7 secret OneLink features: The ultimate mobile performance hacks
OneLink is the ultimate growth hack, automagically routing users to the optimal destination across desktop and mobile to improve both your conversion rates and your customer experience.
This powerful tool allows marketers and developers to define where each user should be sent based on a number of characteristics, all from a single link.
Best of all, OneLink is fully integrated into the AppsFlyer platform, providing seamless reporting and analytics at no additional cost to you.
To help you get that extra boost, here are 7 secrets to getting the most out of OneLink.
1. Customize selected OneLinks by overriding the default web URL
The beauty of OneLink is that it provides a single, smart deep link across every platform. The OneLink configuration screen allows you to define the default desktop landing page. This URL will be used for all OneLink clicks from the web.
However, there are some times that you may want to change the web URL on a particular deep link without changing the behavior of your existing OneLink links.
For example, let’s say you use the same OneLink for all email blasts for your holiday weekend sales.
However, in this particular email blast, you are promoting limited-time sales on an amazing new, 4K TV.
Overriding the web URL logic on a particular OneLink is simple. Simply add the attribution link parameter af_web_dp to the link, and all your web clicks will be redirected to the new URL.
Example: myapp.onelink.me/abc123?pid=Social&c=campaign1&af_web_dp=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alternatelandingpage.com
Tip: Don’t forget to URL encode it 🙂
2. Change the landing page on your OneLinks without creating new ones
There are a number of reasons why you may want to direct users to a landing page rather than sending them directly to the app store.
For example, social platforms like Facebook impose some deep linking limitations in their apps.
Alternatively, some marketers prefer to provide their users with more information about specific offers by using an interstitial landing page before sending the user on to the store.
To add a landing page to the flow of any OneLink, simply add the af_ios_url and af_android_url to the OneLink.
Example: myapp.onelink.me/abc123?pid=Social&c=campaign1&af_ios_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ioslandingpage.com&af_android_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.androidlandingpage.com
3. Secure your deep linking and improve your OneLink experience with Android App Links
Introduced in Android 6 and above, Android App Links are the Android equivalent of iOS Universal Links.
They provide a more secure way to deep link by registering deep linking capabilities to an associated domain. App links also provide a better user experience as this method launches the app immediately without going through a web browser or displaying the Android disambiguation dialog. Best of all, OneLink fully supports Android App Links.
Enabling this feature couldn’t be easier. Simply follow our straightforward App Links Integration Guide to get started.
4. Setup a dedicated, unique iOS 10.3+ redirect
Starting with iOS 10.3, Apple introduced a new security feature which redirects clicks on mobile attribution links to Safari and then prompts the user with a dialogue to proceed to The App Store.
Sometimes, users select not to proceed to the App Store.
OneLink provides both a default landing page for this redirect and allows you to customize this landing page by providing your own redirect URL. Simply add the parameter af_ios_fallback URL to change the redirect for devices running iOS 10.3 and above to select OneLinks. For more details check out our dedicated knowledge base article on iOS 10.3 redirects.
Example: myapp.onelink.me/abc123?pid=Social&c=campaign1&af_ios_fallback=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ios10-3redirect.com
5. Optimize and customize your social posts
One of the most popular uses of OneLink is to measure and optimize promotional posts on social media pages. Social fans and followers are prime candidates for mobile app promotions – driving both new installs and re-engaging existing users.
However, deep links often lack the Open Graph Tags (also called OG Tags) social platforms rely on to show preview images and text.
Use the af_web_dp parameter mentioned above to direct social platforms to scrape your custom URLs, rendering all the relevant Open Graph Tags from this specific page.
Simply make sure the provided URL has the appropriate OG Tags defined in the head of the page.
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6. Use OneLink to optimize your web user experience
OneLink isn’t just the perfect way to improve your mobile performance. OneLink can also redirect web users to a dedicated, customized landing page. When OneLink directs users to a web page, all the query parameters defined in the OneLink attribution link are appended to the URL. Simply parse these parameters and trigger your web personalization.
For example, let’s consider the following OneLink: myapp.onelink.me/abc123?pid=Social&c=holidaycampaign&offer=LG4KTV.
When users click this link on their desktop browser they will be redirected to the default URL defined in the OneLink configuration (www.mypage.com) with the query params appended to that URL: https://www.mypage.com/?pid=Social&c=holidaycampaign&offer=LG4KTV.
In this case, the query parameters indicate that these users came from a holiday campaign banner for an LG 4K TV on your website.
Showing holiday campaign offers for the LG 4K TV will increase your conversion rates.
7. Optimize user invites with OneLink
Starting from AppsFlyer SDK 4.8.x, we have included special APIs to seamlessly generate OneLink-based attribution links which can be used as an organic part of your peer-to-peer invite flows.
Because they are built on OneLink, these invites will automatically direct every user to exactly the right place, regardless of their device or platform, improving your performance and user experience.
For more information see our dedicated user invite guide.
Want to learn more about OneLink and the OneLink API? Talk to your Success Manager or schedule an AppsFlyer demo today.
