DeepLink - Expo SDK - Airbridge Help Center

Install the Airbridge Expo SDK and implement the necessary settings following the steps below.

Install SDK

The Airbridge Expo SDK can be installed using the method below. After installation, you can verify whether the SDK has been properly installed through testing. Use the npm to install airbridge-expo-sdk and airbridge-react-native-sdk.

npm install --save airbridge-expo-sdk
npm install --save airbridge-react-native-sdk

Install Restricted SDK

NoteInstall only one version of the SDK, either the general SDK or the restricted SDK.

Depending on policies and environments, restrictions on collecting device IDs like GAID and IDFA may be required. When installing the Restricted SDK version, the device IDs are not collected. Install the Restricted SDK using the method below.

npm install --save airbridge-expo-sdk-restricted
npm install --save airbridge-react-native-sdk-restricted

Initialize SDK

Add the following code to the app.json.

app.json

{
  "expo": {
    ...
    "plugins": [
      ...
      [
        "airbridge-expo-sdk",
        {
          "appName": "APP_NAME",
          "appToken": "APP_TOKEN"
        }
      ]
    ]
  }
}

APP_NAME is the App Name and APP_TOKEN is the App SDK Token that can be found on the [Settings]>[Tokens] page in the Airbridge dashboard.

Configure SDK settings

Configure the SDK settings to use the Airbridge Expo SDK.

{
    "autoDetermineTrackingAuthorizationTimeoutInSecond": number,
    "isHandleAirbridgeDeeplinkOnly" : boolean
}

Create an airbridge.json file at the top level of the Expo project folder, input the JSON as above, and configure the SDK settings.
Don’t input values for keys that are not necessary for your service.

Refer to the links below for detailed guidance on the individual key values.

References for configuring the SDK settings

Key Value	Reference
autoDetermineTrackingAuthorizationTimeoutInSecond	Configure ATT prompt
isHandleAirbridgeDeeplinkOnly	Receive Airbridge Deep Links only

Configure ATT prompt

NoteThe functions necessary to ensure compliance with privacy policies should be reviewed with legal counsel.

In the iOS environment, the IDFA can only be collected when users provide consent for data tracking through the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt. Event collection should be delayed until the user allows tracking. If the install event is collected before the user allows tracking through the ATT prompt, the install event data will lack an identifier, making performance measurement difficult. We recommend setting a sufficient delay time for event collection to collect identifiers.

Prepare the text you will use in the ATT prompt.
Provide the ATT prompt following this guide provided by Apple.
If the install event is not collected, the Airbridge Expo SDK delays collecting install events for 30 seconds until the user allows tracking each time the app is launched. If the user exits the app before deciding whether to allow tracking, the SDK will not collect the install event and will try again at the next app launch.

In the SDK settings, configure the autoDetermineTrackingAuthorizationTimeoutInSecond to set a sufficient delay time for collecting install events. The default value is 30 seconds, and it can be set to up to 3600 seconds (1 hour).

Recommended time setting for “setAutoDetermineTrackingAuthorizationTimeout” functionWhen using the DeepLink Plan, it is recommended that the setAutoDetermineTrackingAuthorizationTimeout parameter be set to 0 seconds when configuring the ATT prompt.As the DeepLink Plan does not support attribution using identifiers, the setAutoDetermineTrackingAuthorizationTimeout parameter should be set to 0 seconds to seamlessly redirect users who have already installed the app to the intended in-app location as configured in the deferred deep link.

Deep Linking

Deep linking allows you to redirect users from ads to specific locations within your app. The data collected from the tracking link enables you to monitor the performance of the deep link in Airbridge.

How Airbridge Deep Links work

When a user clicks on the Airbridge tracking link, the scheme deep link embedded in the tracking link is converted into an Airbridge Deep Link, which can be either an HTTP deep link or a scheme deep link. This Airbridge Deep Link redirects the user to the desired app location. Then, the Airbridge SDK converts the Airbridge Deep Link back to the original scheme deep link embedded in the tracking link and passes it to the app.

