicked URL is a registered URL for the App Clip. It’s important to register your custom SmartLink domain without a specific path or query parameters in App Store Connect (e.g., https://brand-name.smart.link).

1. Register the domain without a specific path in App Store Connect:
• Example: brand-name.smart.link
• Do not include query string parameters.
• This will tell the OS to open the App Clip if any URL with this domain is clicked.

Experiences Not Supported in the App Clip

Since you will be registering the domain itself as a request URL for the app clip, every user who clicks using a URL with this domain will be routed into the App Clip. When creating SmartLinks, if the experience is supported in both the app clip and the full app, you can define one destination to use for both (e.g., myapp://order). If the experience is not supported in the app clip and only in the full app, you can define two destinations, one for the full app (e.g., myapp://giftcards), as well as one for the app clip (e.g., myapp://download-full-app-for-giftcards). The app clip destination is an intermittent page and serves the purpose of prompting the user to download the full app to complete the action.

This page can be specific to the experience (e.g., myapp://download-full-app-for-giftcards where the messaging would read Download the full app now to purchase a gift card!) or it can be generic/same for every destination not supported in the app clip (e.g., myapp://download-full-app where the messaging would read Download the full app now!).

Create SmartLinks

For in-depth details about creating a SmartLink refer to our support documentation.

SmartLinks Settings for App Groups Containing App Clips —

1. Select an App Group that contains both the App Clip App and the full iOS App.
2. Select a domain that has Universal Link support. All Kochava Universal Link domains follow this format: https://your-brand-name.smart.link.
3. Set the Universal Link Destination if App is Installed. This should be the URI destination in the full app.
4. If the experience is supported in the app clip, leave the Is this Destination Supported in the App Clip toggle set to Yes. If the experience is not supported in the app clip, change the toggle to No. This will allow you to enter an alternative destination for the app clip.
5. Enter an alternative destination in the App Clip Destination if App is Installed. This destination in the app clip is meant to prompt the user to download the full app (see Experiences not supported in the App Clip section in this guide for more information).
6. Complete the rest of the form. For in-depth details about creating a SmartLink refer to our support documentation.

Trafficking SmartLinks with Universal Link Support

Users can be routed into App Clips through any channel where a Universal Link can be presented to a user. Examples include:

1. Trafficking the SmartLink URL itself in owned media or advertisements
2. Kochava QR Codes
3. App Clip Codes
4. Near Field Communication Tags
5. Smart Banners
6. Links in Messages
7. Place Cards in Maps