Create Deep Links

Overview

You can use Deep Links on your Journeys, Ads links, Quick Links, and Email. In this guide, we will walk you through how to configure your default and custom link behavior, as well as how to create short and long links.

Default Link Behavior

If Your App Is Not Installed

User clicks on a Branch deep link
Device navigates to the fallback (e.g. an app store or website)
- App Stores Supported:
  - Apple App Store
  - Google Play
  - Huawei App Store
  - Vivo App Store
  - Oppo App Store
  - Baidu Mobile Assistant
User installs and opens your app
Branch passes deep link data into your app

If Your App Is Installed

User clicks on a Branch deep link
Device opens your app or navigates to expected link behavior
Branch passes deep link data into your app

Expected Link Behavior

Mobile

Expected link behavior is dependent on whether or not the app supports deep linking
*Able to force app open using $uri_redirect_mode or enabling a Deepview

Platform	iOS	Android
Facebook Newsfeed	Fallback; able to deep link via Facebook App Links	App
Facebook Browser	App	Fallback; able to force app open when app install is detected, may throw error when app is uninstalled after initial detection
Facebook Messenger	Fallback; able to deep link via Facebook App Links	App
Facebook Messenger Browser	App	Fallback; able to force app open when app install is detected, may throw error when app is uninstalled after initial detection
Instagram Profile	Fallback; able to force app open using `$uri_redirect_mode=2`	App
Instagram Browser	App	App
Instagram Stories	Fallback; able to force app open	App
Twitter Feed	Fallback; able to force app open. Links with `$ios_url` or `$fallback_url` redirect fallbacks require web SDK 2.48.0+ init on the website	App
Twitter Browser	App	App
Snap Messages	App	App
Snap Stories	Fallback; review custom instructions for using Branch in Snap stories	App
Reddit	Fallback; need to use `$use_https_app_store`: `true` in link to fallback to App Store	Fallback
Pinterest	Fallback	Fallback
Pinterest Browser	App	App
Google+	Fallback; App Store redirects will not work	Fallback
Chrome Browser	App	App
Chrome Address Bar	Fallback	Fallback; deep link data will not pass into the app
Safari Browser	App	N/A
Safari Address Bar	Fallback; Blocked by Apple	N/A
Firefox Browser	Fallback	App
Firefox Address Bar	Fallback	App
UC Browser	N/A	App
Naver Browser	N/A	App
Kakao Browser	N/A	App
Opera Browser	App	App
Ghostery Browser	App	Fallback; query strings must be encoded ($ = %24)
Google Hangouts	Fallback; able to force app open	App
Samsung SMS	N/A	App
Samsung SMS Browser	N/A	App
Apple iMessage	App	N/A
Apple Business Chat	App	N/A
Slack	App; must configure Slack to open links with Safari	App
WeChat	Fallback; customize WeChat fallback urls	Fallback; customize WeChat fallback urls
WhatsApp	App; `app.link` require https/http to be clickable	App; `app.link` require https/http to be clickable
LINE	Fallback; able to force app open	App
Discord	App	App
Apple Mail	App	N/A
Gmail	App	App
Yahoo Mail	Fallback; able to force app open	App
TikTok	Ads promoting apps will take users to the app store	Ads promoting apps will take users to the app store
TikTok	Ads taking users to a non app-store landing page will open in an in-app browser.	Ads taking users to a non app-store landing page will open in an in-app browser.

Desktop

Expected link behavior is dependent on whether or not the app supports deep linking
By default, we attempt to launch the apps via URI schemes and load the desktop redirect fallback in the background
*Only launches background desktop web fallbacks using $afterclick_desktop_url

Platform	Mac	Windows
Safari	App; Supports Universal Linking	App
Firefox	App*	App*
Chrome	App*	App*
Edge	App	App
Internet Explorer	N/A	App*
Slack	App; Supports Universal Linking	App

Custom Link Behavior

Pass Data From Link to App

Add link data to each deep link
Add key-values pairs to your Quick Links
Append query strings https://example.app.link/fzmLEhobLD?$custom_data=123&hello=world

