Deferred Deep Linking: How to drive more users
An extra helping hand ✋
Your friend sends you a link; click on it, and bam! It opens up the app. Thanks to Deep linking. However, what if the app is not installed on your device? Lost?! No. Here comes deferred deep linking into the picture.
past tense: deferred; past participle: deferred
Defer (duh·fur): to leave something until a later time
What makes it so special?
Deferred deep links are just like deep links, except they hold on to the data and wait for you to download the app to your device. These links have a fallback attached to handle multiple use cases like what to do when the app is installed or when the app is not installed. The fallbacks are configured first to detect the Operating system of the device you’re using and redirect you to the App Store in iOS or PlayStore in case of Android while holding all the metadata attached in the link. Once you download the app, it works the same way as if you had the app installed.
But there’s more… these links also provide you with a lot of insights as they have the option to configure the UTM(Urchin Tracking Module) codes.
Deferred Deeplinks Mechanism:
- URI Schemes: URI schemes are the traditional deep linking method where we provide a path to a specific page within the app.
- Apple Universal Links: Apple created its standard to support deep linking while…