Link Templates

Cloud Feature

Link templates are a Cloud-only feature. Self-hosted Core deployments do not include templates — links are created directly with all fields specified. See Cloud vs Self-Hosted for details.

Link templates allow you to create reusable configurations for your short links, saving time and ensuring consistency across campaigns.

Overview

Instead of filling in the same iOS URL, Android URL, attribution window, and UTM parameters for every link, create a template once and reuse it for all links in a campaign.

Benefits:

• Save time - Fill in common values once
• Ensure consistency - All campaign links have same configuration
• Flexible overrides - Override any template value per link when needed
• Team collaboration - Share templates across organization
• Best practices - Enforce attribution windows, UTM structure

How Template Defaults Work

Templates provide default values that are automatically applied when creating links. However, you can override any template value on a per-link basis by providing a different value when creating the link. This gives you the flexibility of reusable templates while allowing exceptions when needed.

When to Use Templates

Campaign Templates

Create one template per marketing campaign:

Instagram Campaign Template:

• iOS URL: Your App Store link
• Android URL: Your Google Play link
• Attribution Window: 7 days
• UTM Medium: social
• UTM Source: instagram

All Instagram links inherit these defaults. You only specify what's unique (the destination URL, campaign name).

Platform Templates

Create templates for each traffic source:

• Social Media Template - 7-day attribution, social UTM
• Email Template - 3-day attribution, email UTM
• Paid Search Template - 3-day attribution, CPC UTM
• Display Ads Template - 30-day attribution, display UTM
• Referral Template - 90-day attribution, referral UTM

Use Case Templates

Create templates for common scenarios:

• E-commerce Product Link - App Store URLs, product tracking
• Content Deep Link - Article/video routing
• Referral Link - Long attribution window, referral tracking
• Event Promotion - Event-specific settings

Creating Templates

Via Dashboard

Step 1: Navigate to Templates

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

Step 2: Configure Template

Basic Settings:

• Template Name: "Instagram Campaign"
• Description: "Default template for all Instagram ads"

Platform URLs:

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

Attribution:

• Attribution Window: 168 hours (7 days)

UTM Parameters:

{
  "utm_medium": "social",
  "utm_source": "instagram"
}

Step 3: Save Template

Click "Create Template". Template is now available when creating links.

Via API

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/templates \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Instagram Campaign",
    "description": "Default template for Instagram ads",
    "settings": {
      "defaultIosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/yourapp/id123456789",
      "defaultAndroidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourapp",
      "defaultWebFallbackUrl": "https://example.com/download",
      "defaultAttributionWindowHours": 168,
      "utmParameters": {
        "medium": "social",
        "source": "instagram"
      }
    }
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "template_a1b2c3d4",
  "name": "Instagram Campaign",
  "slug": "x7k9m2p5",
  "description": "Default template for Instagram ads",
  "settings": {
    "defaultIosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/yourapp/id123456789",
    "defaultAndroidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourapp",
    "defaultWebFallbackUrl": "https://example.com/download",
    "defaultAttributionWindowHours": 168,
    "utmParameters": {
      "medium": "social",
      "source": "instagram"
    }
  },
  "is_default": false,
  "created_at": "2024-01-20T10:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2024-01-20T10:00:00Z"
}

Using Templates

Creating Links from Templates

Via Dashboard:

1. Click "Create Link"
2. Select template from "Template" dropdown
3. Template values pre-fill the form
4. Fill in unique values:
   • Original URL: https://example.com/product/123
   • UTM Campaign: spring-sale-2024
5. Click "Create Link"

Via API:

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "template_a1b2c3d4",
    "originalUrl": "https://example.com/product/123",
    "utmParameters": {
      "utm_campaign": "spring-sale-2024"
    }
  }'

Result: Link inherits iOS URL, Android URL, attribution window, utm_medium, and utm_source from template. You only provide the original URL and campaign name.

Overriding Template Values

Override Behavior

You can override any template default value when creating a link. The backend applies this logic:

finalValue = userProvidedValue || templateDefaultValue || systemDefault

This means:

1. If you provide a value when creating the link → your value is used
2. If you don't provide a value → template default is used
3. If template doesn't have a default → system default is used (e.g., 168 hours for attribution window)

Example: Override attribution window and UTM medium

curl -X POST https://api.linkforty.com/api/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": "template_a1b2c3d4",
    "originalUrl": "https://example.com/special-promo",
    "attributionWindowHours": 336,
    "utmParameters": {
      "campaign": "special-promo",
      "medium": "influencer"
    }
  }'

Result:

• Uses template's iOS/Android URLs (not overridden)
• Uses template's utm_source (not overridden)
• Overrides attribution window (14 days instead of template's 7 days)
• Overrides utm_medium (influencer instead of template's social)
• Adds new utm_campaign (special-promo)

Template Examples

Social Media Template

{
  "name": "Social Media Default",
  "description": "Template for all social media campaigns",
  "settings": {
    "defaultIosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
    "defaultAndroidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
    "defaultAttributionWindowHours": 168,
    "utmParameters": {
      "medium": "social"
    }
  }
}

Usage: Set utm_source per platform (instagram, facebook, tiktok, twitter) when creating links.