Fallback to a Specific URL

Determine where a deep link will navigate to if either
- Your app is not installed
- [or] Another app prevent links from deep linking outside their app
Fallback overrides (ordered by precedence)
- Add query string https://example.app.link?$ios_url=https://example.com
- Add link data $ios_url = 'https://example.com' (docs)
- Add link data for a deep view $ios_deepview = 'deepviewId' (docs)
- Enable a Deep View globally on the Branch Dashboard
- Add link data $fallback_url = 'https://example.com' (docs)
- Add iOS/Android Custom URL on the Branch Dashboard
- Add Default URL ($fallback_url) on the Branch Dashboard

Open Web Instead of App

Your app is not installed
- Device navigates to the fallback (e.g. an app store or website)
Your app is installed
- iOS: need to override Universal Links
  - Add $web_only = true (docs)
  - Add redirect $ios_url = 'https://google.com' (docs)
  - [or] Append /e/ to the deep link
    - e.g. https://example.app.link/fzmLEhobLD -> https://example.app.link/e/fzmLEhobLD
- Android: need to override App Links
  - Uncheck Enable App Links and then hit Save on the Branch Dashboard
  - Add redirect $android_url = 'https://google.com' (docs)
  - Add a broken URI Scheme with $android_deeplink_path = 'random'
Add -web in the link domain: e.g. branch.app.link -> branch-web.app.link
- Does not work with custom link domains when used in conjunction with a custom alias.

Social Link Behavior

Use OG Tags to display content as a preview card in Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, iMessage, etc.
- The $og_title and $og_description tags are included with the Branch Growth Platform.
- The $og_image_url tag is reserved for paid Branch accounts with a dedicated contract.
Use Deepviews to display content as a website
- Increases install attribution
- Completes deep linking experience in certain apps

UTM Behavior

Enabled by Default
To disable this functionality, go to Link Settings -> Advance Settings -> Analytics mapping with UTM.

When redirecting to a web URL, Branch automatically passes through any values from the following Branch link analytics tags as UTM parameters:
- ~campaign -> utm_campaign
- ~channel -> utm_source
- ~feature -> utm_medium
This applies to web URLs defined using any of the following $fallback_url, $ios_url, $android_url, $desktop_url, $original_url, and $canonical_url.
If these UTM parameters are already detected on the URLs being redirected to, Branch will not overwrite them.
For more information about UTM parameters, please read Google Analytic's Custom Campaigns article.

Expiration Behavior

The default expiration behavior will vary depending on the type of Branch Link you're using.

Link Type	Expiration
Short Links	Starting March 11, 2024. Expires 380 Days after creation. This expiration window is reset when the Short Link is clicked or if Branch receives a read request via the Deep Linking API.
Long Links	Does not expire
Quick Links	Does not expire
Ad Links	Does not expire

Create Deep Links

Short Links

Short links are the most common deep links created via the Branch SDK or Deep Linking API.
You can customize the subdomain of example.app.link, or change to your own personal domain (links.yoursite.com)
You can tailor the appearance of the shortcode to a custom alias during creation
- Aliases can be short strings, e.g. https://example.app.link/october-sale
- Or can be a full link path, e.g. https://example.app.link/product/id1234
Short links encapsulate link data inside them on link creation
- e.g. existing link https://example.app.link/fzmLEhobLD
Short links can have additional data appended to them
- e.g. dynamic link https://example.app.link/fzmLEhobLD?content_id=123
Methods of creating short links
- Use Quick Links for fast link creation and easy tracking
- Use our App SDK to create and share links within your app
- Use our Web SDK to create links that help convert your web users to app users
- Use our HTTP API to programmatically create links from your server
- Use our Chrome Extension to generate links from your browser