Example scheme deep link embedded in the tracking link: YOUR_SCHEME://product/12345
Examples of Airbridge Deep Links
- HTTP deep link format 1: https://YOUR_APP_NAME.airbridge.io/~~~
- HTTP deep link format 2: https://YOUR_APP_NAME.abr.ge/~~~
- Scheme deep link format: YOUR_SCHEME://product/12345?airbridge_referrer=~~~

When the app is installed on the device and the tracking link is clicked, the app opens through the Airbridge Deep Link. The Airbridge SDK converts the Airbridge Deep Link into the scheme deep embedded in the tracking link and passes it to the app. When the app is not installed on the device and the tracking link is clicked, the Airbridge SDK saves the Airbridge Deep Link. After the user is redirected to the app store or website and the app is installed and launched, the Airbridge SDK converts the saved Airbridge Deep Link into the scheme deep link embedded in the tracking link and passes it to the app.

Set up deep linking

For the deep linking setup, the deep link information entered to the Airbridge dashboard and the in-app location address for user redirection is required. First, enter the deep link information into the Airbridge dashboard.

How to enter the deep link information into Airbridge dashboard

For the deep linking setup, the following information must be entered into the Airbridge dashboard.

iOS

iOS URI scheme: The Airbridge Deep Link is converted to a scheme deep link using the iOS URI scheme.
iOS App ID: The universal link domain of the Airbridge Deep Link is set using the iOS App ID.

Android

Android URI scheme: The Airbridge deep link is converted to a scheme deep link using the Android URI scheme. This information is necessary for the App Link and URI scheme.
Package name: This is the Android app identifier necessary for the App Link and URI scheme.
Android sha256_cert_fingerprints: This is used for setting the App Link domain. This information is necessary for the App Link.

AttentionTo properly redirect users as intended, submit different information for the production app and the development app.

Follow the steps below to submit the necessary information to the Airbridge dashboard.

iOS

Navigate to [Tracking Link]>[Deep Links] in the Airbridge dashboard.
Enter the iOS URI scheme in the iOS URI Scheme field. Include ://. For example, if the iOS URI scheme is demo, enter demo://.
In the Apple Developer Dashboard, navigate to [Identifier] of the app you want to set up the deep link. Find the App ID Prefix and Bundle ID.
The iOS App ID is in the format of App ID Prefix+ . + Bundle ID. Enter the iOS App ID into the iOS App ID field. For example, if the App ID Prefix is prefix and the Bundle ID is example, the iOS App ID is prefix.example.

Android

For apps that use Google Play’s Play App Signing, Google’s servers re-sign the APK after the developer uploads it. This changes the Android sha256_cert_fingerprints, so you must register the final signing value from the Google Play Console—not from your local keystore—for App Links to work correctly. Register the Android URI scheme, package name, and Android sha256_cert_fingerprints in Airbridge according to your signing method.

Play App signing
using original key

Naviagate to [Tracking Link]>[Deep Links] in the Airbridge dashboard.
Enter the Android URI scheme into the Android URI Scheme field. Include ://. For example, if the URI scheme is demo, you must enter demo://.
Enter the package name in the Package name field.
Go to the Google Play Console and select your app.
Navigate to [App integrity].
Copy the SHA-256 certificate fingerprint from the App signing key certificate section.
AttentionMake sure to copy from the correct section. This page contains two certificate entries:
- App signing key certificate ← Use this value
- Upload key certificate ← Do NOT use this value
These are two different values. Registering the upload key certificate will cause App Links to stop working.
Enter the SHA256 value into the sha256_cert_fingerprints field.

Naviagate to [Tracking Link]>[Deep Links] in the Airbridge dashboard.
Enter the Android URI scheme into the Android URI Scheme field. Include ://. For example, if the URI scheme is demo, you must enter demo://.
Enter the package name in the Package name field.
You need to find the sha256_cert_fingerprints. Run the following command from the keystore file you are deploying.
keytool -J-Duser.language=en -list -v -keystore YOUR_KEYSTORE.keystore

Find the SHA256 value in the results. The SHA256 value is the sha256_cert_fingerprints.

