7 min read
Managed deferred links without Branch are now built into Grometrics
App install attribution should not require another vendor account, SDK, or credential set.
· Grometrics Team
A mobile campaign can generate a valuable customer and still lose the evidence that the campaign worked. The gap usually appears when someone taps an ad, reaches the app store, installs, and opens the app for the first time. Without deferred linking, that first session often looks Direct.
Grometrics now closes that gap with managed deferred links. You create the campaign link in Grometrics Settings, add it to the campaign, and let the Grometrics React Native package recover the source and destination after installation. There is no Branch account, Branch SDK, or customer-managed Branch credential set.
The result is a cleaner path from campaign click to app session to revenue. The same attribution context can stay attached as the visitor signs up, starts a trial, subscribes, renews, or requests a refund.
What Grometrics now manages
Managed deferred links are hosted by Grometrics and configured from Settings. Each link belongs to a tracked mobile app and can carry an in-app destination plus optional UTM source, medium, and campaign values.
- Hosted campaign URLs that can be copied into ads, email, QR codes, and landing pages
- Apple Universal Link and Android App Link association files
- Google Play Install Referrer attribution for deterministic Android install recovery
- Privacy-limited iOS first-install matching within a 24-hour window
- One-time destination delivery through the React Native onDeferredLink callback
- Link enable and disable controls in Grometrics Settings
No separate linking vendor: The Grometrics package contains the attribution flow. Customers configure their app identity in Grometrics Settings instead of creating and maintaining a separate Branch integration.
One link, two paths
| When the link is tapped | What happens | What Grometrics retains |
|---|---|---|
| App is installed | The verified app link opens the app destination. | Link reference and UTM campaign context |
| App is not installed | The visitor reaches the relevant app store, installs, and opens. | Recovered install source, campaign, and in-app destination |
| Mobile destination cannot open | The visitor goes to the optional web fallback. | The campaign URL remains measurable |
This is the practical difference between a normal deep link and a deferred link. A normal deep link helps an installed app open the right screen. A deferred link also survives the installation step.
Android uses deterministic Install Referrer attribution
For Android campaigns, Grometrics places a signed link reference, destination, and campaign values into the Google Play referrer. The React Native package reads and caches that referrer on first launch. This gives Android a deterministic connection between the managed link and the installed app session.
The Android package name and production SHA-256 signing fingerprint in Settings > General allow Google and the device to verify that the app is authorized to handle the hosted link. Sideloaded builds do not receive Google Play Install Referrer data, so fresh-install verification should use a Play-distributed test build.
iOS matching is deliberately privacy-limited
Apple does not provide the same deterministic install referrer. Grometrics records an eligible iOS click using a privacy-preserving network digest, then allows the app to request a one-time match during its first launch. The match window is 24 hours.
Grometrics does not force a match when several clicks are equally eligible. Ambiguous cases remain Direct. That protects reporting from confident-looking guesses and keeps the attribution model honest.
The Apple Team ID and Bundle ID in Settings > General let Grometrics publish the Universal Link association. The numeric App Store ID provides the store destination when the app is not installed.
Set it up in five steps
- Set the workspace Platform to Mobile or Both in Settings > General.
- Save the app identifier and the Apple Team ID or Android signing fingerprint in Settings > General.
- Add the @grometrics/react-native Expo plugin with the site ID from Settings > Tracking, then create a new native build.
- Handle onDeferredLink after the app router is ready.
- Create a managed link, copy it into a campaign, and verify both installed-app and fresh-install paths.
The complete field reference, setup snippet, verification checklist, and troubleshooting steps are in the managed deferred links guide.
What goes into a managed link
| Field | Required | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| App | Yes | Chooses the tracked iOS or Android app |
| Link name | Yes | Internal label shown in Grometrics |
| Short link slug | Yes | Readable ending for the hosted URL |
| In-app destination | Yes | App route to open, such as /offer |
| Web fallback URL | No | Destination when the mobile path cannot open |
| UTM Source, Medium, Campaign | No | Campaign dimensions attached to attribution |
An iOS managed link needs either a numeric App Store ID in Settings > General or a valid web fallback URL. Android can derive its Play Store destination from the package name.
The useful outcome is revenue attribution
A recovered install campaign should not end as a vanity install count. Grometrics carries the mobile attribution context into the app session, where it can connect with identified users, RevenueCat transactions, Stripe payments, screens, goals, and funnels.
That distinction matters. The goal is not to eliminate Direct by inventing certainty. The goal is to recover campaign context when the platform provides enough evidence, then leave the rest honest.
Available now for React Native and Expo
Managed first-install resolution is available through @grometrics/react-native. Follow the React Native setup guide to configure it. The native iOS, Android, and Flutter SDKs can continue recording tagged opening URLs, but they do not yet perform this managed first-install resolution.
If your app already uses a custom attribution adapter, it can remain in place. The Grometrics adapter composes with the existing attribution path instead of replacing it.
Start with the React Native and Expo installation guide, then create the first campaign link in Settings.
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