Deferred Deep Linking

A deep link opens your app at the right place. A deferred deep link does the same — even when the app isn't installed yet. The intended destination survives the installation and opens automatically on first launch.

---

Definition

Deferred deep linking is a mobile linking technique that preserves the intended in-app destination across an app installation. It solves the fundamental problem of mobile deep links: what happens when the user who clicks the link doesn't have the app installed?

Without deferred deep linking, the flow breaks at installation:

The word "deferred" describes the delay between the original click and the final destination being opened — the deep link execution is deferred until after the app is installed and launched.

Deep Link vs Deferred Deep Link vs Regular Mobile Redirect

How Deep Links Work in Cuttly

Cuttly's mobile alternative redirects feature supports deep links for both Android and iOS — in addition to standard URL redirects.

Android Deep Links

In the Android Link field, you can enter:

• A regular URL — standard web redirect for Android visitors
• A mobile deep link using a custom URL scheme: myapp://product/123, youtube://watch?v=...
• Android intent format: intent://...

iOS Deep Links

In the iOS Link field, you can enter:

• A regular URL
• A deep link using a custom URL scheme: myapp://product/123
• A Universal Link — an HTTPS URL that iOS routes directly to the app when installed

Windows Mobile

An optional fallback URL for Windows Mobile devices.

Fallback URL

A fallback URL for all devices not matched by the Android, iOS or Windows Mobile settings — typically a web version of the destination.

App Store Redirects: When the App Is Not Installed

Both Android and iOS mobile redirects in Cuttly include optional app store redirect settings — for handling the case when the app is not installed on the visitor's device.

Google Play Redirect (Android)

Enable Google Play Redirect and enter the Android Package ID (e.g. com.google.android.youtube — copied from the Google Play URL). When an Android visitor does not have the app installed, Cuttly redirects them to the app's Google Play listing.

App Store Redirect (iOS)

Enable App Store Redirect and enter the iOS App Store ID (the numeric ID from the App Store URL, e.g. 123456789 from https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id123456789). When an iOS visitor does not have the app installed, Cuttly redirects them to the app's App Store listing.

Android Deferred Deep Linking: Install Referrer

When Google Play Redirect is enabled, Cuttly supports Android deferred deep linking via the Android Install Referrer option. This is how it works:

1. User clicks the short link on an Android device
2. App is not installed → Cuttly redirects to Google Play with the Install Referrer value encoded in the Play Store URL
3. User installs the app from Google Play
4. On first launch, the app reads the Install Referrer value via the Android Install Referrer API
5. App uses the referrer value to determine the correct in-app destination and navigates there automatically

The Install Referrer value is set in the Android Install Referrer field in Cuttly's mobile settings. Examples of valid referrer values:

Important: Android deferred deep linking via Install Referrer requires the app to implement the Android Install Referrer API. Cuttly passes the referrer value through Google Play — but the app itself must contain the code to read and act on it on first launch. This is a developer implementation requirement on the app side.

Complete Mobile Redirect Configuration Example

A fully configured mobile alternative redirect for an e-commerce app might look like this:

With this configuration, one short link handles six scenarios: Android with app (deep link to product), Android without app (Play Store → deferred deep link to product after install), iOS with app (deep link to product), iOS without app (App Store), desktop and all other devices (web product page).

How to Set Up in Cuttly

1. Go to your short links list in the dashboard
2. Click the Mobile alternative linking button for the selected short link
3. Configure the settings: Fallback URL, Android Link, iOS Link (and optionally Windows Mobile)
4. Enable Google Play Redirect if you want Android users without the app to go to the Play Store — enter the Android Package ID
5. Enter the Android Install Referrer value if your app implements the Install Referrer API for deferred deep linking
6. Enable App Store Redirect if you want iOS users without the app to go to the App Store — enter the iOS App Store ID
7. Click Save

Full setup guide with all options: How to Add Alternative Redirects for Mobile Links.

Mobile alternative redirects (including deep links and app store redirects) are available from the Single plan ($25/month) and above.

iOS Deferred Deep Linking

iOS does not have a direct equivalent of the Android Install Referrer mechanism. The standard approaches for iOS deferred deep linking are:

• Universal Links. HTTPS URLs that iOS routes directly to the app when installed, and to the web when not installed. After App Store installation, the app can receive context from the Universal Link via Apple's associated domains mechanism.
• Third-party deep link platforms. Services like Branch, AppsFlyer or Adjust provide cross-platform deferred deep linking including iOS, using their own SDK-based mechanism for passing link context through installation.

For iOS, Cuttly's mobile redirect supports deep links and App Store redirects — the deferred aspect on iOS depends on how the app handles Universal Links or any third-party deep link SDK integration.

Related Terms

• Deep Linking
• Device Targeting
• Link Rotation
• Redirect Types
• QR Tracking