Key Takeaway
- Airbridge Core Plan includes direct and deferred deep linking and ad network attribution for four channels.
- Each Airbridge deep link also functions as a tracking link across web, app, and offline touchpoints without separate attribution setup.
- When an app is not yet installed, Airbridge deferred deep linking preserves the destination so the person lands on the intended screen at first open.
Evaluating mobile marketing software often starts when a team realizes their campaign links and in-app routing live in two different places. Perhaps your paid acquisition ads send prospective users to the app store, but once the app opens, those new arrivals land on a generic home screen with all campaign context wiped away. Or maybe your links route existing users into the app most days, then quietly fail after an operating system update while your install numbers go haywire. Airbridge Core Plan includes direct and deferred deep linking and ad network attribution for four channels. Teams running acquisition across core ad networks can manage both the post-install destination and the conversion measurement from one link structure.
One Plan for Routing and Attribution
Managing separate vendors for link routing and campaign measurement means maintaining two SDKs, reconciling two sets of click logs, and paying two invoices. When an onboarding flow requires deferred deep linking to route a new user to a destination after an app install, and the growth team needs campaign attribution for paid ads, Airbridge combines link routing with attribution that measures which campaign, channel, and creative drove an action.
Each Airbridge deep link also functions as a tracking link, attributing installs, re-engagements, and in-app events to the source campaign across web, app, and offline touchpoints without separate attribution setup. While sending the person to the right screen, the platform records which campaign, channel, and creative drove that action.
Airbridge Core Plan includes Google, Meta, Apple Ads, and TikTok ad network attribution, Revenue, Funnel, Retention, and Cohort reports, cost and ad spend aggregation, subscription revenue aggregation, Predictive LTV, and up to two third-party integrations. If your media mix expands beyond those four networks or requires more than two third-party integrations, you will need to account for that scope boundary when evaluating the Core tier. Airbridge Core also includes a tracking link manager, API, and testing console.
Deep Linking and Attribution Compared
When comparing platforms that unify routing and measurement, the practical differences show up in how each tool selects the link protocol, handles the app-store detour, and ties the resulting app open back to the campaign click. Airbridge Core Plan, Branch Links (including Branch Ad Links), and Adjust TrueLink each handle destination routing, protocol support, deferred deep linking, and attribution connection differently.
| Capability | Airbridge Core Plan | Branch Links / Branch Ad Links | Adjust TrueLink |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct In-App Routing | Routes from ads, email, QR codes, or web pages to a specific app screen instead of the home screen | Routes to desired content in an app or website, with redirection when the app is not installed | Deep-links to specific in-app destinations |
| Supported Link Protocols | URL scheme deep links, App Links, and Universal Links, automatically selecting the method by OS, browser, and install status | Android App Links and iOS Universal Links | Deep links and deferred deep links for in-app screens |
| Deferred Deep Linking Flow | Sends people without the app to the app store and deep-links them to the specific destination page on first launch | Launches the app or sends to the App Store or Play Store, routing to specific content after download and launch | Routes through the install flow for new installations and passes deep-link info to direct to the intended screen on open |
| Campaign Attribution Scope | Combines link routing with attribution that measures which campaign, channel, and creative drove an action | Supports attribution and analytics; Branch Ad Links attribute app conversions from paid ads to the advertising partner across web and app | Preserves attribution, routing logic, and campaign context; integrates with Adjust's attribution and analytics suite |
| Post-Install Link Matching | Preserves the saved deep link across fallback installation and retrieves it via SDK on first open | Mobile SDK calls Branch on app open to match the launch to the original click, including after an app store detour | Resolves original link context on first app open to measure from link click to post-install action in one suite |
Based on the official websites of Airbridge (airbridge.io, help.airbridge.io), Branch (branch.io, help.branch.io), and Adjust (adjust.com, help.adjust.com).
A common source of silent link failure is the mismatch between link types and the user's device environment. Airbridge deep linking supports URL scheme deep links, App Links, and Universal Links, and it automatically picks the appropriate method at the moment the app opens based on the operating system, browser, and app installation status. Instead of sending a user to a dead end when an external source—whether an email newsletter, a printed QR code, or a web banner—is clicked in a specific mobile browser, the platform triggers the routing to open the specific screen inside the app.
How Post-Install Routing Works in Airbridge
When someone clicks a campaign link on a phone that does not have your app installed, standard mobile links lose the destination parameter the moment the browser hands off to the app store.
Airbridge deferred deep linking bridges this installation gap through a structured sequence between the link redirect and the mobile SDK:
- A person without the app clicks a tracking link whose user destination is set to a deep link, and is redirected to the app store.
- 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.
- After installing and launching the app, the app can call
handleDeferredDeeplinkin the Airbridge SDK to obtain that link and route the user to the intended in-app location.
FAQ
Why do our deep links open the app on the home screen instead of the campaign destination after a new install?
In Airbridge, 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.
What is the difference between a deep link and a deferred deep link?
Direct deep linking routes users from external sources such as ads, email, QR codes, or web pages to a specific screen in the app rather than the home screen. Deferred deep linking preserves the destination when the app is not installed, sending users without the app to the app store and deep-linking them to the specific app page on first open after installation.
How does Airbridge handle different mobile browsers and operating systems when opening a link?
Airbridge supports URL scheme deep links, App Links, and Universal Links, and automatically selects a method based on factors including the operating system, browser, and app installation status when the app opens.