Deep Link

What Is Deep Linking?

Deep linking is the practice of using these links to send users to specific in-app content that matches what they clicked. In contrast, a standard app link only opens an app. A deep link goes one step further and directs the user somewhere inside the app itself. In short, a deep link sends you to a direct landing destination within an app. 

This is important because a user who taps an ad for a certain discount expects to see the same offer, not the home screen of the app. Having to navigate would ruin the user experience. Every extra step or click between the advertisement and content is an extra opportunity for the user to drop. 

How Do Deep Links Work?

A deep link contains a destination your app knows how to handle. For example:

myapp://shop/item/1

When a user who already has the app installed taps this link, the operating system opens the app and the app routes them to the screen with the item.

The app team also decides what each deep link does. It can be programmed to open a screen, apply an offer, show a product, or start a flow such as onboarding or checkout.

Deep Links vs Deferred Deep Links

Deep link: The user already has the app. The link opens it directly at the destination.

Deferred deep link: The user doesn’t have the app yet. The link sends them to the app store, and after they install and open the app for the first time, the app receives the original destination and routes them there.

Deferred deep links keep the context of the click through the install. In a user acquisition campaign, this is how a new player who tapped an ad for a limited event lands in that event on first open. In a retargeting campaign, it’s how a lapsed user who reinstalls lands back on the offer that brought them back.

Types of Deep Links

Custom URL Schemes

A custom URL scheme uses a format created for your app, such as myapp://. Custom schemes are the simplest to set up and work across channels. However, if the app isn’t installed, the user has nowhere to go.

Universal Links and App Links

Universal Links (iOS) and App Links (Android) use standard web URLs on a domain you own. If the app is installed, the link opens it. If not, the user lands on your website instead. Because the domain is verified, other apps can’t claim your links, which makes them the more reliable option for most campaigns.

Why Deep Links Matter for UA and ROI

Higher Conversion Rate: Fewer steps between the ad and the action means more users complete it.

Stronger Retention: When the first session matches the ad’s promise, users are more likely to come back on Day 1 and beyond.

Effective Re-engagement: Retargeting ads only work if they open the app where the offer lives.

Clear Measurement: When deep links run through your MMP’s tracking links, the click and the resulting install or re-engagement are attributed to the right campaign, so you can compare ROAS by campaign.

Example: A puzzle game runs a retargeting campaign for players who haven’t opened the app in 14 days, offering a bonus booster pack for this weekend’s tournament. The deep link opens the tournament screen with the booster ready to claim. Without it, the player lands on the home screen and has to find the event on their own, and many won’t.

Deep Linking With Tenjin

Deferred deep links: Add a deeplink_url parameter to your Tenjin tracking link, for example:

https://track.tenjin.io/v0/network/campaignid?...&deeplink_url=myapp://event/weekend

When the user installs and opens the app, the Tenjin SDK returns this value as deferred_deeplink_url in the deep link callback, along with the campaign details. Your app then routes the user to the right screen. This is supported in the Tenjin iOS, Android, Unity, and Flutter SDKs.

Retargeting campaigns: For channels that rely on the Tenjin tracking link to redirect, put your deep link in the redirect_url parameter. Tenjin records the click and sends the user to the deep link. If you use a custom URL scheme here, users without the app won’t be redirected, so use Universal Links or App Links when you need a fallback.

Self-attributing networks (SANs): Channels such as Google, Meta, and TikTok, and OEM stores such as OPPO and Xiaomi, open the app from the deep link you set in the network’s own campaign settings. Set your deep link there.

Using another deep linking provider? Pass those deep links to the Tenjin SDK at initialization so attribution stays in one place.

Learn more in Tenjin’s Deferred Deep Linking documentation.

Related Terms

• Deferred Deep Linking
• Attribution
• Conversion Rate (CVR)
• Churn Rate
• Cohort Analysis
• Custom In-App Event
• Re-engagement

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a deep link and a deferred deep link?

A deep link opens an installed app at a specific screen. A deferred deep link does the same for users who don’t have the app yet, by holding the destination until after install and first open.

Do I need a developer to use deep links?

Yes, for the initial setup: your developers define how the app handles each link and, for Universal Links and App Links, verify your domain. After that, marketers can add deep links to tracking links without code changes.

Should I use custom URL schemes or Universal Links / App Links?

Custom schemes are quick to set up and work everywhere, but have no fallback. Universal Links and App Links take more setup but send users to your website when the app isn’t installed. Many teams use both.

What happened to Firebase Dynamic Links?

Google shut down Firebase Dynamic Links on August 25, 2025, and existing links stopped working. Most teams have moved to Universal Links and App Links, combined with their MMP’s tracking links for attribution and deferred deep linking.