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Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about LinkForty.

General Questions​

What is LinkForty?​

LinkForty is an open-source mobile attribution and deep link management platform. It helps you track app installs, manage deep links (Universal Links and App Links), and analyze user attribution to understand which marketing campaigns drive app growth.

Is LinkForty really open source?​

Yes! The core LinkForty package (@linkforty/core) is completely open source under the AGPL-3.0 License. You can self-host it for free, modify it, or contribute to the project on GitHub.

What's the difference between LinkForty Cloud and self-hosted?​

  • LinkForty Cloud: Hosted SaaS version with team collaboration, projects, webhooks, custom domains, and premium support
  • Self-Hosted: Free, open-source version you run on your own infrastructure with core attribution features

Both use the same underlying attribution engine and SDK.

How accurate is LinkForty's attribution?​

LinkForty achieves 70%+ attribution accuracy using fingerprint matching (device characteristics, IP, user agent, timezone). This works without requiring device IDs or IDFA/GAID, making it privacy-friendly and compliant with app store policies.

For even higher accuracy, use Universal Links (iOS) or App Links (Android) for direct attribution.

Getting Started​

How do I get started with LinkForty?​

For Cloud users:

  1. Sign up at linkforty.com
  2. Create your first link
  3. Integrate the SDK in your mobile app
  4. Start tracking installs!

For self-hosted:

  1. Install @linkforty/core from npm
  2. Set up PostgreSQL and Redis (optional)
  3. Deploy to your infrastructure
  4. Integrate the SDK

See our Quick Start Guide for detailed steps.

Do I need a credit card to try LinkForty?​

No! LinkForty Cloud offers a generous free tier — no credit card required. See the pricing page for what's included.

What platforms does LinkForty support?​

LinkForty SDKs are available for:

The server-side API and attribution engine work with any platform.

SDK Integration​

How do I integrate the LinkForty SDK?​

See our comprehensive SDK Integration Guide for step-by-step instructions for each platform.

Quick example for React Native:

npm install @linkforty/mobile-sdk-react-native
import LinkForty from '@linkforty/mobile-sdk-react-native';

await LinkForty.init({
  baseUrl: 'https://your-domain.com',
  apiKey: 'your-api-key', // Cloud only
  debug: __DEV__,
});

What is deferred deep linking?​

Deferred deep linking lets you route new users to specific content in your app after they install it.

Flow:

  1. User clicks link (e.g., to a specific product)
  2. User doesn't have app installed → redirected to App Store
  3. User installs app and opens it
  4. LinkForty detects the original link and routes them to the product

This creates a seamless user experience and improves conversion rates.

Do I need to configure Universal Links / App Links?​

For deferred deep linking: No, fingerprint matching works without Universal/App Links.

For direct deep linking: Yes, you need to set up:

  • iOS: Universal Links (Associated Domains)
  • Android: App Links (Digital Asset Links)

LinkForty automatically generates the required domain verification files (.well-known/apple-app-site-association and .well-known/assetlinks.json).

How long is the attribution window?​

The default attribution window is 7 days. This means if a user clicks a link and installs within 7 days, the install is attributed to that link.

You can customize the attribution window when initializing the SDK:

await LinkForty.init({
  attributionWindow: 14, // 14 days
  // ... other config
});

API & Development​

Where can I find the API documentation?​

Complete API documentation is available in the API Reference section, including:

  • Authentication
  • Links endpoints
  • Analytics endpoints
  • Webhooks
  • Rate limits
  • Error codes

How do I get an API key?​

Cloud users:

  1. Log in to your LinkForty Cloud account
  2. Go to Settings → API Keys
  3. Click "Create API Key"
  4. Copy and store the key securely (you won't see it again)

Self-hosted users: API keys are managed in your database's api_keys table.

What are the API rate limits?​

Rate limits depend on your plan:

  • Free: 10 requests/minute (1 API key)
  • Pro: 60 requests/minute (3 API keys)
  • Business: 200 requests/minute (10 API keys)
  • Unlimited: 1,000 requests/minute (unlimited API keys)

See Rate Limits for details.

Can I use LinkForty without an SDK?​

Yes! You can use LinkForty's server-side redirect and tracking without the mobile SDK. However, you won't get:

  • Deferred deep linking
  • Install attribution
  • In-app event tracking

The SDK is highly recommended for mobile attribution.