Long Links

Long links can be created without a network call to Branch
Long links need link data to be added as a query string. Be sure to URI encode any URLs in the link.
- e.g. existing link https://example.app.link/fzmLEhobLD?foo=bar&baz=456&$fallback_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbranch.io%2F
- e.g. dynamic link https://example.app.link/?foo=bar&baz=456&$fallback_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbranch.io%2F
Long links need a /a/ and a Branch Key if you use a custom link domain
- e.g. existing link https://link.example.com/5NPh/p4M09KRLrD?foo=bar&baz=456&$fallback_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbranch.io%2F
- e.g. dynamic link https://link.example.com/a/key_live_kaFuWw8WvY7yn1d9yYiP8gokwqjV0Swt?foo=bar&baz=456&$fallback_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbranch.io%2F
Long links need a /a/ and a Branch Key if you use a bnc.lt
- e.g. existing link https://bnc.lt/5NPh/p4M09KRLrD?foo=bar&baz=456&$fallback_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbranch.io%2F
- e.g. dynamic link https://bnc.lt/a/key_live_kaFuWw8WvY7yn1d9yYiP8gokwqjV0Swt?foo=bar&baz=456&$fallback_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbranch.io%2F
When adding tags to a dynamic link, enter each tag separately
- e.g. https://example.app.link/?foo=bar&~tags=tag1&~tags=tag2

Configure Deep Links

You're free to add any of your own key-value parameters to a Branch link. These parameters will be passed to your app via the Branch SDK, however some keys will have specific extra effects.

Reserved Prefixes

Branch adds additional properties to your deep link data to explain the link.

Prefix	Usage
`$`	Branch reserved keyword
`~`	Branch analytical data
`+`	Branch added values

Keys for Reporting Analytics

These labels allow you to filter and organize your deep links.

Key	Usage
`~channel or channel`	Use channel to tag the route that your link reaches users. For example, tag links with `'Facebook'` or `'LinkedIn'` to help track clicks and installs through those paths separately
`~feature or feature`	This is the feature of your app that the link might be associated with. For example, if you had built a referral program, you would label links with the feature 'referral'
`~campaign or campaign`	Use this field to organize the links by actual campaign. For example, if you launched a new feature or product and want to run a campaign around that
`~campaign_id`	Use this field to organize the links by actual campaign id. For example, if you launched a new feature or product and want to run a campaign around that
`~customer_campaign`	The customer campaign specified for the last attributed touch. can be specified on links by the client.
`~stage`	Use this to categorize the progress or category of a user when the link was generated. For example, if you had an invite system accessible on level 1, level 3 and 5, you could differentiate links generated at each level with this parameter
`~tags or tags`	This is a free form entry with unlimited values `['string']`. Use it to organize your link data with labels that don't fit within the bounds of the above
`~secondary_publisher`	secondary publisher specified for the last attributed touch. passed by the ad network.
`~customer_secondary_publisher`	The ID of the secondary publisher specified for the last attributed touch. can be specified on links by the client.
`~creative_name`	The creative name specified for the last attributed touch.
`~creative_id`	The creative ID specified for the last attributed touch.
`~ad_set_name`	The ad set name specified for the last attributed touch.
`~ad_set_id`	The ad set ID specified for the last attributed touch.
`~customer_ad_set_name`	The customer ad set name specified for the last attributed touch. can be specified on links by the client.
`~ad_name`	The ad name specified for the last attributed touch.
`~ad_id`	The ad ID specified for the last attributed touch.
`~customer_ad_name`	The customer ad name specified for the last attributed touch. can be specified on the link by the client.
`~keyword`	The keyword specified for the last attributed touch.
`~keyword_id`	The unique ID for keyword of the last touch
`~customer_keyword`	The customer keyword of the last touch. Can be specified on links by the client.
`~placement`	The placement of the last touch, as set with an analytics tag. Actual app or website the ad appears on display campaigns.
`~placement_id`	The ID of placement of the last touch, as set with an analytics tag. Actual app or website the ad appears on display campaigns.
`~customer_placement`	The customer specified placement of the last touch, as set with an analytics tag. Actual app or website the ad appears on display campaigns. Can be specified on the link by the client.
`~sub_site_name`	Reference to the site where the ad was displayed.
`~customer_sub_site_name`	Customer reference to the site where the ad was displayed. Can be specified on links by the client.

These labels allow you to customize attribution windows for a single link.

