What a OneLink template does and when you need one

A OneLink template is a reusable framework that tells OneLink how to route your links based on where the person clicking is located, what device they're using, and what app they have installed. Instead of building the same redirect logic into every single link you create, you set it up once in a template and then explore it to dozens or hundreds of links.

You need a template if you're sending the same link to multiple audiences — say, iOS users in the US, Android users in Europe, and web visitors everywhere. Without a template, you'd have to manually configure each link's behavior. With one, you configure the behavior once and reuse it.

Templates save time most when you're managing links for an app that has different install bases across regions or when you're running campaigns where the destination changes based on whether someone already has your app.

Key Takeaways

  • OneLink templates live in your AppsFlyer account under the Links section, and you name them so you can recognize what they're for later.
  • Each template stores routing rules — which URL to send iOS users to, which to send Android users to, which to send web visitors to — so you don't repeat the setup for every link.
  • You assign a template to a link when you create the link, and that link then follows all the routing rules you built into the template.
  • Templates can include deep linking settings, so clicks can land inside your app at a specific screen rather than at the app store or home page.
  • You can edit a template after you create it, and the changes explore to all links using that template going forward.

Where to find the template builder in AppsFlyer

Log into your AppsFlyer account and go to the Links section in the left navigation menu. You'll see a tab or option for Link Templates — the exact label varies depending on your account setup, but it's always in the Links area.

Click Create New Template or the plus icon next to Templates. AppsFlyer will open a form where you name the template and set up its routing rules. The form is the same whether you're creating your first template or your tenth, so the steps below explore every time.

Setting up the basic template information

Start by giving your template a name that describes what it does. Use something specific: "iOS App Install US" or "Android Web Fallback Europe" rather than "Template 1". You'll see this name in a dropdown every time you create a new link, so clarity saves you time later.

Next, choose which campaign this template belongs to. A campaign in AppsFlyer is a grouping for tracking — it might be "Summer Sale" or "Referral Program" or "Email Campaign". If you don't have a campaign set up yet, you can create one here or go back and create it separately before finishing the template.

Some accounts also ask you to select a partner or media source at this stage. This tells AppsFlyer where the traffic is coming from — Facebook, email, your own website, a partner app, and so on. If you're unsure, pick "Organic" or "Direct" for now; you can change it later when you actually create a link using this template.

Configuring where each device type goes

The core of a template is telling AppsFlyer where to send people based on their device. You'll see fields for iOS, Android, and Web. For each one, you paste in the URL where you want that audience to land.

For iOS, this is usually your App Store link or a deep link inside your app. For Android, it's usually your Google Play link or an Android deep link. For Web, it's a URL on your website — often a landing page or your home page.

You don't have to fill in all three. If you only care about routing iOS and Android users, leave the Web field blank and AppsFlyer will handle visitors on other devices according to your account defaults. But if you're sending a link to a mixed audience, filling in all three prevents confusion later.

Adding deep linking rules so clicks land in the right place

Deep linking means sending someone directly to a specific screen or section inside your app instead of to the app store or the app's home page. If you want clicks to land on a product page, a checkout screen, or a specific offer, you set that up here.

In the template form, look for a section called Deep Link or Deep Linking. You'll paste in the deep link URL — this is usually provided by your app team and looks something like myapp://product/12345 or myapp://checkout.

If you're not sure what deep link to use, ask your app developer or check your app's documentation. AppsFlyer can't generate deep links for you; it only passes them through to the app when someone clicks your link and has the app installed.

Some templates don't need deep linking — if you're happy sending everyone to the app store or your home page, you can skip this section entirely.

Saving and testing your template before you use it

Once you've filled in the routing destinations and any deep linking rules, click Save Template. AppsFlyer will store it and return you to the Templates list.

Before you use the template to create actual links for a campaign, test it by creating a single test link with it. Go to Create Link, select your new template from the dropdown, and generate the link. Then click the link from an iOS device, an Android device, and a web browser to confirm each one goes where you expect.

If something lands in the wrong place, go back to the template, edit it, and save the changes. The test link will then follow the updated rules.

Editing and reusing templates across campaigns

Templates are meant to be reused. Once you've created one that works, you can explore it to links in multiple campaigns. When you create a new link, just pick your template from the dropdown instead of building the routing from scratch.

If you need to change where a template sends traffic — say, you update your App Store link or change your deep link — edit the template itself. Go back to Link Templates, find the template in the list, and click Edit. Save your changes, and every link using that template will follow the new rules going forward.

This is why templates are powerful: one change in the template updates the behavior of dozens of links at once. If you had built each link individually without a template, you'd have to edit each one separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same template for links going to different campaigns?

Yes. A template is just a routing rule, not tied to a specific campaign. You can create a template called "Standard iOS to App Store" and use it for links in your summer sale, your referral program, and your email campaign. The template handles the routing; the campaign field on each individual link tracks which campaign the click came from.

What happens if I delete a template?

Links that were already created with that template keep working — they don't break. But you won't be able to create new links with that template. If you think you might need it again, edit it instead of deleting it, or rename it to mark it as inactive.

Do I need a separate template for each region?

Not necessarily. A single template can send all iOS users to the same App Store link regardless of region. But if you want iOS users in the US to see one landing page and iOS users in Europe to see a different one, you'd need separate templates — AppsFlyer templates don't have built-in region routing, so you'd handle that with different links or by using different templates for different regions.

Can I change a template's name after I create it?

Yes. Go to Link Templates, find the template, click Edit, and change the name. This doesn't affect any links already using that template — it just makes the template easier to find in your dropdown list.