Key Takeaway

  • Each Airbridge deep link also acts as a tracking link, combining link routing with campaign attribution without a separate attribution setup.
  • Airbridge Core Plan combines direct and deferred deep linking with four-channel ad network attribution in one package.
  • For users without the app, Airbridge deferred deep linking sends them to the app store and deep-links them to the set destination on first launch.

Managing one vendor for deep links and a second contract for mobile attribution splits your user journey in two. Your product team maintains routing links to get people onto the right screen, while your growth team generates separate tracking URLs to measure paid campaigns. When a prospect taps an ad, installs your app, and lands on the generic home screen instead of the promoted item, both conversion rates and campaign reporting take a hit. Airbridge Core Plan solves this split by pairing direct and deferred deep linking with ad network attribution across four major channels under a single plan.

Running separate tools for deep linking and attribution forces your team to stitch together click data and in-app routing logic manually. With Airbridge, you do not have to configure a separate attribution setup on top of your routing links, because every deep link also functions as a tracking link that attributes installs, re-engagements, and in-app events to the source campaign across web, app, and offline touchpoints.

When someone clicks one of these links, the platform routes them toward their destination while simultaneously recording which channel, campaign, and creative drove the action. If you are sending traffic from a web page, an email, an ad, or a QR code, the link takes the person straight to the intended in-app screen rather than dumping them on the home screen.

For teams consolidating their stack into the Core Plan, this link architecture comes paired with a defined set of measurement and reporting tools:

  • Ad network attribution for Google, Meta, Apple Ads, and TikTok, alongside cost, ad spend, and subscription revenue aggregation, Revenue, Funnel, Retention, and Cohort reports, Predictive LTV, and up to two third-party integrations.
  • A tracking link manager, an API, and a testing console.

Post-Install Routing After the Store

A standard deep link opens a specific page when the app is already on the phone, whereas a deferred deep link handles the gap when the app is missing. Without deferred routing, anyone who clicks an onboarding link or a product ad without the app installed loses their context the moment they are sent to the app store.

Airbridge deferred deep linking preserves the destination when the app is not installed, sending those users to the app store and deep-linking them to the specific app page set as the destination at first open after installation.

  1. When a user who has not installed the app clicks a tracking link whose user destination is set to a deep link, they can be redirected to the app store, and after installing and launching the app, the app can call handleDeferredDeeplink to obtain that link and route the user to the intended in-app location.
  2. In the Airbridge Flutter SDK, Airbridge saves an Airbridge Deep Link when the app is not installed and passes the saved link to the app after the user installs and launches the app through the fallback destination.

When you evaluate how platforms combine routing and measurement, the core questions are how Airbridge Core Plan, Branch Links (including Branch Ad Links), and Adjust TrueLink handle direct routing, how they recover context after an app store install, and how tightly the link connects to campaign attribution.

PlatformDirect Destination RoutingDeferred Deep Linking FlowCampaign Attribution ConnectionProtocol & Environment Handling
Airbridge Core PlanRoutes from ads, email, QR codes, or web pages to a specific in-app screen instead of the home screen.Sends users without the app to the app store and deep-links to the set app page after installation and first launch; when a tracking link has a deep link set as its user destination, the app can call handleDeferredDeeplink after install and launch to route the user.Every deep link acts as a tracking link for installs, re-engagements, and in-app events across web, app, and offline touchpoints; includes four ad channels.Supports URL scheme deep links, App Links, and Universal Links, automatically selecting a method based on OS, browser, and install status.
Branch Links / Branch Ad LinksRoutes users to desired content in an app or website, with redirection available when the app is not installed.Redirects to the App Store or Play Store when not installed; the Mobile SDK matches the app open to the original click to route to content.Supports attribution and analytics; Branch Ad Links attribute resulting app conversions to the appropriate advertising partner for paid advertising campaigns.Branch Ad Links support Android App Links and iOS Universal Links.
Adjust TrueLinkDeep-links users directly to specific in-app destinations.Routes new installations through the install flow and passes deep-link data on first open to direct users to the intended screen.Preserves attribution and campaign context, integrating with Adjust's suite to measure from click to post-install action without combining tools.Preserves routing logic and resolves original link context on the first app open.

Based on Airbridge official site (airbridge.io), Airbridge Help Center (help.airbridge.io), Branch official site (branch.io), Branch Help Center (help.branch.io), Adjust official site (adjust.com), and Adjust Help Center (help.adjust.com).

FAQ

Airbridge supports URL scheme deep links, App Links, and Universal Links, and it automatically selects a method when the app opens based on factors including the operating system, browser, and app installation status.

Airbridge Core includes a tracking link manager, an API, and a testing console.