Key	Default	Usage
`$click_install_window_days`	7	Time between a click and an install or reinstall. (i.e., `https://branchster.app.link/hpNVE52gxE?$click_install_window_days=3`)
`$click_session_start_window_days`	1	Time between a click and an open or web session start. (i.e., `https://branchster.app.link/hpNVE52gxE?$click_session_start_window_days=7`)
`$click_conversion_window_days`	30	Time between a click and a conversion event. Conversion events include commerce events (e.g. purchase, add to cart), all custom events, and all view events like pageviews & content views. (i.e., `https://branchster.app.link/hpNVE52gxE?$click_session_start_window_days=30`)
`$impression_install_window_days`	1	Time between an ad impression and an install or reinstall. (i.e., `https://branchster.app.link/hpNVE52gxE?$impression_install_window_days=3`)
`$impression_session_start_window_days`	1	Time between an ad impression and an open or web session start. (i.e., `https://branchster.app.link/hpNVE52gxE?$impression_session_start_window_days=1`)
`$impression_conversion_window_days`	7	Time between an ad impression and a conversion event. Conversion events include commerce events (e.g. purchase, add to cart), all custom events, and all view events like pageviews & content views. (i.e., `https://branchster.app.link/hpNVE52gxE?$impression_session_start_window_days=7`)

Custom Data

Pass any custom data to be read inside your app.

Key	Value	Usage
`random`	`123`	Any key-value pair
`custom_data`	`true`	Any key-value pair
`any_value`	`{ 'random': 'dictionary' }`	Any key-value pair
`look_at`	`[1,2,3,4,5,6]`	Any key-value pair
`nav_here`	`content/123`	Any key-value pair

Redirections

Navigate to different locations based on device information. Navigation URLs must be websites, not Deep Links.

Note: Usage of redirection parameters on Branch Links requires a credit card on your account or set up an Enterprise account.

Key	Default	Usage
`$fallback_url`		Change the redirect endpoint for all platforms - so you don't have to enable it by platform. Note that Branch will forward all robots to this URL, which overrides any OG tags entered in the link. System-wide Default URL (set in Link Settings)
`$fallback_url_xx`		Change the redirect endpoint for all platforms based on a lower-case Alpha-2 country code. For example, `$fallback_url_de="..."` would redirect Germany deep link clicks. You should also set `$fallback_url` to act as the global redirect in addition to the country-specific ones. WARNING: platform specific redirects (like $ios_url or $desktop_url) are set, they will override the country-specific redirect. Thus, the recommendation is to only use $fallback_url_xx for the country specific redirects and $fallback_url to catch all other users.
`$desktop_url`		Redirect URL for desktop devices - mobile users will default to the app store.
`$ios_url`		Change the redirect endpoint for iOS App Store page for your app (set in Link Settings)
`$ios_url_xx`		Change the redirect endpoint for iOS based on a lower-case Alpha-2 country code. For example, `$ios_url_de="..."` would redirect Germany deep link clicks. You should also set `$ios_url` to act as the global redirect in addition to the country-specific ones.
`$ipad_url`		Change the redirect endpoint for iPads `$ios_url` value
`$android_url`		Change the redirect endpoint for Android Play Store page for your app (set in Link Settings)
`$android_url_xx`		Change the redirect endpoint for Android based on a lower-case Alpha-2 country code. For example, `$android_url_de="..."` would redirect Germany deep link clicks. You should also set `$android_url` to act as the global redirect in addition to the country-specific ones.
`$samsung_url`		Redirect to Samsung Galaxy Store on Samsung devices. Only link level control. Format should be `http://www.samsungapps.com/appquery/appDetail.as?appId=YOUR.PACKAGE.NAME`
`$huawei_url`		Redirect to the Huawei App Gallery on Huawei devices. Only link level control. Format should be `https://appgallery.huawei.com/app/HUAWEI_APP_GALLERY_ID`
`$windows_phone_url`		Change the redirect endpoint for Windows OS Windows Phone default URL (set in Link Settings)
`$blackberry_url`		Change the redirect endpoint for Blackberry OS BlackBerry default URL (set in Link Settings)
`$fire_url`		Change the redirect endpoint for Amazon Fire OS Fire default URL (set in Link Settings)
`$ios_wechat_url`		Change the redirect endpoint for WeChat on iOS devices `$ios_url` value
`$android_wechat_url`		Change the redirect endpoint for WeChat on Android devices `$android_url` value
`$web_only`	`false`	Force to open the `$fallback_url` instead of the app
`$desktop_web_only`	`false`	Force to open the `$windows_desktop_url`, `$mac_desktop_url`, `$desktop_url`, or `$fallback_url` in this order of precedence instead of the app
`$mobile_web_only`	`false`	Force to open the`$ios_url`, `$android_url`, or `$fallback_url` in this order of precedence instead of the app
`$after_click_url`	`false`	When a user returns to the browser after going to the app, take them to this URL. iOS only; Android coming soon
`$afterclick_desktop_url`	`false`	When a user on desktop returns to the desktop browser after going to the desktop app, take them to this URL.

