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AppLink FAQs

Quick answers to common AppLink questions.

Getting Started​

A: AppLink is a smart deep linking solution that ensures seamless user experiences across devices and platforms, whether or not your app is installed. It's designed as a modern replacement for Firebase Dynamic Links.

A: iOS, Android, Flutter, and React Native with native support for Swift, Kotlin, Java, and other languages.

A: Yes, you need to integrate the AppLink SDK into your app to handle deep links and deferred deep linking. SDKs are available for iOS, Android, Flutter, and React Native.

A: Yes, you can create AppLinks through the AppLink Dashboard on the web portal. However, to handle deep links inside your app, you'll need to integrate the SDK.

URL Prefix & Domain Setup​

A: Yes, verify your domain on AppsOnAir and your links will bind to it.

Q: What's the difference between AppsOnAir branded domain and custom domain?​

A: The AppsOnAir branded domain is a default subdomain (e.g., yourapp.appsonair.link). A custom domain is your own domain (e.g., links.yourbrand.com) that you verify and use with AppLink.

Q: What DNS records do I need to add for custom domain verification?​

A: You need to add CNAME and TXT records to your domain's DNS settings — these will be provided during the setup process.

Q: Should I enable proxy for my custom domain?​

A: No, ensure the proxy is disabled for your custom domain to ensure proper functionality.

Link Creation & Management​

A: You can create AppLinks either through the AppLink Dashboard on the web portal or programmatically via SDKs (iOS, Android, Flutter, React Native).

Q: What is a URL suffix?​

A: The URL suffix is the custom part that appears at the end of your AppLink (e.g., yourapp.appsonair.link/your-suffix).

A: Yes, you can configure different behaviors for iOS and Android, such as opening in the app, browser, or redirecting to a custom URL.

A: Some platforms do not support WebP images for link previews. Always use PNG or JPG images for the Preview Image URL for best compatibility.

iOS Configuration​

Q: What information do I need for iOS app configuration?​

A: You need your Team ID, Bundle Identifier, and App Store ID (if your app is on the App Store).

Q: Where can I find my Apple Team ID?​

A: Log in to your Apple Developer Account → Membership Details → Team ID (a 10-character alphanumeric string).

Q: Where can I find my Bundle Identifier?​

A: In Xcode, go to Target → General → Bundle Identifier.

Android Configuration​

Q: What information do I need for Android app configuration?​

A: You need your Package Name and SHA-256 certificate fingerprint.

Q: How do I get my SHA-256 fingerprint?​

A: Via Android Studio (Gradle → signingReport) or using keytool. For production builds, also add the SHA-256 from Play Console → Setup → App Integrity.

Q: Where can I find my Package Name?​

A: In AndroidManifest.xml or in build.gradle under applicationId.

A: Not directly. You must use Google Takeout to export links in CSV format. Learn more

Q: What's the maximum CSV file size allowed?​

A: 100 MB per file. If larger, split it into multiple files.

Q: What parameters are required for Firebase CSV import?​

A: Mandatory: shortLink and name. Optional: link, apn, afl, ibi, ifl, isi, st, sd, si.

A: You'll receive a summary email once the import is complete, including total, successful, and failed records. Failed records include a CSV download with error details.

Q: Can I use my existing custom domain from Firebase?​

A: Yes, but you must remove it from Firebase before verifying it on the AppsOnAir AppLink platform.

Deep Linking & Deferred Deep Linking​

Q: What is deferred deep linking?​

A: Deferred deep linking allows you to deliver personalized content to users even after the app is installed. If a user clicks an AppLink without the app installed, they're redirected to the app store — and once installed, the app retrieves the original link data.

Q: What happens if the app is not installed?​

A: The user is redirected to the App Store or Google Play Store (or a custom fallback URL). Once installed, the app can retrieve the original link data.

AppsFlyer Attribution​

Q: Why is appsFlyer data missing from the SDK response?​

A: Enable AppsFlyer Integration is not selected in URL Prefix Setup → Step 3: App Info. The SDK returns AppsFlyer data only when that option is enabled. See Enable AppsFlyer Integration for where to find this setting.

Q: Why doesn't my campaign data appear in the AppsFlyer dashboard?​

A: Either Enable AppsFlyer Integration is not selected, the device is not registered as a test device in AppsFlyer, or — on Android — the app is not live on the Play Store. The attribution response from the SDK still works without a Play Store listing, but dashboard data does not.

Q: Nothing is attributed on Android. What's wrong?​

A: This is usually caused by having more than one Google account signed in on the device, or by using a company/Workspace account rather than a personal one. If you run into this, it may help to try signing in with just a single personal account (like [email protected]) and see if that resolves things.

Q: Nothing is attributed on iOS. What's wrong?​

A: This can sometimes happen if the clipboard prompt was denied. It may also be worth checking your Advanced Deferred AppLink setup, which you can read more about here.

Q: Why does referral data from an earlier test still appear on iOS after reinstalling?​

A: iOS stores referral data in the Keychain, which survives an uninstall. Android stores it in SharedPreferences, which is cleared on uninstall.

A: This is controlled by Attribution TTL, not by your AppsFlyer configuration. The install happened after the link's attributionTtl window expired, or the click time and install time could not be determined.

For the full configuration and testing flow, see AppsFlyer Attribution.

Troubleshooting​

Q: My custom domain verification failed. What should I do?​

A: DNS changes may take time to propagate. Review your CNAME and TXT records and try again later.

A: Make sure you've added the SHA-256 certificate fingerprint from both your debug keystore and Play Console (for production). Also verify https://your-domain/.well-known/assetlinks.json.

A: Verify your Team ID and Bundle Identifier are correct. Check https://your-domain/.well-known/apple-app-site-association.

Use Cases​

A: Referral campaigns, promotions & offers, content sharing, user onboarding, email marketing, and social media campaigns.

A: Yes, AppLink supports post-install attribution and can track user referrals through install and launch.

For more information, visit the AppsOnAir website or check out the other AppLink documentation pages.