Deep links – Sending users from an email directly into your app

One of the biggest benefits of an In-App Message is that your call to action (CTA) can send the user to a specific location in your app.

But what if you want to send a user from an email to that same location? That's where deep links come in.

What is deep linking?

Deep links are links that send users directly to specific locations in your app – usually from an email.

If a user has your app installed when they click on a deep link, their device will open the link in the app rather than their browser. This works by specifying a custom URL scheme (iOS Universal Links) or an intent URL (on Android devices).

The question is, why bother?

Two important benefits of deep linking

Let's look at the two biggest reasons to use deep linking in your email campaigns.

1. It creates a smoother experience for your users

Imagine that you've just read an email about a brand new feature in your favorite app. You're curious, so you click on the "Give it a try" CTA.

If that link takes you to a login page in your browser, there's a high chance that you'll lose interest and drop off.

But if it opens your app and takes you directly to the screen where you can use that feature, you're very likely to give it a try. Which leads us to our second point ...

2. It gets users closer to the point of conversion

Deep links send your users straight into the action.

That means less clicks between your email campaigns and conversions like:

• Using a new feature
• Subscribing for a premium membership
• Rating your app
• And more!

It's important to remember that if the user opens the same link on their desktop or on a device that doesn't have the app, the fallback will be the actual URL on the web, and should be handled accordingly. So a link for "Give the Feature a try" should either go to the app screen with the feature or to the specific feature explanation on the web.