Forced Redirections

Prevent error messages from other apps when Branch Deep Links are clicked.

Key	Value	Usage
`$uri_redirect_mode`	0	Conservative mode. We don't try to open the app if the user can see an error.
`$uri_redirect_mode`	1	Smart redirect mode. This is the default value that yields the same behavior as 0 until we know the user has the app installed through Branch persona data. In that case, force URI schemes to open the app.
`$uri_redirect_mode`	2	Forceful redirect mode. Always try to force open the app, even if it risks showing an error message when the app is not installed.

Forced redirections will not force open the app when the link is configured with an "Active Deepview" or "NativeLink" since they are intended to load a webpage and not redirect elsewhere.
OS level redirect modes can be enabled by utilizing the parameters $ios_uri_redirect_mode and $android_uri_redirect_mode.
Supported Apps
- Facebook newsfeed iOS
- Instagram iOS
- Twitter iOS
- Safari iOS
- Firefox iOS & Android

Deep Linking

Navigate to different locations based on device information.

Key	Default	Usage
`$deeplink_path`	`open?link_click_id=1234`	Set the deep link path for all platforms - so you don't have to enable it by platform. When the Branch SDK receives a link with this parameter set, it will automatically load the custom URI path contained within
`$android_deeplink_path`		Set the deep link path for Android apps. When the Branch SDK receives a link with this parameter set, it will automatically load the custom Android URI path contained within
`$ios_deeplink_path`		Set the deep link path for iOS apps. When the Branch SDK receives a link with this parameter set, it will automatically load the custom iOS URI path contained within
`$ios_nativelink`		Set to true to make the link route to a NativeLink™ used for enabling deferred deep linking on iOS 15+ & Private Relay. Can also be set to a deepview/template key to manually trigger the launch of a specific NativeLink™ deepview.
`$desktop_deeplink_path`		Set the deep link path for Desktop apps. You will have to fetch this parameter and route the user accordingly
`$match_duration`	`7200`	Lets you control the snapshotting match timeout (the time that a click will wait for an app open to match) also known as attribution window. Specified in seconds
`$link_exp_date`		Expiry date for the content and any associated link data. Represented as UTC epoch milli second. The maximum date this can be set is 31 days in the future.
`$always_deeplink`	`true`	Set to `false` to make links always fall back to your mobile site. Does not apply to Universal Links or Android App Links.
`$ios_redirect_timeout`	`750`	Control the timeout that the client-side JS waits after trying to open up the app before redirecting to the App Store. Specified in milliseconds
`$android_redirect_timeout`	`750`	Control the timeout that the client side JS waits after trying to open up the app before redirecting to the Play Store. Specified in milliseconds
`$custom_sms_text`		Text for SMS link sent for desktop clicks to this link. Must contain `{{ link }}` Value of Text me the app page in Settings
`$marketing_title`		Set the marketing title for the deep link.
`$deeplink_no_attribution`		Set to `true` for the links to only support deep linking without any attribution for that link.

Content

Handle content properties.

Key	Default	Usage
`$publicly_indexable`	`1`	Cannot modify here. Needs to be set by the Branch Universal Object
`~keyword`		Keywords for which this content should be discovered by. Just assign an array of strings with the keywords you'd like to use
`$canonical_identifier`		This is the unique identifier for content that will help Branch dedupe across many instances of the same thing. Suitable options: a website with pathing, or a database with identifiers for entities
`$content_type`		This is a label for the type of content present. Apple recommends that you use uniform type identifier as described here
`$do_not_process`	`false`	This will prevent click tracking and storage of link analytics. Deep link data will still flow into the app from link click to app open.

Deepview

Enable / control active deepview properties.

