Deep linking is one of the best ways to improve the user experience of a mobile app, but setting it up is HARD. There are many contradictory standards, endless edge cases, and even if everything is configured juuuuuust right, deferred deep linking and click attribution are still impossible. At Branch, we set out to fix all that. The Branch Hosted Deep Linking platform is free and just works, everywhere. Visit http://branch.io to get started!

1. MOBILE LINK STANDARDS
“Wait, there are two different kinds of App Links?”

2. Links

3. Links
Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
Other Links*
https://example.com/
*We don’t use these much in real life.

4. Other Links*
https://example.com/
Conversation
Hey, let’s try that new Mexican
restaurant in Palo Alto for dinner!

5. Other Links*
https://example.com/
Conversation
Just go click on this link and
download the Yelp app and choose
Palo Alto and search for ‘mexican’,
but don’t forget it’s the NEW
restaurant, so don’t get it mixed up
with that place we go all the time…
https://yelp.to/

6. Other Links*
https://example.com/
Conversation
Just go click on this link and
download the Yelp app and choose
Palo Alto and search for ‘mexican’,
but don’t forget it’s the NEW
restaurant, so don’t get it mixed up
with that place we go all the time…
https://yelp.to/
???

7. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
Hey, let’s try that new Mexican
restaurant in Palo Alto for dinner!
https://yelp.to/qTKq/Do84cb66nE

8. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
Hey, let’s try that new Mexican
restaurant in Palo Alto for dinner!
https://yelp.to/qTKq/Do84cb66nE

9. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
iOS Android
URI Schemes
App Links (Facebook)
Universal Links App Links (Android)
Chrome Intents
WebWeb ‘Normal Links’

10. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
iOS Android
URI Schemes
App Links (Facebook)
Universal Links App Links (Android)
Chrome Intents
Web
Web ‘Normal Links’

11. ‘Normal Links’
• Platforms: iOS, Android, desktop.
• Looks like: https://example.com/path/to/content
• If app not installed: N/A — they’re normal!
• Trackable: yes, via redirects.
• Biggest downside: they don’t work with apps. Duh.

12. URI Schemes
• Platforms: iOS, Android, desktop (kinda…).
• Looks like: myapp://path/to/content/
• If app not installed: error.
• Server support required: no, all on local device.
• Trackable: no.
• Biggest downside: without a ton of hacks, they
don’t work at all when the app isn’t installed.

13. Universal Links
• Platforms: iOS (and only iOS 9+)
• Looks like: https://example.com/path/to/content
• If app not installed: loads webpage in browser.
• Server support required: yes, and it’s complicated.
• Trackable: no.
• Biggest downsides: hard to set up, don’t work
everywhere.

14. Universal Links
• Platforms: iOS (and only iOS 9+)
• Looks like: https://example.com/path/to/content
• If app not installed: loads webpage in browser.
• Server support required: yes, and it’s complicated.
• Trackable: no.
• Biggest downsides: hard to set up, don’t work
everywhere.
App (Android)
Android Android 6+

15. App Links (Facebook)
• Platforms: iOS, Android.
• Looks like: https://example.com/path/to/content
• If app not installed: loads webpage in browser.
• Server support required: yes, but it’s just HTML.
• Trackable: no.
• Biggest downsides: only ever worked in
Facebook; don’t even work there anymore.

16. Chrome Intents
• Platforms: Chrome, on Android only.
• Looks like: (seriously, yuck).
intent://path/to/content#Intent;scheme=myapp;package=com.myapp;end
• If app not installed: loads webpage in browser.
• Server support required: no, all within Chrome.
• Trackable: no.
• Biggest downsides: ugly URLs, Chrome has only
38% market share in the U.S.

17. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
iOS Android
URI Schemes
App Links (Facebook)
Universal Links App Links (Android)
Chrome Intents
Web
Web ‘Normal Links’
EDGE CASES

18. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
What’s supposed to work:
• iOS: App Links (Facebook).
• Android: App Links (Facebook).
Does it actually work?
• iOS: no (shhh, Facebook is pretending!)
• Android: yes, for now…
The workaround:
• iOS: load separate website containing a
Universal Link user must click to open app.

19. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
Deep
Link

20. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
What’s supposed to work:
• iOS: Universal Links.
• Android: URIs, Chrome Intents, App Links (Android).
Does it actually work?
• iOS: no.
• Android: yes.
The workaround:
• iOS: website fallback.

21. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
What’s supposed to work:
• iOS: Universal Links.
• Android: URIs, Chrome Intents, App Links (Android).
Does it actually work?
• iOS: no.
• Android: no.
The workaround:
• iOS: website fallback.
• Android: website fallback.

22. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
What’s supposed to work:
• iOS: Universal Links.
• Android: URIs, Chrome Intents, App Links (Android).
Does it actually work?
• iOS: no.
• Android: no.
The workaround:
• iOS: website fallback.
• Android: website fallback.

23. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
What’s supposed to work:
• iOS: Universal Links.
• Android: URIs, Chrome Intents, App Links (Android).
Does it actually work?
• iOS: mostly, unless Chrome is installed.
• Android: yes.
The workaround:
• iOS: if Chrome is installed, use URI schemes.

24. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
What’s supposed to work:
• iOS: Universal Links.
• Android: URIs, Chrome Intents, App Links (Android).
Does it actually work?
• iOS: no.
• Android: yes.
The workaround:
• iOS: website fallback.

25. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
What’s supposed to work:
• iOS: Universal Links.
• Android: URIs, Chrome Intents, App Links (Android).
Does it actually work?
• iOS: no, click tracking breaks Universal Links.
• Android: yes, but click tracking breaks App Links.
The workaround:
• iOS: website fallback, or give up on click
tracking.
• Android: don’t use App Links.
Email

26. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
iOS Android
Universal Links are the
only official option, but
they don’t work properly
in many places.
App Links (both kinds),
URI schemes, and
Chrome Intents are all
actively supported. You
need to implement all of
them.

27. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
iOS Android
URI Schemes
App Links (Facebook)
Universal Links App Links (Android)
Chrome Intents
Web
Web ‘Normal Links’NOT DEFERRED

29. • URI Schemes
• Universal Links
• App Links (both kinds)
• Chrome Intents

41. Deep Links
http://example.com/my-awesome-content-page/
iOS Android
URI Schemes
App Links (Facebook)
Universal Links App Links (Android)
Chrome Intents
Web
Web ‘Normal Links’NO ANALYTICS

42. ‘Normal Links’

43. ‘Normal Links’

49. Hosted Deep Links
• Platforms: iOS, Android (Chrome too!), desktop.
• Looks like: https://myapp.app.link/amazing
• If app not installed: you get to pick!
• Server support required: all automatic.
• Trackable: yes. Seamless numbers.
• Biggest downsides: you don’t get to build it all
yourself. Sorry about that…

50. Hosted Deep Links