Handling Deep Links, Deferred Deep Links & User Invites in React Native using AppsFlyer

Welcome to the ultimate guide for setting up deep links, deferred deep links, and user invites in your React Native app using AppsFlyer. Buckle up! This blog will walk you through everything—from SDK setup to sending users on magical journeys inside your app with a single click (or tap—we don't discriminate here).

📦 Step 1: Install the AppsFlyer SDK

Like every React Native adventure, we start in the terminal.

yarn add react-native-appsflyer

Step 2: Login to AppsFlyer Dashboard

Before anything, make sure you're logged into your AppsFlyer account. Don’t remember your password? Welcome to the club. Reset it and move on

👉 AppsFlyer Dashboard Login

Step 3: SDK Initialization

In your App.js or main screen (e.g., Home.js), call the initialization:

useEffect(() => {
  initAppflyerSDK();
}, []);

And define the initAppflyerSDK function like this:

import appsFlyer from 'react-native-appsflyer';
import { Platform } from 'react-native';

export const initAppflyerSDK = () => {
  try {
    appsFlyer.initSdk(
      {
        devKey: 'K2***********99', // Replace with your dev key
        isDebug: false,
        appId: '41*****44',       // iOS only
        onInstallConversionDataListener: true,
        onDeepLinkListener: true,
        timeToWaitForATTUserAuthorization: 10,
      },
      (result) => {
        console.log('🚀 AppsFlyer SDK initialized successfully:', result);
        setupDeepLinkListeners();
      },
      (error) => {
        console.error('❌ Error initializing AppsFlyer SDK:', error);
      }
    );
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('❌ Error initializing AppFlyer SDK:', error);
  }
};

Handle Deep Links (Direct & Deferred)

Now we plug in the listeners:

export const setupDeepLinkListeners = () => {
  try {
    // Direct Deep Link
    appsFlyer.onDeepLink((res) => {
      console.log('📩 Direct Deep Link received:', res);
      // Navigate your user here!
    });

    // Deferred Deep Link (First Install)
    appsFlyer.onInstallConversionData((res) => {
      console.log('🕰 Deferred Deep Link:', res);
      // Handle navigation based on your use case
    });
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('❌ Error setting up deep link listeners:', error);
  }
};

Custom Domains

If you're fancy and have custom domains, add this:

appsFlyer.setOneLinkCustomDomains(
  ['YOUR_CUSTOM_DOMAIN1', 'YOUR_CUSTOM_DOMAIN2'], 
  (success) => {
    console.log("Custom domains set successfully!", success);
  }, 
  (error) => {
    console.error("Failed to set custom domains:", error);
  }
);

iOS Setup (Don’t Skip This or Cry Later)

Update your AppDelegate.m (Objective-C):

#import <RNAppsFlyer.h>

// For iOS 9+
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application openURL:(NSURL *)url options:(NSDictionary *) options {
  [[AppsFlyerAttribution shared] handleOpenUrl:url options:options];
  return YES;
}

// For iOS 8 and below
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application openURL:(NSURL *)url sourceApplication:(NSString*)sourceApplication annotation:(id)annotation {
  [[AppsFlyerAttribution shared] handleOpenUrl:url sourceApplication:sourceApplication annotation:annotation];
  return YES;
}

// Universal Links
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application continueUserActivity:(NSUserActivity *)userActivity restorationHandler:(void (^)(NSArray * _Nullable))restorationHandler {
  [[AppsFlyerAttribution shared] continueUserActivity:userActivity restorationHandler:restorationHandler];
  return YES;
}

Also, add this in your Associated Domains:

applinks:yourdeeplink.com

Android Setup

Update your AndroidManifest.xml:

<intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
    <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
    <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
    <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
    <data
        android:host="yourdeeplink.com"
        android:scheme="https" />
</intent-filter>

Testing:

Now let's start testing Because We All Make Mistakes 🧪

If a Deeplink is not hosted (Android Only):

• For dev testing, go to App Info → Open by default → Supported web addresses → Toggle ON

Creating Your First Deep Link: The Fun Part 🎨

Let's create a referral link (because sharing is caring):

1. Open AppsFlyer dashboard
2. Go to Home → Engage → OneLink Management
3. Click "New Link" (it's like magic, but with more clicking)
4. Select "referral-to-app" option
5. Choose "User_invite" and click next
6. Fill in the required fields (this is where you get creative)
7. Under "Additional parameters", add your custom data:

• Parameter name: empId
• Parameter value: 123
• Add another for promotion: "ee"

1. Click "Create Link" and voilà! You're now a deep link wizard 🧙‍♂️

Ensure that your referral link includes the query parameters af_xp=referral and pid=User_invite; otherwise, the deferred deep link will not be recognized.

If you're generating the link using the User_Invite option (Referral-app), the required parameters will be automatically appended to the deep link, so there's no need to add them manually.

🧪 How to Test Deferred Deep Link

Testing deferred deep links is a bit of an art. If you follow the usual process, it might not work because the attribution SDKs need a fresh install after link click. Here's how to do it right:

1. Delete the app from your physical device.
2. Click on the deep link you created (e.g., referral/user invite link).
3. You’ll be redirected to the Play Store or App Store – but don’t install it from there.
4. Instead, go back to your IDE (Android Studio or Xcode), and run the app manually from there.

✅ This process will simulate a deferred deep link by capturing the attribution data on first open after link click, without downloading through the store.

🔁 Why not just install from the store?
Because Play Store / App Store links don’t allow attribution unless the app is tracked from the install process initiated by the attribution SDK — and that’s not possible with side-loaded debug builds.

For this reason, manual launch after the click simulates the correct deferred deep link scenario in dev.

Tracking User Engagement

Want to track how many users clicked your link or installed the app because of it?

1. Go to AppsFlyer Dashboard
2. Click your App Icon
3. Navigate to Campaign → Click
4. Scroll to see click stats, conversions, and deep link data

You're now officially stalking—err, "analyzing"—your users 👀