Email Campaign Template

{
  "name": "Email Campaign",
  "description": "Template for email marketing",
  "settings": {
    "defaultIosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
    "defaultAndroidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
    "defaultAttributionWindowHours": 72,
    "utmParameters": {
      "medium": "email"
    }
  }
}

Usage: Set utm_source to email service (mailchimp, sendgrid) and utm_campaign to campaign name when creating links.

Paid Search Template

{
  "name": "Google Ads",
  "description": "Template for Google Ads campaigns",
  "settings": {
    "defaultIosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
    "defaultAndroidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
    "defaultAttributionWindowHours": 72,
    "utmParameters": {
      "medium": "cpc",
      "source": "google"
    }
  }
}

Usage: Add utm_campaign and utm_term per ad group when creating links.

Referral Program Template

{
  "name": "Referral Program",
  "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
  "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
  "attributionWindowHours": 2160,
  "utmParameters": {
    "utm_medium": "referral",
    "utm_source": "friend"
  }
}

Usage: Long 90-day attribution window for word-of-mouth referrals.

Content Marketing Template

{
  "name": "Blog Content",
  "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
  "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
  "attributionWindowHours": 336,
  "utmParameters": {
    "utm_medium": "content",
    "utm_source": "blog"
  }
}

Usage: Moderate 14-day window for educational content.

Managing Templates

List All Templates

Via Dashboard:

Settings → Link Templates → View all templates

Via API:

curl -X GET https://api.linkforty.com/api/templates \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY"

Response:

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "id": "template_a1b2c3d4",
      "name": "Instagram Campaign",
      "description": "Default template for Instagram ads",
      "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
      "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
      "attributionWindowHours": 168,
      "utmParameters": {
        "utm_medium": "social",
        "utm_source": "instagram"
      },
      "createdAt": "2024-01-20T10:00:00Z"
    },
    {
      "id": "template_e5f6g7h8",
      "name": "Email Campaign",
      "attributionWindowHours": 72,
      "utmParameters": {
        "utm_medium": "email"
      },
      "createdAt": "2024-01-15T09:00:00Z"
    }
  ],
  "total": 2
}

Update Template

Via Dashboard:

1. Settings → Link Templates
2. Click template to edit
3. Update fields
4. Click "Save"

Via API:

curl -X PUT https://api.linkforty.com/api/templates/template_a1b2c3d4 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Instagram Campaign (Updated)",
    "attributionWindowHours": 336
  }'

Important: Updating a template does NOT update existing links. Only new links created from the template will use new values.

Delete Template

Via Dashboard:

1. Settings → Link Templates
2. Click template
3. Click "Delete" button
4. Confirm deletion

Via API:

curl -X DELETE https://api.linkforty.com/api/templates/template_a1b2c3d4 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LINKFORTY_API_KEY"

Important: A template can only be deleted when no links use it. Links are addressed by their template's slug (/<template-slug>/<code>), so the API refuses with TEMPLATE_HAS_LINKS while any remain. Move or delete those links first.

Advanced Strategies

Template Hierarchy

Create a base template and specialized variants:

Base Template: "Mobile App Default"

{
  "name": "Mobile App Default",
  "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
  "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
  "attributionWindowHours": 168
}

Variant 1: "Mobile App - Social"

{
  "name": "Mobile App - Social",
  "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
  "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
  "attributionWindowHours": 168,
  "utmParameters": {
    "utm_medium": "social"
  }
}

Variant 2: "Mobile App - Paid"

{
  "name": "Mobile App - Paid",
  "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
  "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
  "attributionWindowHours": 72,
  "utmParameters": {
    "utm_medium": "cpc"
  }
}

Campaign-Specific Templates

Create template for each major campaign:

// Create campaign template programmatically
async function createCampaignTemplate(campaignName, source, attributionDays) {
  return await fetch('https://api.linkforty.com/api/templates', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      name: `${campaignName} - ${source}`,
      iosUrl: 'https://apps.apple.com/app/id123',
      androidUrl: 'https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app',
      attributionWindowHours: attributionDays * 24,
      utmParameters: {
        utm_campaign: campaignName.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, '-'),
        utm_source: source
      }
    })
  });
}

// Create templates for Q1 2024 campaign
await createCampaignTemplate('Spring Sale 2024', 'instagram', 7);
await createCampaignTemplate('Spring Sale 2024', 'facebook', 7);
await createCampaignTemplate('Spring Sale 2024', 'google', 3);

Team Templates

Share templates across your organization:

