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Introduction to LinkForty

LinkForty is an open-source mobile attribution and deeplink management platform that gives you enterprise features without the enterprise price tag.

LinkForty comes in two flavors:

  • LinkForty Core - The open-source deeplink engine you self-host. It provides a REST API for link management, device-specific redirects, click analytics, deferred deep linking, QR codes, and webhooks - all backed by PostgreSQL and optional Redis caching.
  • LinkForty Cloud - A fully managed SaaS platform built on top of Core. It adds a dashboard UI, team management, custom domains, billing, and more - so you can get started without managing any infrastructure.

Both share the same battle-tested attribution engine. Choose the option that fits your team.

What Does LinkForty Do?​

At its core, LinkForty creates smart short links that route users to the right destination based on their device. When someone clicks a LinkForty link:

  1. Web users are redirected to your website or a custom fallback URL
  2. Mobile users with the app installed are deep linked directly into your app content
  3. Mobile users without the app are sent to the App Store or Google Play, and the original deep link is preserved for after install (deferred deep linking)

Every click is tracked with full analytics - geolocation, device type, platform, UTM parameters, and more.

Feature Overview​

Core Features (Open Source)​

These features are available in both Core (self-hosted) and Cloud:

Link Management

  • Short links with device-specific routing (iOS, Android, web)
  • Custom short codes for branded links
  • Link expiration for time-sensitive campaigns
  • Targeting rules for device, country, and language filtering
  • UTM parameter support for campaign tracking
  • Bulk link operations

Mobile Attribution

  • Deferred deep linking - preserve deep link data through app install
  • Fingerprint-based attribution for matching clicks to installs
  • Configurable attribution windows (1 hour to 90 days)
  • Click-to-install tracking

Analytics

  • Real-time click tracking
  • Geographic distribution (country, city)
  • Device and platform breakdown (iOS, Android, web)
  • Campaign performance via UTM parameters
  • Data export (JSON and CSV)

Developer Tools

  • REST API with full programmatic access
  • Webhook notifications for real-time events
  • QR code generation (PNG and SVG, custom colors and sizes)
  • Social media previews (Open Graph tags)
  • Mobile SDKs for deep link handling and device fingerprinting
  • TypeScript types included

Cloud-Only Features​

These features are exclusive to LinkForty Cloud:

Dashboard

  • Visual link management interface
  • Analytics dashboard with charts and graphs
  • No API knowledge required - accessible to non-technical team members

Team Collaboration

  • Multi-organization support
  • Role-based access control (Owner, Admin, Member, Viewer)
  • Team invitations via email
  • Project-based link organization

Custom Domains

  • Use your own domain for branded short links
  • Cloudflare-powered with automatic SSL
  • Available on all plans (1 domain on Free, more on paid plans)

Link Templates

  • Reusable link configurations for campaigns
  • Pre-configured platform URLs, attribution windows, and UTM parameters
  • Create links faster with consistent settings

Managed Infrastructure

  • Automatic updates and security patches
  • Built-in monitoring and backups
  • Global CDN for fast redirects worldwide
  • 99.9% uptime SLA on paid plans

Billing & Plans

  • Free tier (1,000 links, 5,000 clicks/month)
  • Pro plan (25,000 links, 100,000 clicks/month)
  • Business plan (100,000 links, 500,000 clicks/month)
  • Unlimited plan (unlimited everything)
  • See the pricing page for current plan pricing

Tech Stack​

Core Engine:

  • Server: Node.js + Fastify
  • Database: PostgreSQL
  • Cache: Redis (optional)
  • Language: TypeScript (strict mode)
  • License: AGPL-3.0

Cloud Platform (adds):

  • Dashboard: React 18 + TypeScript
  • Billing: Stripe integration
  • Custom Domains: Cloudflare-powered
  • Team Management: Organizations, roles, and invitations
  • Email: Nodemailer / SendGrid

Mobile SDKs:

Use Cases​

E-commerce​

Create product links that route users to App Store or Google Play, then deep link directly to that product after install. Track which ads and campaigns drive purchases.

Referral Programs​

Generate unique referral links per user. Attribute new installs to referrers and award credits automatically via webhooks.

Content Apps​

Share article links on social media with rich Open Graph previews. New users install the app and land on that exact article via deferred deep linking.

Marketing Campaigns​

Track which channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, email) drive installs. Measure true ROI with click-to-install attribution and UTM parameter tracking.

Getting Started​

Choose your path:

Next Steps​