Configure deep link settings

Requirements

• Admin permissions:
  • Create an app
  • Set up a branded domain
• Admin, Editor, or Custom Editor permissions:
  • Manage app settings

Create an app

Create an app in the Adjust dashboard.

Please note that the Adjust dashboard only supports one App ID (for example: com.example.app) and app scheme (for example: example://) for each app. If your app uses different App IDs and/or app schemes for your release and debug builds, create a separate debug app.

Add Android platform

Add Android in the platform settings for your app. If you don’t have your App ID yet, or are not sure what it is, you can select the I don’t have an app ID yet checkbox. Follow the rest of this guide to collect all required data points, then return to platform settings in the dashboard to finish the configuration.

Set up a branded domain

In the Adjust dashboard, set up a branded domain using Adjust’s go.link domain (for example: brandname.go.link). If your organization uses an enterprise domain, set that up as well.

If your iOS app and Android app use separate apps in Adjust, ensure that you select the same branded domain (brandname.go.link) for both apps in the Adjust dashboard.

If you use separate apps for release and debug builds, create a separate branded domain for your debug app (brandnamedebug.go.link). If your debug apps use separate apps for iOS and Android in Adjust, ensure that you also select this same branded domain for both debug apps in the Adjust dashboard.

Make note of your branded domains to configure in Android Studio in the next section.

Find your App ID and App Scheme

To configure deep linking, it is necessary to identify the App ID and the App Scheme. The setup will typically match one of the following configurations. Use these examples to find the values.

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android {
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    defaultConfig {
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        // Release App ID
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        applicationId = "com.example.app"
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    }
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    // ...
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}

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android {
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    defaultConfig {
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        // Release App ID
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        applicationId = "com.example.app"
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        // Release App Scheme
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        manifestPlaceholders["appScheme"] = "example"
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    }
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    buildTypes {
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        getByName("debug") {
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            // Debug App ID: com.example.app.debug
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            applicationIdSuffix = ".debug"
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            // Debug App Scheme
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            manifestPlaceholders["appScheme"] = "exampleDebug"
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        }
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    }
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    // ...
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}

Make note of the App IDs and App Schemes to configure them in the Adjust dashboard. If you don’t find an App Scheme after checking these files, you will create one in the next section.

Configure Android App Links and App Scheme

Open your app-level AndroidManifest.xml file and add an intent filter for each of the following:

Android App Links

• Release Adjust branded domain (brandname.go.link)
• Enterprise domain (click.brandname.com), if applicable
• Debug Adjust branded link (brandnamedebug.go.link), if applicable

App Schemes

If you don’t already have an app scheme, add one as well. It has to be something besides http or https.

• Release App Scheme (example://)
• Debug App Scheme (exampleDebug://), if applicable

Below are two approaches to ensure that deep links always open the app in an existing task when one is present. Choose the approach that corresponds to your app’s current main activity launch mode configuration.

• Main Activity Approach
  Use this if your main activity is already singleTask or singleInstance.
  The main activity receives the deep link directly.

• Dedicated Deep Link Activity Approach
  Use this if your main activity is singleTop, standard, or doesn’t specify a launch mode.
  A separate singleTask activity receives the deep link intent, forwards it to the main activity, and then finishes.

These options ensure the correct deep link behavior without requiring changes to your main activity’s launch mode. See the Android launch mode documentation for more information.

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<!-- Use this approach if MainActivity is already singleTask or singleInstance -->
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<activity
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    android:name=".MainActivity"
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    android:launchMode="singleTask"
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    android:exported="true"
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    ...>
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    <!-- Your existing LAUNCHER intent-filter -->
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    <intent-filter>
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        <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
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    </intent-filter>
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    <!-- Add this intent filter for your Adjust branded domain -->
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    <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
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        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
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        <data
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            android:scheme="https"
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            android:host="brandname.go.link" />
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    </intent-filter>
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    <!-- Add this intent filter for your app scheme -->
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    <intent-filter>
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        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
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        <data android:scheme="example" />
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    </intent-filter>
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</activity>

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<!-- Use this approach if MainActivity is singleTop, standard, or doesn't specify a launch mode -->
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<activity
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    android:name=".MainActivity"
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    android:launchMode="singleTop"
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    android:exported="true"
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    ...>
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    <!-- Your existing LAUNCHER intent-filter -->
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    <intent-filter>
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        <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
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    </intent-filter>
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</activity>
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<!-- Add this new activity to your manifest to receive deep links -->
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<activity
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    android:name=".DedicatedDeepLinkActivity"
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    android:launchMode="singleTask"
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    android:exported="true"
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    android:noHistory="true"
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    android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Translucent.NoTitleBar">
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    <!-- Add this intent filter for your Adjust branded domain -->
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    <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
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        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
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        <data
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            android:scheme="https"
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            android:host="brandname.go.link" />
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    </intent-filter>
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    <!-- Add this intent filter for your app scheme -->
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    <intent-filter>
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        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
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        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
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        <data android:scheme="example" />
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    </intent-filter>
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</activity>

Finish configuring Android platform settings

In the Adjust dashboard, finish configuring Android platform settings for your apps using the data points you have collected.

To configure the Deep linking with Android App Links settings, you also have to retrieve the SHA-256 certificate fingerprints for your release and debug builds.