Creating Links

Learn how to create powerful short links with platform-specific routing, attribution tracking, and UTM parameters.

Overview

LinkForty links are more than just URL shorteners. Each link can:

• Route users to different destinations based on their device (iOS, Android, Web)
• Track clicks and app installs with configurable attribution windows
• Include UTM parameters for campaign tracking
• Apply targeting rules (geographic, language, device)
• Generate QR codes for offline-to-online attribution
• Include social preview tags for rich link sharing

Prerequisites

Before creating links, you must first create a template. Templates define default settings for your links, such as domain, UTM parameters, and platform-specific URLs.

See Link Templates to create your first template.

Creating Your First Link

Via Dashboard

Step 1: Navigate to Links Page

1. Log in to your LinkForty dashboard
2. Click "Links" in the left sidebar
3. Click the "Create Link" button (top right)

Step 2: Select a Template

Template (required)

Select from dropdown: e.g., "Default Template" or "Instagram Campaign"

Template Auto-Fill

When you select a template, its default settings will automatically pre-populate the form fields in the Advanced Options section. You can use these defaults as-is, or override any value you want to customize for this specific link.

Templates provide default settings for your link, including:

• Platform URLs - iOS App Store, Android Play Store, and Web fallback URLs
• Attribution Window - How long clicks remain valid for attribution
• UTM Parameters - Campaign tracking parameters
• Targeting Rules - Geographic, language, and device targeting

Step 3: Fill in Basic Information

Original URL (required)

https://example.com/products/wireless-headphones

This is where users will be sent if no platform-specific URL matches.

Title (optional, recommended)

Wireless Headphones - Spring Sale

Internal reference for your team. Not visible to users.

Description (optional)

Q2 2024 Instagram campaign for new wireless headphones launch

Helps organize and search for links later.

Step 4: Configure Platform-Specific URLs

Route users based on their device.

Template Defaults

If your selected template has default platform URLs configured, these fields will be automatically filled. You can leave them as-is to use the template defaults, or enter different values to override them for this specific link.

iOS URL (optional)

https://apps.apple.com/app/your-store/id123456789

When clicked on iPhone/iPad, users see App Store.

Android URL (optional)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourstore

When clicked on Android, users see Google Play.

Web Fallback URL (optional)

https://example.com/products/wireless-headphones?platform=web

Destination for desktop/laptop users. Falls back to Original URL if empty.

Step 5: Set Attribution Window

Choose how long clicks remain valid for attribution:

Window	Use Case	Conversion Rate
1 hour	Immediate actions, privacy-focused	5-10%
24 hours	Direct response campaigns	15-25%
72 hours	Short promotional campaigns	25-35%
168 hours (7 days)	Industry standard, balanced	35-50%
336 hours (14 days)	Retargeting campaigns	40-55%
720 hours (30 days)	Brand awareness	45-60%
2160 hours (90 days)	Long consideration cycles	50-70%

Recommendation: Start with 7 days (168 hours) for most campaigns.

How it works:

• User clicks your link at 10:00 AM on Monday
• Link creates a fingerprint and stores it
• User installs your app at 3:00 PM on Wednesday (65 hours later)
• SDK checks for matching fingerprint within attribution window
• If match found (65h < 168h), install is attributed to your link

Step 6: Add UTM Parameters (optional)

Track campaign performance:

{
  "utm_source": "instagram",
  "utm_medium": "social",
  "utm_campaign": "spring-sale-2024",
  "utm_term": "wireless-headphones",
  "utm_content": "carousel-ad-1"
}

These parameters are automatically appended to your destination URLs:

https://example.com/products/wireless-headphones?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring-sale-2024

Step 7: Custom Short Code (optional)

By default, LinkForty generates random codes like abc123. You can customize:

Custom Code: spring-sale
Generated Link: https://lnk.forty.com/spring-sale

Requirements:

• 4-30 characters
• Alphanumeric only (a-z, A-Z, 0-9, hyphens, underscores)
• Must be unique

Step 8: Set Expiration (optional)

Make links expire after a specific date:

Expires At: 2024-03-31 23:59:59

After expiration, clicks show: "This link has expired."

Step 9: Create Link

Click "Create Link" button. Your link is instantly live:

https://lnk.forty.com/abc123

---

Creating Links via API

Authentication

Get your API key from Settings → API Keys.

export LINKFORTY_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

Basic Link Creation

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "originalUrl": "https://example.com/product/123",
    "title": "Product 123 Campaign",
    "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123456789",
    "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
    "attributionWindowHours": 168,
    "utmParameters": {
      "utm_source": "facebook",
      "utm_medium": "cpc",
      "utm_campaign": "summer-2024"
    }
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "link_abc123xyz",
  "short_code": "abc123",
  "short_url": "https://lnk.forty.com/abc123",
  "original_url": "https://example.com/product/123",
  "ios_url": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123456789",
  "android_url": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
  "attribution_window_hours": 168,
  "utm_parameters": {
    "utm_source": "facebook",
    "utm_medium": "cpc",
    "utm_campaign": "summer-2024"
  },
  "created_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "is_active": true
}

With Custom Short Code

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "originalUrl": "https://example.com/sale",
    "customCode": "summer-sale",
    "attributionWindowHours": 336
  }'

Generates: https://lnk.forty.com/summer-sale

With Targeting Rules

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "originalUrl": "https://example.com/product/123",
    "targetingRules": {
      "countries": ["US", "CA", "GB"],
      "languages": ["en"],
      "platforms": ["ios", "android"]
    }
  }'

With Expiration

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "originalUrl": "https://example.com/flash-sale",
    "expiresAt": "2024-12-31T23:59:59Z"
  }'

---

Using Link Templates

Templates speed up link creation by pre-filling common settings.