Key	Default	Usage
`$ios_deepview`	`branch_default`	The name of the deepview template to use for iOS
`$android_deepview`	`branch_default`	The name of the deepview template to use for Android
`$desktop_deepview`	`branch_default`	The name of the deepview template to use for the Desktop

Control passive deepview templates.

Key	Value	Default
`$ios_passive_deepview`	The name of the template to use for iOS.	`branch_default`
`$android_passive_deepview`	The name of the template to use for Android.	`branch_default`
`$desktop_passive_deepview`	The name of the template to use for Desktop.	`branch_default`

Link Appearance

Customize the appearance of your Branch Short Link.

Key	Default	Usage
`alias`	none	Specify a link alias to replace of the standard encoded short URL (e.g. `https://example.app.link/aQXXDHaxKF` -> `https://example.app.link/october-campaign` or `https://example.app.link/product/id1234`). Link aliases must be unique per app (a `400 error` will occur if you create an alias already taken). Also note that we don't currently support single character path segments after the domain (`/a/`, `/b/`, `/c/`, etc).

Open Graph

The keys in the table below are used to handle Facebook properties.

Please note the following defaults Branch maintains for meta tags:

Branch Links created through the Dashboard will scrape the original web URL for meta tags.
Branch Links created via one of our APIs will scrape $original_url, $fallback_url, and $desktop_url for meta tags, in that order.

Branch Override Key	Open Graph Key	Default	Usage
`$og_title`	`og:title`	Set on dashboard.	Set the title of the Deep Link as it will be seen in social media displays.
`$og_description`	`og:description`	Set on dashboard.	Set the description of the Deep Link as it will be seen in social media displays.
`$og_image_url`	`og:image`	Set on dashboard. Feature will not appear on dashboard unless you are under a paid Branch account with a dedicated contract.	Set the image of the Deep Link as it will be seen in social media displays. This feature is reserved for paid Branch accounts with a dedicated contract.
`$og_image_width`	`og:image:width`	Set on dashboard. Feature will not appear on dashboard unless you are under a paid Branch account with a dedicated contract.	Set the image's width in pixels for social media displays. This feature is reserved for paid Branch accounts with a dedicated contract.
`$og_image_height`	`og:image:height`	Set on dashboard. Feature will not appear on dashboard unless you are under a paid Branch account with a dedicated contract.	Set the image's height in pixels for social media displays. This feature is reserved for paid Branch accounts with a dedicated contract.
`$og_video`	`og:video`	Scraped from `$fallback_url` or `$original_url`.	Set a video as it will be seen in social media displays. Note: Branch also scrapes all of the sub-keys for `video` objects by default.
NA	`og:audio`	Scraped from `$fallback_url` or `$original_url`.	Set the URL to an audio file. Note: Branch also scrapes all of the sub-keys for `music` objects by default.
`$og_url`	`og:url`		Set the base URL of the Deep Link as it will be seen in social media displays.
`$og_type`	`og:type`		Set the type of custom card format link as it will be seen in social media displays. Don't set this property when sharing Deep Links on Facebook.
`$og_redirect`	NA		Advanced, not recommended. Set a custom URL that Branch redirects the social media robots to in order to retrieve all the appropriate tags.
`$og_app_id`	NA	Set on dashboard.	Rarely used. Sets the app id tag.

Twitter

Handle Twitter properties.

Key	Default	Usage
`$twitter_card`		Set the Twitter card type of the link (e.g. `player`) (you must allowlist your deep link with the Twitter Card Validator
`$twitter_title`	Set on dashboard	Set the title of the Twitter card
`$twitter_description`	Set on dashboard	Set the description of the Twitter card
`$twitter_image_url`	Set on dashboard	Set the image URL for the Twitter card
`$twitter_site`		Set the site for Twitter
`$twitter_app_country`		Set the app country for the app card
`$twitter_player`		Set the video player's URL. Defaults to the value of `$og_video`.
`$twitter_player_width`		Set the player's width in pixels
`$twitter_player_height`		Set the player's height in pixels

Other Reserved Keys

Key	Usage
`access_token` or `AccessToken`	Used by Branch to determine if a deep link is a valid Branch link or not.
`auth_token`or `AuthToken`	Used by Branch to determine if a deep link is a valid Branch link or not.
`data`	Used by Branch to contain top-level link information. If this parameter is added to a Branch link via appending query params, it will be dropped. It can be safely used when creating a link manually via the dashboard.
`password`	If this parameter is added to a Branch link via appending query params, it will be dropped
`auth`	If this parameter is added to a Branch link via appending query params, it will be dropped.

