RightLinks onboarding
Step-by-step setup for marketers: create a template, create a link, test it, and measure your results.
This guide walks marketers through setting up RightLinks from scratch — from the first template to a live, measurable link. Setup involves two roles: a marketer (who builds the template and the links) and a developer (who makes taps open the app and route to the right screen).
If you're new to RightLinks, read the RightLinks overview first to understand templates, links, and experiences. Everything below lives under Engage → RightLink Management.
Prerequisites
- An AdShift account with at least one of your apps added.
- The AdShift SDK integrated in your app — required for attribution and deep linking. Without it you can still create a working redirect link, but without attribution.
- RightLink manage rights on the project. (Setting up a branded domain additionally requires being a project owner.)
- For re-engagement campaigns: re-engagement enabled in your App Settings.
Setup at a glance
| Step | Purpose | Who's involved |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Create a template | The reusable apps + subdomain + redirection logic behind your links. | Marketer + developer |
| 2. Create a link | The clickable link you put in a campaign. | Marketer (+ developer for deep linking) |
| 3. Connect a branded domain (optional) | Run links on your own host instead of *.rightlink.me. |
Project owner + developer |
| 4. Test your link | Confirm it works for users with and without the app. | Marketer |
| 5. Launch & measure | Add the link to your campaign and read the results. | Marketer + data analyst |
1. Create a template
In RightLink Management, open the actions menu and choose Add template. A template is a single form with these sections:
- General information — a Template name (required).
- Platforms — select your Android app, iOS app, or both.
- Subdomain — your link host, e.g.
yourname.rightlink.me(required). AdShift checks availability as you type. Once links exist, the subdomain can't be changed. - Redirection — define what happens per platform (the marketer and developer set this together):
- When the app isn't installed — redirect to App Store / Google Play, or a Web URL.
- When the app is installed — either treat users like non-users, or launch the app: iOS via Universal Links (your Team ID + Bundle ID), Android via App Links (your SHA256 fingerprints).
- Desktop — where desktop clicks go (store or a web URL).
Click Create template. You'll rarely need more than one or two templates for an app.
2. Create a link
From RightLink Management, click New link. First pick an experience (Social-to-app, Referral-to-app, Text-to-app, QR-to-app, App-to-app, or Custom) and a media source, then continue through the 4-step wizard:
- General settings — Media source name and Campaign name (both required). This is also where you set Retargeting (see below).
- Experience settings — optional social-media preview (use the page's Open Graph tags, or set your own title / description / image) and an optional social-app landing page.
- Deep linking & redirection — set the Deep link value (the in-app screen, e.g.
my_discount_page) and an optional Additional deep link value. You can also override the template's redirection for this link. - Additional parameters — add custom attribution parameters (they start with
as_), optionally Customize lookback window, and optionally Enable cost per install.
Click Create link. If you set a deep link value, make sure your developer has the app routing on it.
Setting up retargeting (for re-engagement)
In General settings, turn on Retargeting, then turn on Ignore active users for retargeting and set the Inactivity window and Re-engagement window. This is what makes returning users count as re-engagement rather than a plain open. Re-engagement also needs to be enabled in your App Settings.
3. Connect a branded domain (optional)
To run links on your own host (e.g. link.yourbrand.com), open Branded Domains and click New Branded Domain (project owners only). The 3-step modal:
- Make sure you have a valid, active domain.
- Map your full domain to one of your RightLink subdomains.
- Set a CNAME record pointing your domain to the AdShift target shown in the dashboard.
AdShift then runs four checks — DNS, TLS, Android, and iOS — and shows their status. Your developer also needs to add the host to the app (Android intent-filter, iOS Associated Domains) and pass it to the SDK. Use Verify now to re-check after DNS propagates.
4. Test your link
Copy the link's URL from RightLink Management (the Link URLs option) and test both journeys:
- New user (app not installed) — should redirect to the correct App Store / Google Play page (or your web fallback).
- Existing user (app installed) — should open the app directly to the right screen.
5. Launch and measure
Add the link to your campaign and serve it to your audience. Results appear under Analyze → Overview — use the Retargeting view to see re-engagements, and filter by your media source / campaign.