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Create Short Links (New)

Overview ​

Short Links are Branch Links for owned placements like email, social posts, and QR codes. Each Short Link is either a web link or an app link:

  • A web link always opens a web page. If someone has your app, the page opens in your app through an in-app web view. Otherwise, it opens in their browser.
  • An app link deep links to a specific page in your app. If someone doesn't have your app, they go to the redirect you set, which can be a web page, a Deepview, or the app store.

Web and app links look the same. A link looks like yourbrand.app.link/alias with the Branch-provided domain, or yourbrand.com/alias with a custom domain.

You can create Short Links in five ways:

Before you begin ​

To create Short Links, you first need:

  • Edit access to Link-level Settings. Without it, the Create button doesn't appear.
  • For app links, the Branch SDK in your app. Web links need the SDK only if you want them to open in an in-app web view. To learn more, see our Branch SDK Overview.

Your links use the Branch-provided link domain unless you set up a custom domain for your brand. To set one up, see Link Appearance.

Create individual Short Links on the Create Link page. Short Link appears in the Create menu only when the new link form is turned on for your account.

Follow these steps to open the Create Link page:

  1. In Branch, go to Campaigns > Links.
  2. Select Create.
  3. Select Short Link. The Create Link page opens.

The Define tab sets the basics of your link. Follow these steps to fill it in:

  1. (Optional) Choose a folder in Choose Folder. If you opened a folder before you selected Create, that folder is already chosen. If the folder requires a template, Branch applies it to your link. This field appears only when folders are turned on for your account.

  2. (Optional) Choose a template in Create Link Via Template. Choose it before you fill in anything else, because selecting a template clears the other fields. If your access requires templates, you must choose one. This field appears only when link templates are turned on for your account.

  3. Enter a Link Title of up to 200 characters. Use a consistent naming style so your links are easy to search.

  4. Under Destination Type, select App or Web. App is the default, and the toggle appears only when both link types are turned on for your account.

  5. Enter the link's web page:

    • For an app link, you can enter an Original Web URL. Branch fills in your link data from that page and uses it as the desktop redirect. Branch can overwrite link data you've already added.
    • For a web link, enter the Destination Web URL. This field is required, and it's where the link sends everyone. Branch also fills in your link data from that page.

    If Branch can't read the page, a message says so, but you can still create the link.

  6. (Optional) Choose a Link Domain. The domain list appears only when multiple custom domains are turned on for your account. Otherwise, the field shows the domain your link uses. You can't change the domain after you create the link.

  7. (Optional) Enter an Alias, the part of the link after the domain. An alias can be up to 128 characters, using letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. You can't change it after you create the link.

  8. (Optional) Choose an Objective. The objectives are Monetization, Retention, Engagement, and Acquisition.

  9. (Optional) Choose an Objective Event. This field appears only when last-touch attribution is turned on for your account.

Step 3: Add analytics tags (optional) ​

Add analytics tags to your link so you can sort and compare its performance with your other links.

On the Analytics Tags tab, you can fill in the following tags:

  • Feature (utm_medium) describes the action or product where the link is placed.
  • Channel (utm_source) describes the platform or source where you expect users to click the link.
  • Campaign (utm_campaign) describes the theme of the link.
  • Tags (utm_tags) is a free-form list of labels you can use as filters on the Links page.

Each field suggests up to 10 values you've used in the last two months. Feature and Channel also list common values under Suggested. To add a new value, type it, then select the Create option that shows your value.

Step 4: Set redirects (optional) ​

Your link inherits its iOS, Android, and desktop redirects from the defaults in Link Routing Rules. On the Redirects tab, you can override them to choose where users go when they don't have your app.

For each platform, choose one of the following options:

  • Default Redirect uses your account's default from Link Routing Rules.
  • Web URL sends users to a web page you enter.
  • Deepview shows users a preview of the content before they go to the app store. Select it, then pick a template from Select a deepview template.

For a web link, the Destination Web URL you entered in step 2 already sets all three redirects.

The Redirects and Link Data tabs appear only when app links are turned on for your account.

On the Link Data tab, add custom key-value pairs that your app receives when the link opens it. Select a key from Type or select key or type your own, enter its value, and select Add more link data to add another pair.

To learn which keys you can use, see the custom data and analytics options in our Deep Link Reference article.

Note

Link data supports flat key-value pairs only. To send nested data, use the Deep Linking API instead. Your developers use nested data when they create links with the API.

Keys that other tabs already set don't appear on the Link Data tab. For example, the redirect URLs come from the Redirects tab. Each key can appear only once, and every key needs a value.

Step 6: Customize the QR code (optional) ​

Every link includes a QR code. To customize it, follow these steps:

  1. In the side panel, select the Previews tab.
  2. Select the pencil icon in the QR Code section. The Customize QR Code dialog opens.
  3. Choose your pattern, finder, shape, border, colors, and logo.
  4. Select Save Changes.

The pencil icon appears only when QR code customization is turned on for your account. To change the default design for all new links, see Link Appearance.

Note

If you switch a link between App and Web, its URL can change. If you plan to print the QR code, choose the destination type before you share it.

The link preview is how your link looks on social media, in messaging apps, and anywhere else that shows link previews. To customize it, follow these steps:

  1. In the side panel, select the Previews tab.
  2. Select the pencil icon in the Link Preview section. The Customize Link Preview dialog opens.
  3. Enter a Title and a Description.
  4. Add an image by entering an image URL or uploading a file. Uploading works only when image upload is turned on for your account.
  5. Select Save Link Preview.

Select Create Link. Branch saves the link and takes you to the Links page, where a message confirms that your link was saved. To check the link's routing, select Validate Link in that message. The Link Validator opens in the legacy version of Branch.

Bulk link creation opens in the legacy version of Branch. To start it, follow these steps:

  1. In Branch, go to Campaigns > Links.
  2. Select Create.
  3. Select Bulk Links.
  4. If a submenu opens, select Bulk Short Links.

To finish creating your links in the legacy version, see Create Web Links.

You can create Short Links from Slack with the Branch Slack App. Slack creates them through the Deep Linking API, so you can't use templates or folders there.

Use the Deep Linking API to create web and app Short Links from your own systems.

Describe the link you want, and Ivy fills in the Create Link form for you. To learn how, see Create Links With Ivy.

Your links appear on the Links page, where you can search, filter, edit, and organize them into folders. To learn more, see Links Page.

Each link card on the Links page shows the link's clicks from the last 30 days. To see more of the link's analytics, select Analysis in the card's three-dot menu. To learn more, see Link Analytics.

Additional resources ​

To keep learning about Short Links, see our Deep Link Reference, Links Page, and Link Validator articles.

FAQs ​

Does a Branch QR code expire?

No. A QR code points to a Short Link, and it keeps working as long as the Short Link exists. If you change your app's link domain, Short Links and QR codes that use the old domain stop working.

Are opens included in the number of installs in Branch?

No. If a user who already has the app clicks the link and opens the app, Branch counts an open. If the app isn't installed, the user goes to the app store to install it, and the first open after the install counts as an install.

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