Custom Tags

Handle custom meta tags

Key	Value
`$custom_meta_tags`	Valid stringified JSON dictionary of the tags’ keys and values

Valid dictionary example: "{"twitter:player:stream": "https://branch.io"}". This will result in the following meta tag:
If you create the link via the Dashboard, don’t worry about stringifying the dictionary. It will be done automatically.
apple_touch_icon is a special key in the dictionary. If you set it, we will add a tag to the scraped HTML page. This will allow you to show a custom icon for previews in iMessage, Safari Bookmarks, Slack, etc.

Universal Object

Branch Universal Object
The Branch Universal Object are fundamental to tracking and logging events with Branch. To learn more, view our full guide here.

Read deep links

Deep link data gets sent from your link to your app integration

Data structure

Example deep link data structure

{
          "randomized_bundle_token": "427469360685348303",
          "link": "https://example.app.link?%24randomized_bundle_token=427469360685348303",
          "session_id": "429691081177874743",
          "data": {
            "$canonical_identifier": "item/1503684554354.28",
            "$canonical_url": "https://example.com/home?utm_campaign=test&deeplink=value",
            "$desktop_url": "http://example.com/home",
            "$randomized_bundle_token": "427469360685348303",
            "$og_description": "My Content Description",
            "$og_image_url": "http://lorempixel.com/200/200/",
            "$og_title": "46D6D28E-0390-40E4-A856-BD74F34D24C8",
            "$publicly_indexable": 1,
            "+click_timestamp": 1503684563,
            "+clicked_branch_link": true,
            "+is_first_session": false,
            "+match_guaranteed": true,
            "custom": "blue",
            "random": "FE848A5B-78F7-42EC-A253-9F795FE91692",
            "added": "1503684554354.33",
            "~campaign": "new launch",
            "~channel": "facebook",
            "~creation_source": 3,
            "~feature": "sharing",
            "~id": 429691043152332059,
            "~referring_link": "https://example.app.link/X7OsnWv9TF",
            "~stage": "new person",
            "~tags": [
              "one",
              "two"
            ]
          }
        }

Callback values

Additional properties read from the initSession within your app and website integrations

Key	Usage
`~id`	Automatically generated 18 digit ID number for the link that drove the install/open, if present (0 for dynamic and 3P links)
`~referring_link`	The referring link that drove the install/open, if present
`~creation_source`	Where the link was created (`0` API , `1` Quick Link, `2` SDK, `3` iOS SDK , `4` Android SDK , `5` Web SDK, `6` Dynamic, `7` Third party)
`+match_guaranteed`	If the match was made with 100% accuracy
`+referrer`	The referrer for the link click, if a link was clicked
`+is_first_session`	`true` if first session (install), `false` if any other session (open) or if it did not previously exist in the Branch Link Graph. Default is `false`.
`+clicked_branch_link`	Whether or not the user clicked a Branch link that triggered this session. Default is `false`.
`+non_branch_link`	App was opened from a non Branch link (third party, invalid Branch deep link, or Branch key mismatch).

Create Deep Links

Overview

Default Link Behavior

If Your App Is Not Installed

If Your App Is Installed

Expected Link Behavior

Mobile

Desktop

Custom Link Behavior

Pass Data From Link to App

Fallback to a Specific URL

Open Web Instead of App

Social Link Behavior

UTM Behavior

Expiration Behavior

Create Deep Links

Short Links

Long Links

Configure Deep Links

Reserved Prefixes

Keys for Reporting Analytics

Custom Data

Redirections

Forced Redirections

Deep Linking

Content

Deepview

Link Appearance

Open Graph

Twitter

Other Reserved Keys

Custom Tags

Universal Object

Read deep links

Data structure

Callback values

Shortcuts

Company

Resources