Creating Tracking Link and Its Features

An ‘All-in-One’ Link Systemlink

Airbridge Tracking Link can be configured in a way that a single link can be set to land to App Markets by platforms (i.e. Android, iOS, desktop) or a specific webpage. If the App is installed, with Deep Link, it can bring Users to a specific in-App content. Also, by configuring link preview (Open Graph), enhanced branding and UX can be offered.

Creating Tracking Linklink

The Tracking Link follows attribute values of Google Analytics. Supported attribute values will correspond to Google URL Builder on one-on-one basis. So, if you use Google Analytics, you can use the same feature in Tracking Link.

Step 1. Setting Link Types and Information (Required)link

1. Select ‘Create Tracking Link’
2. Select Link Type (Required): Link types are grouped into ‘Click’ and ‘View’, depending on the ad attribution criteria and how the link works.
3. Select channel type and channel for publishing (Required): If the ad is executed via channel, select ‘Paid Channel and select a channel. When executing ads on viral channels (i.e. Facebook Page, Naver Blog), select ‘Viral Channel’ and select a channel. If you cannot find the channel you want, you can submit the channel name yourself by hitting the return key, or select ‘Create Custom Channel’. Custom Paid Channel: The Postback feature is not supported to Paid Channel which are not published on Airbridge. If the Paid Channel you would like to integrate with Postback is unlisted, select ‘Request for Registration’ on the right part of Custom Paid Channel name.
4. Submit basic information for Tracking Link (Optional)

• When you create a Tracking Link by submitting information such as campaign, ad group, ad creative, sub channel, contents, and keywords, sub-sub channel, then you will get a segmented statistical report from ‘Statistics by Tracking Links” page.'
• Only alphabet letters, numbers, designated special characters (-, _, .) can be submitted for the basic information.

Step 2. Setting Path (Optional)link

The paths are set to default preferences by platforms. For mobile (Android, iOS) platforms, if App Market information has been configured on ‘Manage App Info > App Basic Info’, it will be selected to ‘App Market’ in regards. When the App Market information is not set up, than it will be selected to ‘Web URL’. The PC platforms will be set to ‘Airpage’ as default preference.

Configuration by Platformslink

In addition to basic preference by platforms, user paths can be configured as follows, depending on desktop platforms.

• Android : App Market (Google Play Store) or web URL
• iOS : App Market (Apple AppStore) or web URL
• Desktop : Airpage, App Market (Web Google Play Store), or web URL
  

  App Market	Only when the App is registered from '[Manage App Info] > [App Basic Info]', configuration is available
  Web URL	Web URL can be set.
  Airpage	Airpage is auto-created alongside App registration, and User can send out Tracking Link SMSs to mobile devices on this page.

Setting Deep Linklink

When a User who already installed the App clicks on the Tracking Link, they can be directed to a specific in-App page. Select ‘Setting Deep Link Path’ and submit Path, Key, and Value. The Custom URL Scheme doesn’t have to be submitted because it will be auto-filled from [Setting Deep Link] tab of the Dashboard. If Path, Key, and Value are not configured, then it will be directed to App’s Homeview.

• Setting Deep Link for Android
• Setting Deep Link for iOS
• Setting Deep Link for ‘Facebook Ad’, a Paid Channel

Setting All to Web URLlink

By selecting ‘Setting All to Web URL’ option, it will be linked to configured web URL of website regardless of platform type (i.e. Android, iOS, desktop) or app install availability.

Step 3. Setting Preview (Optional)link

When sharing a Tracking Link, the Open Graph preview, such as image, title, and description can be configured. By default, [Manage App Info]> [Default Preview Info] is reflected in the settings, and you can configure preview information for each Tracking Link. For more details, please refer to the ‘Customizing Preview Info’ guide.

Step 4. Complete Creating Tracking Link & Statistical Reportlink

By clicking on ‘Complete Creation’ button, a Tracking Link will be created. Already created Tracking Links can be viewed from ‘Created Tracking Link’ tab.

Additional Features of Tracking Linklink

Auto-created Airpage and SMS Deliverylink

Airapage is an auto-created page on Airbridge, which is designed for desktop Users. When the app is published on Airbridge Dashboard, then a web page is created based on app name description, and reviews. And this web page will be displayed to Users.

The desktop Users who landed on Airpage can submit personal mobile number to send the download link to one’s mobile device, and can move to App’s website through ‘See Website’ on the upper right corner.

If you wish to send desktop Users to other websites other than Airpage, than you can configure your web URL from path setting during ‘Create Tracking Link’.

Custom Preview Infolink

Airbridge offers a custom feature to the marketers, so that they can adjust OG Tag of Tracking Link without developer consultation. Basically, the settings are reflected in ‘Manage App Info > Default Preview Info’, and you can configure Preview Info by Tracking Links. You can also deliver a marketing message, if you custom optimize campaign information and channel for Preview, to which the Tracking Link will be distributed.

• OG Tag: OG Tag is an abbreviation for ‘Open Graph Tag’. On Facebook, an Open Graph Protocol is observed, so that websites can better represent their meta data in structure.

When creating a Tracking Link, you can configure the setting from ‘Preview’ of Creating Tracking Link page.

After Tracking Link is completed, the preview info can be modified from ‘Created Tracking Link’ on Dashboard.

Preview info will not be immediately modified When you publish Tracking Link to platforms such as Kakao Talk or Facebook, and then modify preview info, the changes will not be immediately reflected due to caching. The changes will be reflected after some time, but if you want an immediate change reflection, refresh cache by platforms.

