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Quick Start

Get started with LinkForty Cloud in under 5 minutes. No credit card required.

1. Create Your Account​

Visit linkforty.com and sign up for a free account:

# No installation required - cloud-hosted
# Sign up at: https://linkforty.com/signup

You'll receive:

  • ✅ Free Tier: Unlimited links, 1,000 clicks/month
  • ✅ Full Feature Access: All features available on free tier
  • ✅ No Credit Card: Upgrade later when you need more

2. Create Your First Organization​

After signing in, you'll be prompted to create your first organization:

  1. Click "Create Organization"
  2. Enter your organization name (e.g., "Acme Inc")
  3. Click "Create"

Organizations allow you to:

  • Separate personal and business links
  • Invite team members
  • Manage multiple projects
  • Track separate analytics

3. Create Your First Template​

Important

Templates must be created before links. Templates define default settings (like app store URLs, attribution windows, and UTM parameters) that apply to all links created from that template.

Step 1: Navigate to Templates​

  1. Click "Settings" in the sidebar
  2. Click "Link Templates"
  3. Click "Create Template" button

Step 2: Configure Your Template​

Fill in the template details:

Basic Information:

  • Name: "Default Template" or "Instagram Campaigns"
  • Description: "Standard template for social media campaigns"

Default Platform URLs:

  • iOS URL: https://apps.apple.com/app/your-app/id123456789
  • Android URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourapp
  • Web Fallback: https://example.com (optional)

Default Attribution Window:

  • Select 168 hours (7 days) - Industry standard

Default UTM Parameters (optional):

  • Medium: social (all links from this template will have this)

Click "Create Template" and you're ready to create links!

  1. Click "Links" in the sidebar
  2. Click "Create Link" button

Step 2: Select Your Template​

  • Template: Select "Default Template" (the template you just created)

The template will automatically fill in default values for app store URLs and attribution window.

Fill in the required fields:

Basic Information:

  • Original URL: https://example.com/product/123 (where you want to send users)
  • Title: "Product 123 Launch" (internal reference)
  • Description: "Q1 2024 product launch campaign"

Platform URLs (optional but recommended):

  • iOS URL: https://apps.apple.com/app/your-app/id123456789
  • Android URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourapp
  • Web Fallback: https://example.com/product/123 (desktop users)

Attribution Window:

  • Select 168 hours (7 days) - Default
  • Shorter windows (1-24h) for direct response campaigns
  • Longer windows (30-90 days) for brand awareness

UTM Parameters (optional):

  • Source: instagram
  • Medium: social
  • Campaign: product-launch-q1

Click "Create Link" and you'll get:

https://lnk.forty.com/abc123

Your short link is now live and ready to share!

Copy your short link and use it anywhere:

  • 📱 Social Media: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter
  • 📧 Email Campaigns: Mailchimp, SendGrid, etc.
  • 📄 Print Materials: Flyers, business cards, posters
  • 💬 Messaging Apps: WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS
  • 🎥 Video Descriptions: YouTube, Vimeo

How It Works​

When someone clicks your link:

  1. Web Users: Redirected to your Original URL or Web Fallback
  2. Mobile Users (no app): Sent to App Store/Google Play
  3. Mobile Users (has app): Deep link directly into your app content
  4. All Clicks: Tracked in real-time with full analytics

6. Track Your Results​

View Analytics​

  1. Click "Analytics" in the sidebar
  2. Select your link from the list
  3. See real-time data:
    • Total Clicks: How many people clicked
    • Installs: How many installed your app
    • Geographic Data: Countries and cities
    • Device Breakdown: iOS, Android, Web
    • Conversion Rate: Clicks → Installs

Export Data​

Export your analytics data:

  1. Click "Export" button
  2. Choose format: JSON or CSV
  3. Use data in Excel, Google Sheets, or BI tools

7. Install Mobile SDK (Optional)​

To enable deferred deep linking and attribution tracking, install our SDK:

React Native​

npm install @linkforty/react-native
import { LinkFortySDK } from '@linkforty/react-native';

// Initialize in App.tsx
LinkFortySDK.initialize({
  apiKey: 'your-api-key',
  apiUrl: 'https://api.linkforty.com',
});

// Check for deferred deep link on app launch
const deepLinkData = await LinkFortySDK.getDeepLinkData();
if (deepLinkData) {
  // User installed from a short link
  console.log('Product ID:', deepLinkData.productId);
  // Navigate to specific product
}

iOS (Swift)​

pod 'LinkFortySDK'
import LinkFortySDK

// Initialize in AppDelegate
LinkFortySDK.initialize(apiKey: "your-api-key")

// Check for deferred deep link
LinkFortySDK.getDeepLinkData { result in
    if case .success(let data) = result {
        // Navigate to specific content
        navigateToProduct(id: data["productId"])
    }
}

Android (Kotlin)​

implementation 'com.linkforty:sdk:2.0.0'
import com.linkforty.sdk.LinkFortySDK

// Initialize in Application class
LinkFortySDK.initialize(this, "your-api-key")

// Check for deferred deep link in MainActivity
LinkFortySDK.getDeepLinkData { data ->
    data?.let {
        // Navigate to specific content
        navigateToProduct(it["productId"])
    }
}

See SDK Integration Guide for complete setup.

8. Generate QR Codes​

Create QR codes for offline-to-online attribution:

  1. Go to your link details page
  2. Click "Generate QR Code"
  3. Configure options:
    • Size: 256px, 512px, 1024px, 2048px
    • Format: PNG or SVG
    • Color: Match your brand
  4. Download and use in:
    • Print ads
    • Product packaging
    • Event signage
    • Business cards

9. Set Up Webhooks (Optional)​

Get real-time notifications for clicks and installs:

  1. Click "Settings" → "Webhooks"
  2. Click "Create Webhook"
  3. Enter your endpoint URL: https://yourapp.com/webhooks/linkforty
  4. Select events:
    • ✅ link.clicked
    • ✅ app.installed
    • ✅ deeplink.matched
  5. Click "Create"

Example webhook payload:

{
  "event": "app.installed",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "data": {
    "linkId": "abc123",
    "userId": "user_456",
    "platform": "ios",
    "country": "US",
    "city": "San Francisco",
    "utmSource": "instagram",
    "utmCampaign": "product-launch-q1"
  }
}

Use webhooks to:

  • Award referral credits
  • Trigger email sequences
  • Update CRM records
  • Send Slack notifications

Next Steps​

Now that you have your first link running, explore advanced features:

Getting Help​

Need assistance?

Pricing​

Free Tier:

  • Unlimited links
  • 1,000 clicks/month
  • All features included

Pro Tier ($29/month):

  • Unlimited links
  • Unlimited clicks
  • Priority support
  • Custom domains

Self-Hosted (FREE):

  • Deploy on your infrastructure
  • Unlimited everything
  • Full source code access
  • See Self-Hosting Guide

You're now ready to create powerful deep links! Start tracking your marketing campaigns with LinkForty.