What an Attribution Link Is
An attribution link is the URL behind most measurable marketing. It looks like any other link, often a short branded one, but every tap is recorded by the attribution platform before the user is sent on. The record holds which campaign, partner, creative and channel the link belongs to, and the time of the click. When the user installs and opens the app, the platform matches the install to that click and credits the campaign.
The same idea goes by many names: tracking link, campaign link, attribution URL, smart link. Some platforms brand their own version, for example AppsFlyer calls its links OneLink. Linkrunner's equivalent is branded links.
How It Works
- The link is created for a campaign, with parameters for channel, campaign, ad group and creative.
- A user taps it in an ad, an email, a creator's bio, a QR code or a web page.
- The platform records the click with its own click ID and any partner parameters, such as the network's click ID or sub-publisher.
- The link routes the user. If the app is installed, it opens the app through universal links or app links, often on a specific screen. If not, it sends the user to the right store for their device, or to a web fallback on desktop.
- The install is matched. On first open, the SDK reports the install, and the platform matches it to the click, deterministically where it can, using the store referrer on Android or other signals.
- The deep link resolves. With deferred deep linking, the new user lands on the screen the link promised, not the home screen.
What Goes into a Link
Good links are consistent. Most platforms use a fixed set of fields:
- Channel or partner, such as an affiliate, influencer or email.
- Campaign, ad group and creative names, ideally following a naming convention so reports group cleanly.
- Macros that the partner fills at click time, such as their click ID or sub-publisher ID, so postbacks can carry them back.
- Deep link destination and fallback for each platform.
Where Attribution Links Are Used
Self-attributing networks such as Meta, Google and Apple Ads report installs through integrations, so their standard app campaigns do not need links. Everything else does:
- ad networks without self-attribution, affiliates and S2S partners,
- influencers and creators,
- email, SMS and push,
- QR codes on packaging, posters and in stores,
- websites, blogs and app banners,
- referral and invite programs.
Attribution Links in Linkrunner
Linkrunner links record clicks, route users to the app or store, and carry deep links and deferred deep links. Trackable links are unlimited. Linkrunner hosts the AASA and assetlinks files for your domain so universal links and app links open the app directly, and links can use branded subdomains, redirection rules, custom store listings and a social intermediary page that gets users out of in-app browsers.
Every link gets a QR code with your app logo, in PNG, SVG or JPEG. Links can be managed in the dashboard, through the Campaign APIs (list, create, edit, delete, short links, domains and store listings) or from an AI assistant with the MCP create_campaign tool. For affiliates, postback templates support 30 macros and accept AppsFlyer-style parameter names. See deep links, QR codes and mobile attribution.
Common Mistakes
- Store links on websites and bios that bypass the attribution link.
- Inconsistent campaign names that split one campaign into many rows.
- Redirects or link shorteners in front of the attribution link that drop parameters.
- Missing fallbacks, so desktop users land on an error page.