What are Android App Links?

Android App Links are HTTP URLs that send users to a specific in-app location or relevant web/landing page. App Links improve the user experience by eliminating the time users otherwise waste on navigating to specific content. They also make it easier for users to share content.

App developers can use Android App Links to ensure the user is taken directly to their desired in-app location. In cases where the app is not installed, users can go directly to any content on your website thanks to the use of a single HTTP URL that’s matched to content in your app and on your website.

To learn more about how these types of links work, take a look at the official documentation for handing Android App Links. Android also provides detailed information on how to add Android App Links and how to successfully implement them to drive more traffic to your app, uncover the highest converting content, and aid in the customer experience.

Before creating Android App Links for your app, it’s important to define how they differ from deep links. Deep links are URLs/a type of tracking parameter that send users to in-app content or app pages. With Adjust, deep links can also defer users to the app store if the app is not yet installed, then send them to the right location after install—this is called a deferred deep link. They can be set up on Android using intent filters and by extracting data from incoming intents, always driving users to the correct in-app location.

Learn more about deep linking and see our official documentation for campaign setup, including deep links.

A significant difference between deep links and Android App Links is that with the former, the user may be redirected to the app (when the app is installed) or to the Play Store (when the app is not installed). This differs from Android App Links, which, available on Android 6.0 (API level 23) and higher, are links that have been verified for a specific website and allow opening of URLs in an associated app directly, without asking the user to select the app.

With an Android App Link, your app will designate itself as the default app for a certain type of link, but users can override this in their system settings. Deep links, on the other hand, must always show what’s called a disambiguation dialogue so the user can decide directly which app they want to use to open the link.

Android App Links can drive traffic to your app and highlight your most popular in-app content. Just like deep linking, a key advantage of Android App Links is the improved user experience. By utilizing a single HTTP URL for content in-app and on your website, developers can save users the time and energy it would otherwise take to find specific content. Regardless of whether they have the app installed or not, the user has easy access to your product.

In terms of security, Android App Links use HTTP URLs that link to a developer’s website domain, meaning only that developer can make use of those links. They also require developers to verify their ownership of a domain.

Developers might also want to make their app available as an ‘instant app’ via Google Play Instant, where users can run native Android apps without the requirement of installation. These apps are launched by clicking a URL, meaning all Google Play Instant Apps are, as such, accessible via a URL declared using Android App Links.

For more information on Android App Links, deep linking, and campaign setup with Adjust, along with all steps required to start measuring attribution, events, and more in your Android app, see our information on getting started with the Android SDK. You can also request a demo today.