1. Admin creates templates with best practices
2. Team members select from templates when creating links
3. Ensures consistency across all campaigns
4. Enforces attribution windows (e.g., always 7 days for social)

Dynamic Template Selection

Select template based on traffic source:

const TEMPLATES = {
  instagram: 'template_instagram',
  facebook: 'template_facebook',
  google: 'template_google',
  email: 'template_email',
  referral: 'template_referral'
};

function createLink(url, source, campaign) {
  return fetch('https://api.linkforty.com/api/links', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      templateId: TEMPLATES[source],
      originalUrl: url,
      utmParameters: {
        utm_campaign: campaign
      }
    })
  });
}

// Automatically uses correct template
await createLink('https://example.com/product', 'instagram', 'spring-2024');

Best Practices

1. Create Templates Before Links

Set up templates before launching campaigns. This ensures all links follow same structure.

2. One Template Per Traffic Source

Create separate templates for each major traffic source:

• Social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter)
• Paid search (Google, Bing)
• Email
• Display ads
• Referrals
• Content/organic

3. Include All Platform URLs

Always set iOS, Android, and web URLs in templates. Don't make team members fill these in manually.

4. Set Appropriate Attribution Windows

Match window to traffic source behavior:

• Immediate channels (SMS, push): 1-6 hours
• Direct response (search, email): 1-3 days
• Social/content: 7-14 days
• Brand awareness: 14-30 days
• Referrals: 30-90 days

5. Use Consistent UTM Structure

Establish UTM naming conventions in templates:

Good:

{
  "utm_medium": "social",
  "utm_source": "instagram"
}

Bad:

{
  "utm_medium": "Social Media",
  "utm_source": "Instagram Stories"
}

Use lowercase, no spaces, semantic naming.

6. Document Template Purpose

Add clear descriptions:

{
  "name": "Instagram - Stories",
  "description": "Use for all Instagram Stories campaigns. 7-day attribution, social UTM tags."
}

7. Review Templates Quarterly

Every 3 months:

• Review attribution windows (are they optimal?)
• Check if iOS/Android URLs changed
• Update based on performance data
• Remove unused templates

8. Limit Template Count

Don't create too many templates. Aim for 5-10 core templates covering main use cases. Too many templates = confusion.

Template vs. Link Settings

What to Put in Templates

Template (consistent across campaign):

• iOS/Android URLs
• Attribution window
• UTM medium
• UTM source (for platform-specific templates)
• Default targeting rules

Link (unique per link):

• Original URL (destination)
• UTM campaign
• UTM content (ad variant)
• Custom short code
• Expiration date

Example

Template: Facebook Ads Default

{
  "iosUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id123",
  "androidUrl": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app",
  "attributionWindowHours": 168,
  "utmParameters": {
    "utm_medium": "cpc",
    "utm_source": "facebook"
  }
}

Link 1: Spring sale product page

{
  "templateId": "template_facebook",
  "originalUrl": "https://example.com/spring-sale",
  "utmParameters": {
    "utm_campaign": "spring-2024",
    "utm_content": "carousel-ad-1"
  }
}

Link 2: Summer sale product page

{
  "templateId": "template_facebook",
  "originalUrl": "https://example.com/summer-sale",
  "utmParameters": {
    "utm_campaign": "summer-2024",
    "utm_content": "video-ad-1"
  }
}

Both links share template defaults (platform URLs, attribution, medium/source), but have unique URLs and campaigns.

Comparison with Other Platforms

Feature	LinkForty	AppsFlyer	Branch	Adjust
Templates	Unlimited	Limited (Enterprise)	No templates	No templates
API Access	Yes	Yes (Enterprise)	Limited	Limited
Tier Availability	All tiers	Enterprise	N/A	N/A
Team Sharing	Yes	Yes	No	No
Override Values	Yes	Yes	N/A	N/A

LinkForty Advantage: Templates included free, unlimited templates, full API access.

Troubleshooting

Template Not Appearing in Dropdown

Cause: Template belongs to different organization.

Solution: Verify you're logged into correct organization.

Links Not Inheriting Template Values

Cause: Template was updated after link creation.

Solution: Template changes only affect new links. Update existing links manually or recreate.

Can't Delete Template

Cause: Links still use the template (TEMPLATE_HAS_LINKS), or your role can't delete templates.

Solution: Move or delete the links that use it, then delete the template. Deleting templates requires the Owner or Admin role.

Next Steps

• Creating Links - Use templates when creating links
• Attribution Windows - Configure optimal windows
• UTM Parameters - Set up campaign tracking

API Reference

Template endpoints (require Authorization: Bearer <token>):

• GET /api/templates — List templates
• POST /api/templates — Create a template
• GET /api/templates/:id — Get a template
• PUT /api/templates/:id — Update a template
• DELETE /api/templates/:id — Delete a template
• PUT /api/templates/:id/set-default — Set the default template