Certificate fingerprints:
    MD5:  4C:65:04:52:F0:3F:F8:65:08:D3:71:86:FC:EF:C3:49
    SHA1: C8:BF:B7:B8:94:EA:5D:9D:38:59:FE:99:63:ED:47:B2:D9:5A:4E:CC
    SHA256: B5:EF:4D:F9:DC:95:E6:9B:F3:9A:5E:E9:D6:E0:D8:F6:7B:AB:79:C8:78:67:34:D9:A7:01:AB:6A:86:01:0E:99

Enter the SHA256 value into the sha256_cert_fingerprints field.

After entering the deep link information into the Airbridge dashboard, an additional setup is required to enable the following.

App launch with Airbridge Deep Links
User redirection with Airbridge Deep Links

For detailed instructions, refer to the information below.

Enable app launch with Airbridge Deep Links

To enable app launch with Airbridge Deep Links, add the following code to the app.json.

app.json

{
  "expo": {
    ...
    "scheme": "YOUR_SCHEME",
    "android": {
      ...
      "intentFilters": [{
        "autoVerify": true,
        "action": "VIEW",
        "data": { "scheme": "https", "host": "APP_NAME.airbridge.io" },
        "category": ["BROWSABLE", "DEFAULT"]
      }, {
        "autoVerify": true,
        "action": "VIEW",
        "data": { "scheme": "https", "host": "APP_NAME.abr.ge" },
        "category": ["BROWSABLE", "DEFAULT"]
      }, {
        "autoVerify": true,
        "action": "VIEW",
        "data": { "scheme": "http", "host": "APP_NAME.airbridge.io" },
        "category": ["BROWSABLE", "DEFAULT"]
      }, {
        "autoVerify": true,
        "action": "VIEW",
        "data": { "scheme": "http", "host": "APP_NAME.abr.ge" },
        "category": ["BROWSABLE", "DEFAULT"]
      }]
    },
    "ios": {
      ...
      "associatedDomains": [
        "applinks:APP_NAME.airbridge.io",
        "applinks:APP_NAME.abr.ge"
      ]
    }
  }
}

YOUR_SCHEME is the URI Scheme that can be found on the [Tracking Link]>[Deep Links] page in the Airbridge dashboard.

Enable user redirection with Airbridge Deep Links

When an Airbridge Deep Link is executed, it is converted into a scheme deep link and passed to the OnDeeplinkReceived callback. If a deep link that is not an Airbridge Deep Link is executed, the deep link is passed directly to the callback without any conversion.Use the deep link passed to the callback to redirect the user to the intended destination.

import { Airbridge } from 'airbridge-react-native-sdk'
...
Airbridge.setOnDeeplinkReceived((url) => {
    // show proper content using url
})

Set up deferred deep linking

When a user clicks on a tracking link with deferred deep linking capabilities and your app is not installed on the device, the Airbridge SDK retrieves the deep link as follows.

How the Airbridge SDK collects deferred deep links

The Airbridge SDK attempts to collect a deep link after initializing the SDK when all the following conditions are met. If the app is closed during collection, the Airbridge SDK treats it as if there is no stored Airbridge deep link.

The Airbridge.startTracking function is called with the opt-in settings in place. Or, opt-in has not been set.
The ATT tracking response has been determined. Or, the event collection delay time set in the ATT prompt has expired.

Deferred deep links are automatically passed to OnDeeplinkReceived, so no additional setup is required.

Testing

The SDK functionality test and deep link test allow you to check whether the SDK and deep linking work as intended.

Additional SDK Settings

Follow the instructions below for additional setup.

AttentionOptional settings. Configure only if necessary.