• Facebook: Facebook for Developers > Sharing Debugger > Submit Tracking Link > Select 'Debug' > Select 'Scrape Again'
• Kakao Talk: Kakao Talk for Developers > Developer Guide > Cache Tool > Submit Tracking Link > Select 'Request'

Custom Domainlink

The Tracing Link adopts Airbridge default domain (http://abr.ge/), and the domain can be customized under '[Manage App Info] > [Custom Domain]'

To activate custom domain, you must change your domain’s CNAME record to custom-domain.airbridge.io. in DNS (Domain Name Server). It may take some time for changes in DNS are to be reflected.

Creating Dynamic Tracking Linklink

Outside Dashboard, the dynamic Tracking Link can be created. A very simple use case is as below.

http://abr.ge/@[[[app name]]/[[channel name]]
file_copyCopy

For example, if you want to create a dynamic link for Facebook, as a marketer of ‘reap as you sow’, you can create a Tracking Link as the following. At this time, the pre-configured unique English name of the 'reap as you sow' app is bbu, and the channel of the Tracking Link you want to create is Facebook (You can find your app's unique name from the 'Manage App Info' page).

If you want to set all five attribute values, such as channel, when creating Tracking Links outside Dashboard, you can set them with the query string as shown below. In this Create Tracking Link guide, you can refer to a description of the settings for all five attribute values.

http://abr.ge/@bbu/facebook?campaign=spring_sales&medium=CPI&term=jean&content=female_model_image
file_copyCopy

Query String: A format used to pass data from a URI, starting with a question mark (?), Such as?key1=value1&key2=value2&key3=, and several codes are connected by an ampersand(&).

As of now, creating a dynamic Tracking Link is blocked as default. If you want to use it, please email us via ‘1:1 Inquiry’ in the bottom right corner, or write us email at Airbridge Support.

(Note) Linking/Publishing Tracking Linklink

• Paid Channel Integration: After creating Tracking Link, it should be reflected to the system of the concerned Paid Channel.
• Publishing Viral Channel: After creating Tracking Link, publish it to the Viral Channel. For more details, please refer to the ‘Publishing Viral Channel’ guide

(Note) Testing Tracking Linklink

Testing All-in-One Link Redirectionlink

Depending on the in-app browser settings, the Tracking Link may not direct to path as configured while Tracking Link was created.
The following test result is based on the test conducted on June 14, 2017. It may be subject to change in accordance with browser version updates and/or policy changes, or policy changes to Android and iOS. Airbridge internal QA will be conducting regular testings, when you come across an unexpected course of action, please report to ‘1:1 Inquiry’ from the bottom right corner.

When the User is pasting to the address bar, it may not work well according the actions above.
For example, if you paste a Tracking Link directly to the Android Chrome address bar that moves Users to the App Market (app version), you'll be taken to the "web version" App Market, instead of the app version.
Similarly, if you paste directly into the address bar of your Android default browser, you will be taken to the Google search results page. This can be understood with each manufacturer or browser policy that does not wish to impair customer experience when links are pasted to the address bar.

(Note) When Tracking Link cannot be sent to Web URL (App uninstalled)link

Even if you designate an web URL as web path, you will always be directed to "App Market (App version)", such as Android's Facebook in-app browser, KakaoTalk in-app browser, Naver in-app browser and Facebook app feed and ads (i.e. Android , iOS), due to technical constraints.
Therefore, in under the dynamic setting of Tracking Link, when app is uninstalled, even if a User designates the path to a web URL, the link may not function as intended.

This is because Airbridge service system uses various branching methods, and the required dynamic setting for each methods differ respectively. For more details on branching methods and adoptable dynamic setting, please refer to the information below.

• JS Branching (Intent): JavaScript calls upon Intent, instead of App Custom URI Scheme. This branching method is only applied to some browsers of Android (Chrome, Android default browser, Gmail). If the app is uninstalled, it can be moved to the App Market or the specified web URL. Please refer to the Chrome Official Guide for more details.
• JS Branching (Intent): It triggers the Custom URI Scheme address of the app with JavaScript, and it can move the User to App Market or the specified web URL when the app is not installed. However, in some Android browsers (i.e. Facebook in-app browser, KakaoTalk in-app browser, Naver in-app browser, etc.), it is not possible to move Users to the specified web URL, so they can be only moved to the App Market. For iOS, everything works normally.
• HTTPS Branching: Branching through HTTPS Deep Links (i.e. Android App Links, iOS Universal Link). For more details, see Android App Links Official Guide and the iOS Universal Link Official Guide.
• Facebook Applinks Branching: Facebook branches through its self-standard called Applinks, so it is not possible to move Users to a web URL when the app is uninstalled, rather it can only be moved to App Market. Please see Facebook Applinks Guide for more details.
• (Note) In-App browser: When a link on Facebook app feed is clicked, its its own browser opens, allowing Users to surf on web. Such browser which runs within App is called in-App browser as a whole. In South Korea, some of the common in-app browsers include Facebook, Kakao Talk, and Naver.
• (Note) App Feed vs. Web Feed: Even under the same Facebook service, the feed as viewed from Facebook App and Web are different. On app feed, the native code can determine whether the app has been installed in advance, therefore it follows Applinks. However, on web feed, it is the opposite. Since it app install cannot be determined in advance, the link is enabled in plain manner, and then follows the browser setting (For example, If you are logged on to Facebook on Chrome mobile, and click a link, you will be following through the Chrome setting).

(Note) Safari Error Pop-uplink

When a Deep Link is enabled as a JS branch (Intent) on iOS Safari, the following error pop-ups can appear. This pop-up is an intended action on iOS, not an error from Airbridge branching system. If you have any further inquiries relating to this error, please reach us through ‘1:1 Inquiry’ from the bottom right corner.