Ivy is Branch's AI. Describe the Short Link you want, and Ivy fills in the Create Link form for you. You review the form and create the link yourself.

Caution

Check your link before you create it. AI can make mistakes.

To create links with Ivy, you need Edit access to Link-level Settings. Without it, the Create button doesn't appear.

Complete the following steps to create a link with Ivy:

1. In Branch, select Campaigns > Links.
2. Select the Create button.
3. Select Short Link. The Create Link page opens.
4. In the box marked Powered By Ivy at the top of the page, replace the example prompt with your own.
5. Send your prompt. Ivy fills in the form and marks most of the fields it filled with an Ivy icon.
6. Review every field and change anything that isn't right.
7. Select Create Link.

The prompt box appears only when AI link creation is turned on for your account. It doesn't appear when you edit an existing link. After Ivy fills in the form, the Summary tab asks "Was Ivy helpful?" so you can send feedback.

Prompt components

An Ivy prompt is a natural-language instruction that tells Branch what kind of link to create. The most effective prompts include the following components:

• Campaign and channel: The campaign the link is for and the channel where users find it, such as email, SMS, push notification, or Facebook.
• Objective: The goal of the campaign, such as acquisition, engagement, retention, or monetization. Ivy uses it to fill in the Objective field on the Define tab.
• Destination: Where app users should land and where non-app users should go. Give an in-app path for app users, and a URL or the app store for everyone else.
• Extras: Any other settings, such as coupon codes, custom field values, content metadata, platform-specific routing, or social media previews.

Not every prompt needs all four components. If there's no objective or extras, you can leave those parts out. However, always include a campaign, a channel, and at least one destination.

Write effective prompts

Use the following guidelines to help you write prompts that give Ivy the information it needs to build the right link:

• Be specific and descriptive: Ivy works best when you're specific about the link you want. Include the campaign name, the channel, and exact destination paths instead of vague terms such as "homepage" or "the website."
• Define destinations explicitly: Always specify where app users should land and where non-app users should go. Use exact paths for in-app destinations, such as /products/winter-jacket. Use full URLs for web fallbacks, such as https://example.com/products/winter-jacket. If you want non-app users redirected to download the app, say so directly.
• Include extras when they apply: If your campaign uses coupon codes, custom fields, or content metadata, include them in the prompt. Ivy adds them to the link. If you leave them out, Ivy doesn't add them.
• Include your standard tags: Ivy works only from your prompt. It doesn't look at your past links, so it won't reuse the analytics tags your team usually applies. If your team uses standard tags, include them in your prompt.

Good prompts vs. bad prompts

The following examples compare vague prompts with prompts that give Ivy the right level of detail. Use these as a reference when writing your own prompts.

Fall campaign

Bad prompt: "Create a link for our Fall 2026 campaign and coupon on Facebook. Send app users to /shop/items. Non-app users to the website."

• Leaves out the coupon code, so Ivy won't apply it.
• Says "the website" instead of giving a URL.

Good prompt: "Create a link for our Fall 2026 campaign on Facebook. App users should be sent to /shop/items. Non-app users should go to https://monster-site.github.io/shop/items.html. 10OFF is the coupon code."

• Campaign and channel: Fall 2026, Facebook
• Destination: /shop/items and full web URL
• Extras: Coupon code (10OFF)

Winter collection

Bad prompt: "Make a link for our Winter Collection that takes people to their profile."

• Doesn't state the channel, such as push notification, SMS, or a social site.
• Doesn't define a clear destination.

Good prompt: "Make a push notification link for an engagement campaign about our Winter Collection. Send users to /collections/winter profile page to select their favorite colors."

• Campaign and channel: Winter Collection, Push Notification
• Objective: Engagement
• Destination: /collections/winter

SMS flash sale

Bad prompt: "Spin up links for the DXR promo and push it through SMS."

• Uses "DXR promo," internal shorthand that Ivy can't interpret.
• Doesn't specify what the campaign is about or who it targets.

Good prompt: "I'm running a 24-hour flash sale via SMS. iOS users should deep link to /sales/flash-sale, Android users to /promotion/flash-sale. Others go to the app store."

• Campaign and channel: 24-hour flash sale, SMS
• Destination: iOS /sales/flash-sale, Android /promotion/flash-sale, others to app store

Refine your prompts

If Ivy's output doesn't match what you need, rewrite your prompt with more detail or edit the fields directly.

Add detail: If the result is missing something, add more information to your prompt. For example, instead of "Send users to the rewards page," say what each platform should do, such as "App users should go to the rewards page, desktop users to the weekly deals page."

Send another prompt: Ivy doesn't remember your earlier prompts, so each prompt needs to stand on its own. Each new prompt replaces the title, web URL, analytics tags, and redirects in the form, including changes you made yourself. For a small change, edit the field directly instead.

Common mistakes

Avoid the following mistakes when writing Ivy prompts:

• Using vague destinations: Terms such as "homepage" or "the website" don't tell Ivy whether you mean an in-app screen or a web URL. Always specify the full path or URL.
• Omitting the channel: Ivy needs to know where you'll share the link to set it up correctly. Name the channel, such as email, SMS, push, or social.
• Using internal shorthand or jargon: Ivy can't interpret abbreviations or project codenames. Use plain, descriptive language.
• Forgetting platform-specific needs: If your link needs to behave differently on iOS, Android, or desktop, mention each platform and its destination explicitly.

Best practices

These practices help your team get consistent, accurate links from Ivy.

• Use simple, action-based language: Start your prompt with what you want Ivy to do, such as "Create a link for our Spring campaign on Instagram."
• Always test your links: Even with Ivy's automation, review the link's routing, fallbacks, and analytics tags before you create it.
• Share prompts with your team: Ivy makes link creation accessible to teammates of all skill levels. Sharing example prompts helps maintain consistency and data quality across your organization.