Creating a Template

Via Dashboard:

1. Go to Settings → Link Templates
2. Click "Create Template"
3. Fill in defaults:
   • iOS URL: https://apps.apple.com/app/id123456789
   • Android URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app
   • Attribution Window: 168 hours
   • UTM Medium: social
4. Click "Save Template"

Via API:

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/templates \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Social Media Default",
    "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123456789",
    "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
    "attributionWindowHours": 168,
    "utmParameters": {
      "utm_medium": "social"
    }
  }'

Using a Template

When creating links, select your template. Only fill in unique fields:

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "originalUrl": "https://example.com/new-product",
    "utmParameters": {
      "utm_source": "instagram",
      "utm_campaign": "launch-week"
    }
  }'

Template fills: iosUrl, androidUrl, attributionWindowHours, utm_medium: "social"

You override: utm_source, utm_campaign

See Link Templates Guide for more details.

---

Best Practices

1. Always Use Platform-Specific URLs

Bad:

{
  "originalUrl": "https://example.com/product"
}

Good:

{
  "originalUrl": "https://example.com/product",
  "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
  "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
  "webFallbackUrl": "https://example.com/product?platform=web"
}

Why: Improves attribution accuracy by 3-5x. Users on mobile without app installed go to store instead of dead-end web page.

2. Use Descriptive Titles

Bad:

Title: Link 1

Good:

Title: Instagram Story - Summer Sale - Wireless Headphones

Why: Easier to find links later. Team knows what campaign it's for.

3. Match Attribution Window to Campaign Type

Campaign Type	Recommended Window
Flash sales (24h)	24-72 hours
Product launches	7-14 days
Brand awareness	14-30 days
Referral programs	30-90 days
Content marketing	7-30 days
Retargeting	14-30 days

4. Consistent UTM Naming

Create a naming convention and stick to it:

{
  "utm_source": "instagram",      // lowercase, platform name
  "utm_medium": "social",          // lowercase, channel type
  "utm_campaign": "spring-2024",   // lowercase-with-dashes, semantic
  "utm_term": "headphones",        // lowercase, product category
  "utm_content": "carousel-1"      // lowercase-with-dashes, creative variant
}

5. Use Custom Codes for Memorable Links

For marketing materials:

https://lnk.forty.com/spring-sale

For print/QR codes:

https://lnk.forty.com/menu

For referrals:

https://lnk.forty.com/john-referral

6. Set Expiration for Limited Campaigns

Always set expiration for:

• Flash sales
• Event promotions
• Limited-time offers
• Seasonal campaigns

Example:

{
  "title": "Black Friday 2024",
  "expiresAt": "2024-11-30T23:59:59Z"
}

---

Advanced Features

Deep Link Parameters

Pass custom data to your app after install:

{
  "originalUrl": "https://example.com/product/123?deeplink_param=value",
  "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
  "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app"
}

After user installs and opens app:

const deepLinkData = await LinkFortySDK.getDeepLinkData();
// Returns: { deeplink_param: "value" }

// Navigate to specific product
navigateToProduct(deepLinkData.deeplink_param);

Social Preview Tags

Add Open Graph tags for rich previews:

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "originalUrl": "https://example.com/product/123",
    "socialPreview": {
      "title": "Wireless Headphones - 50% Off",
      "description": "Premium noise-cancelling headphones. Limited time offer.",
      "imageUrl": "https://example.com/images/headphones-og.jpg"
    }
  }'

When shared on social media, shows:

• Image preview
• Custom title
• Custom description

See Social Previews Guide for details.

---

Troubleshooting

Link Returns 404

Cause: Short code doesn't exist or link was deleted.

Solution:

1. Check if link exists: GET /api/links/:shortCode
2. Verify link is active: is_active: true
3. Check expiration: expires_at is null or future date

Link Not Redirecting to Correct Platform

Cause: Platform detection issue.

Solution:

1. Test user-agent detection:

   curl -A "Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 14_0 like Mac OS X)" \
     https://lnk.forty.com/abc123

2. Verify iOS/Android URLs are set
3. Check targeting rules aren't blocking

Attribution Not Working

Cause: SDK not initialized or fingerprint mismatch.

Solution:

1. Verify SDK is initialized: LinkFortySDK.initialize()
2. Check attribution window hasn't expired
3. Confirm user clicked link before installing
4. Test on real device (simulators may fail fingerprint matching)

See Attribution Troubleshooting for more.

---

Next Steps

• 📋 Link Templates - Create reusable templates
• 🔄 Bulk Operations - Create 1000+ links at once
• 🎯 Targeting Rules - Route by location/language/device
• 📱 QR Codes - Generate QR codes for offline attribution
• 🔧 SDK Integration - Set up mobile SDK
• 📊 Analytics - Track link performance

API Reference

• Create Link
• Get Link
• Update Link
• Delete Link
• Bulk Operations