Plans & Billing​

LinkForty offers a free plan and paid plans, plus a fully free self-hosted (open source) option. For current plan features, limits, and prices, see the pricing page.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan anytime?​

Yes! You can change plans at any time. Changes take effect immediately with prorated charges or credits.

Do you offer refunds?​

Yes. Contact [email protected] to request a refund on any paid plan.

Can I use custom domains?​

Yes! Custom domains are available on all plans — you can serve short links from your own domain (e.g., go.yourcompany.com). The number of custom domains allowed varies by plan; see the pricing page for details.

Privacy & Security​

Is LinkForty GDPR compliant?​

Yes. LinkForty uses privacy-friendly fingerprint matching that doesn't rely on persistent device IDs (IDFA/GAID). User data is processed only for attribution purposes and can be deleted upon request.

Do you store personal information?​

LinkForty stores:

  • Device fingerprints (IP, user agent, screen size, timezone)
  • Click timestamps
  • Referrer URLs
  • Custom event data (if you track in-app events)

No personally identifiable information (PII) like names, emails, or phone numbers is collected by the SDK.

Can I export my data?​

Yes! Both Cloud and self-hosted users can export analytics data:

  • Cloud: Export via Dashboard → Analytics → Export
  • Self-hosted: Direct database access or API

How do you ensure data security?​

  • All API requests use HTTPS
  • API keys are hashed before storage
  • Database connections are encrypted
  • Regular security audits

Troubleshooting​

Attribution isn't working - what should I check?​

Checklist:

  1. SDK initialized correctly with valid baseUrl and apiKey
  2. Attribution window not exceeded (default: 7 days)
  3. User clicked link before installing
  4. Debug mode enabled to see logs
  5. Network connection working
  6. Fingerprint matching enabled

See our SDK Integration Guide for detailed troubleshooting.

Universal Links / App Links not opening my app​

iOS (Universal Links):

  1. Verify Associated Domains in Xcode includes your domain
  2. Check .well-known/apple-app-site-association is accessible
  3. Test with Apple's validation tool
  4. Reinstall app (iOS caches AASA files)

Android (App Links):

  1. Verify android:autoVerify="true" in AndroidManifest
  2. Check .well-known/assetlinks.json is accessible
  3. Verify SHA-256 fingerprint matches your keystore
  4. Test with adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "https://yourdomain.com/test"

Why am I seeing 404 errors for well-known files?​

Cloud users:

  1. Ensure you've configured app details in Settings → App Configuration
  2. Verify your custom domain is properly configured

Self-hosted users:

  1. Ensure environment variables are set:
    • IOS_TEAM_ID
    • IOS_BUNDLE_ID
    • ANDROID_PACKAGE_NAME
    • ANDROID_SHA256_FINGERPRINTS
  2. Check that well-known routes are registered in your server

My clicks aren't being tracked​

Common issues:

  1. Link is inactive or expired
  2. Click came from a bot (filtered out)
  3. Same user clicked multiple times (deduplicated)
  4. Link was accessed via preview (some platforms strip query params)

Check your link settings and analytics filters.

Migration & Integration​

Can I move from self-hosted Core to LinkForty Cloud?​

Yes — Core and Cloud run the same engine, so your links and setup carry over. See the Core → Cloud migration guide.

Can I use LinkForty alongside another attribution platform?​

Yes, but be aware that:

  • Running multiple SDKs may affect performance
  • Attribution might be duplicated between platforms
  • Some platforms don't allow multiple attribution SDKs

We recommend testing thoroughly in a staging environment first.

How do I migrate from self-hosted to Cloud?​

  1. Export your data from self-hosted database
  2. Sign up for LinkForty Cloud
  3. Import your links via API or CSV
  4. Update SDK configuration with Cloud baseUrl and apiKey
  5. Verify attribution is working correctly

Contact support for migration assistance.

Support & Community​

How do I get help?​

LinkForty Cloud users:

Open-source users:

Can I contribute to LinkForty?​

Absolutely! LinkForty is open source and welcomes contributions:

  • Submit pull requests on GitHub
  • Report bugs and request features
  • Improve documentation
  • Share your use cases

See our Contributing Guide.

Where can I report a bug?​

Security bugs: Email [email protected] (do not post publicly)

Other bugs:

  • Cloud users: In-app support or email
  • Open-source users: GitHub Issues

Please include:

  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs actual behavior
  • SDK/API version
  • Platform (iOS/Android/Web)
  • Debug logs (if applicable)

Still have questions?​

We're here to help!