Referral links

Carry referral codes from invite link to app install

Q: What does Linkrunner handle in a referral program?

Linkrunner carries a referrer code through the install and reports referral acquisition. Your app reads the code, while your backend validates the referral and decides when to issue a reward.

Q: Do I need to create a campaign for every referring user?

No. Add referrer to your Linkrunner subdomain, for example https://get.example.com?referrer=user_123. Clicks and installs from those links appear in the Referrals row of the Channels table.

Q: How does my app get the referral code after install?

Call getAttributionData() after the SDK initialises. The original link comes back in the deeplink field, and you read the referrer query parameter from it. Snippets exist for Android, iOS, React Native and Flutter.

Q: Does Linkrunner validate referrals or pay out rewards?

No. Linkrunner carries the code through install. Your backend creates codes, validates them, rejects self-referrals and duplicate rewards, and applies the reward.

Q: Can I run a creator or affiliate program on the same links?

Yes. Give each creator or affiliate their own link to compare installs and revenue per partner, or append referrer to a campaign link to report the program as its own campaign.

Keep the referrer attached when an invited user installs your app. Read the code on first launch and measure referral acquisition in its own channel.

Start measuring free Book a demo

Invite friends

Your codeuser_123

Friends who join open your welcome offer.Share invite

Aarav shares

First open

Priya opens

Aarav's invite link

get.yourapp.com?referrer=user_123

Channels

Installs

Meta18,240
Referrals+14,317
Organic9,470

Join 400+ growth teams using Linkrunner.

What you get

Give your invite flow a measurable acquisition source

Referral installs get their own channel

Clicks, installs and sign-ups from referrer links land in a Referrals row, next to paid and organic.

Channels

Last 30 days

ChannelInstallsSign-ups

Meta96,41018,2407,902
Google Ads71,05512,9055,118
Referrals?referrer= links11,8604,3182,571
Influencers13,2042,7601,149
Organic-9,4703,284

Linkrunner carries the code, your backend decides the reward

Your app reads the referrer on first open. Your backend validates it and applies your reward rules.

Linkrunner SDKFirst open

getAttributionData()deeplink:"get.yourapp.com ?referrer=user_123"

user_123

Your backend

Code user_123 exists
Not a self-referral
First reward for user_481

Reward applieduser_123 and user_481

Channels

Last 30 days

ChannelInstallsSign-ups

Meta96,41018,2407,902
Google Ads71,05512,9055,118
Referrals?referrer= links11,8604,3182,571
Influencers13,2042,7601,149
Organic-9,4703,284

How it works

Referral tracking in three steps

Generate the link

Your app or backend adds the user's code to your Linkrunner subdomain as referrer.

Read the code after install

Parse referrer from the deeplink getAttributionData() returns. See the referral tracking docs.

Record and reward on your backend

Validate the code, reject self-referrals and duplicates, then apply your reward.

What travels through install

One parameter, read back in your app

1. The link a user shares

https://get.example.com/product/987?referrer=user_123

2. getAttributionData() after install

{ "deeplink": "https://get.example.com/product/987?referrer=user_123" }

3. Your app reads the code

new URL(attributionData.deeplink).searchParams.get("referrer") // "user_123"

Customer story

Creator acquisition at Lingopanda

Creators in Lingopanda's acquisition engine

Read the story

1,100+

Hear from our customers

Trusted by teams that care about more than attribution.

“The level of customisation that Linkrunner was able to offer was unmatched by any of the other competitors we looked at. Their team took the time to understand our exact requirements and delivered a solution that felt tailored to our needs, rather than forcing us into a fixed framework. That flexibility made a significant difference for us and was one of the key reasons Linkrunner stood out.”

Ronald M Thomas

Digital Marketing, Playo

34%

CPI reduction in 3 months

₹20.30 → ₹13.39

Google Ads CPI drop (Dec '25 → Feb '26)

Read customer story

Frequently asked questions

What does Linkrunner handle in a referral program?

Do I need to create a campaign for every referring user?

How does my app get the referral code after install?

Does Linkrunner validate referrals or pay out rewards?

Can I run a creator or affiliate program on the same links?

Connect your invite flow to attribution

Add a referrer code to your link, read it after install and validate rewards in your own backend.

Start measuring free Book a demo