Receive Airbridge Deep Links only

NoteThe Airbridge Expo SDK must be v4.2.0 or later.

The deep links passed through the setOnDeeplinkReceived method of the Airbridge Expo SDK include not only Airbridge Deep Links but also deep links from other solutions.

import { Airbridge } from 'airbridge-react-native-sdk';
...
Airbridge.setOnDeeplinkReceived((url) => {
    // show proper content using url
})

By configuring isHandleAirbridgeDeeplinkOnly to true in the SDK settings, only Airbridge Deep Links will be passed to the setOnDeeplinkReceived callback. In this way, you can handle the deep links from other solutions separately from the Airbridge Deep Links.

Create tracking links within the app

AttentionExpo SDK v.4.3.0 or later is required.

Tracking links are links that are embedded to ads for data collection. When users click on the ad, the tracking link is used to pass the touchpoint data to Airbridge, allowing for ad attribution. Also, users who click on the ad with a tracking link can be redirected to a specific destination. Use the createTrackingLink function to create tracking links. Refer to the code examples and the parameter details below.

static createTrackingLink(
    channel: string,
    option: Record<string, any>,
    onSuccess: (airbridgeTrackingLink: AirbridgeTrackingLink) => void,
    onFailure?: (error: Error) => void
): void

Name	Required or Optional	Type	Description
channel	Required	String	The ad channel the tracking link is used
option	Require	Record<String, Object>	Options for creating tracking links
onSuccess	Required	(airbridgeTrackingLink: AirbridgeTrackingLink) => void	Success callback
onFailure	Optional	(error: Error) => void	Fail callback

Use the option parameter in the createTrackingLink function to configure tracking link options.

Create trackingLink option

Key	Type	Description
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.CAMPAIGN	String	The campaign credited with the winning touchpoint or conversion.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.AD_GROUP	String	The ad group credited with the winning touchpoint or conversion.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.AD_CREATIVE	String	The ad creative credited with the winning touchpoint or conversion.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.CONTENT	String	The content credited with the winning touchpoint or conversion.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.TERM	String	The search term credited with the winning touchpoint or conversion.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.SUB_ID	String	The sub publisher that generated the touchpoint. Sub media values are usually provided by predefined “integrated” channels.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.SUB_ID_1	String	The 1st level sub-sub publisher that generated the touchpoint. Sub media values are usually provided by predefined “integrated” channels.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.SUB_ID_2	String	The 2nd level sub-sub publisher that generated the touchpoint. Sub media values are usually provided by predefined “integrated” channels.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.SUB_ID_3	String	The 3rd level sub-sub publisher that generated the touchpoint. Sub media values are usually provided by predefined “integrated” channels.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.DEEPLINK_URL	(Custom Scheme URL String)	Deeplink URL
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.DEEPLINK_STOPOVER	Boolean	Whether to enable the stopover feature of Deeplink true : enable false : disable
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_IOS	(“store” \| Web URL String)	ios fallback when app is not installed
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_ANDROID	(“store” \| Web URL String)	android fallback when app is not installed
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_DESKTOP	(Web URL String)	desktop fallback when app is not installed
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_IOS_STORE_PPID	String	The ppid for the Custom Product Page in the Apple App Store. Enable the custom product page to be shown when landing in the App Store.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_ANDROID_STORE_LISTING	String	The Custom Store Listing listing value for the Google Play Store. Enables the display of your custom store listing when landing on the Google Play Store.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.OGTAG_TITLE	String	`og:title` for tracking link
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.OGTAG_DESCRIPTION	String	`og:description` for tracking link
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.OGTAG_IMAGE_URL	(Web URL String)	`og:image` for tracking link
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.OGTAG_WEBSITE_CRAWL	(“desktop”)	When the tracking link is shared, the social media platform directly crawls the Open Graph of the desktop URL specified in fallbackPaths and uses it for the social share preview. Dynamic URLs are also supported, and any change to the Open Graph is reflected automatically from the next time the link is shared. The values set for title, description, and imageUrl will be ignored.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.CUSTOM_SHORT_ID	String	Configure the short ID of tracking links depending on your campaign or contents. If not passed, a random short ID will be generate, and can not be changed once generated.
AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.IS_REENGAGEMENT	(“off” \| “on_true” \| “on_false”)	Configure the Re-engagement parameter. The Re-engagement parameter has three options. off: OFF is the default setting. The touchpoint can be attributed to both install events and post-install events (in-app events). on_true: ON-TRUE is used for re-engagement campaigns for installed users. The touchpoint generated by the tracking link is attributed only to the deeplink open and the following in-app events, not to the install event. on_false: ON-FALSE is used for user acquisition campaigns targeting uninstalled users. The touchpoint generated by the tracking link is attributed only to the install event and the following in-app events, not to the ‘deeplink open’ event.

Use the onSuccess callback in the createTrackingLink function to pass the AirbridgeTrackingLink.

/**
 * Holds variable types of tracking-link that move user
 * to specific page of app and track click-event.
 */
export type AirbridgeTrackingLink = {
    /// A tracking-link url contains short mapping-id of option
    shortURL: string
    /// A qrcode image-url of tracking-link
    qrcodeURL: string
}

Name	Type	Description
shortURL	String	The short URL of the tracking link
qrcodeURL	String	The QR code URL of the tracking link

Refer to the example codes below.

Create tracking links that launch the app or redirect users to the app store

Airbridge.createTrackingLink(
    "test_channel",
    {
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.CAMPAIGN]: 'test_campaign',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.DEEPLINK_URL]: 'YOUR_SCHEME://...',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_IOS]: 'store',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_ANDROID]: 'store',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_DESKTOP]: 'https://example.com/'
    },
    (trackingLink) => {
        // Handling created tracking-link
    },
    (error) => {
        // Handling error
    }
)

Create tracking links that launch the app or redirect users to a webpage

Airbridge.createTrackingLink(
    "test_channel",
    {
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.CAMPAIGN]: 'test_campaign',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.DEEPLINK_URL]: 'sample://home',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_IOS]: 'https://example.com/',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_ANDROID]: 'https://example.com/',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_DESKTOP]: 'https://example.com/'
    },
    (trackingLink) => {
        // Handling created tracking-link
    },
    (error) => {
        // Handling error

    }
)

Create tracking links that redirect users to the app store only

Airbridge.createTrackingLink(
    "test_channel",
    {
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.CAMPAIGN]: 'test_campaign',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_IOS]: 'store',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_ANDROID]: 'store',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_DESKTOP]: 'https://example.com/'
    },
    (trackingLink) => {
        // Handling created tracking-link
    },
    (error) => {
        // Handling error
    }
)

Create tracking links that redirect users to a webpage only

Airbridge.createTrackingLink(
    "test_channel",
    {
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.CAMPAIGN]: 'test_campaign',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_IOS]: 'https://example.com/',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_ANDROID]: 'https://example.com/',
        [AirbridgeTrackingLinkOption.FALLBACK_DESKTOP]: 'https://example.com/'
    },
    (trackingLink) => {
        // Handling created tracking-link
    },
    (error) => {
        // Handling error
    }
)

​Install SDK

​Install Restricted SDK

​Initialize SDK

​Configure SDK settings

​Configure ATT prompt

​Deep Linking

​How Airbridge Deep Links work

​Set up deep linking

​iOS

​Android

​iOS

​Android

​Set up deferred deep linking

​Testing

​Additional SDK Settings

​Receive Airbridge Deep Links only

​Create tracking links within the app

Install SDK

Install Restricted SDK

Initialize SDK

Configure SDK settings

Configure ATT prompt

Deep Linking

How Airbridge Deep Links work

Set up deep linking

iOS

Android

iOS

Android

Set up deferred deep linking

Testing

Additional SDK Settings

Receive Airbridge Deep Links only

Create tracking links within the app