Use case

Referral tracking that survives the install

A referral program lives or dies on one question: who invited this new user? The moment a tapped link detours through the App Store or Play Store, most tracking loses the answer. LinkTrace keeps it. Each referrer shares their own link; when a friend installs and opens your app, your app gets the referrer’s identifier back with the attribution result. Two HTTP calls, no SDK, and no referral codes to type.

Updated

Start tracing — freeAPI reference

What is referral tracking for mobile apps?

Referral tracking records which existing user, or which campaign, brought in each new user, so you can credit the right referrer. The hard part on mobile is the install gap: the invitee usually has to install the app before they can sign up, and naive tracking loses the connection between the tap and the install.

Why referral attribution breaks across the install

A referral flow is two sessions, often on two different days: the tap, and the first app open after install. Cookies do not survive the app store, and the store hands you nothing reliable back. So most homegrown setups fall back to “enter your friend’s code” — friction that cuts completion and still fails when people skip it.

How LinkTrace credits the right referrer

  1. One link per referrer. Your server calls POST /api/v1/referral-links with a referrerIdentifier — your internal user id — plus optional source, campaign and medium. The referrer shares that link anywhere.
  2. The click is recorded server-side. When the invitee taps, LinkTrace records the click along with the device signals needed for matching, then sends them to the right store.
  3. The app resolves the referrer after install. On first launch or right after sign-up, your app calls POST /api/v1/attributions with the new user’s id. When the install matches, the response includes the original link’s referrerIdentifier and any customPayload you attached. Your backend credits the referrer in your own database.
Create a referrer’s link (server)
http
POST https://api.linktrace.in/api/v1/referral-links
Content-Type: application/json
x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY

{
  "referrerIdentifier": "user_9821",
  "campaign": "summer_referral",
  "customPayload": {
    "screenName": "promo_screen",
    "promoCode": "SAVE20"
  }
}
Attribution response after the invitee signs up (app)
json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "attributed": true,
    "referrerIdentifier": "user_9821",
    "campaign": "summer_referral",
    "customPayload": {
      "screenName": "promo_screen",
      "promoCode": "SAVE20"
    }
  }
}

That is the whole integration. A given userId is attributed only once, so repeat calls return the existing result instead of crediting twice. The request shapes are in the API reference, and a production example of this exact flow is in the Knudge referral attribution case study. The mechanism underneath is deferred deep linking.

Running and measuring the program

  • Link-wise click counts. Included on every plan, so you can see which referrers drive taps from day one.
  • Analytics dashboard. On Growth and up, for program-level numbers.
  • Custom event tracking. On Scale, through POST /api/v1/events, to measure what invited users do after install.

For program design itself — rewards, sharing channels, fraud basics — see how to run a mobile referral program and the API-level implementation guide.

Frequently asked questions

How are referrals attributed after an install?

The invitee’s tap is recorded server-side when they open the referral link. When they install and open the app, your app calls the Attribution API, and LinkTrace matches the install to that recorded click using device fingerprint matching. The response returns the referrer’s identifier and link metadata.

Do users have to type a referral code?

No. The referral link itself carries the referrer’s identifier. The invitee just taps, installs and opens — no codes, no extra step.

Which plans include referral tracking?

Every plan, including the free Starter plan (a one-time allowance of 100 dynamic links and 1,000 attributed installs). Custom event tracking for post-install behaviour is on the Scale plan. See pricing.

Can I track what referred users do after they install?

Yes, on the Scale plan, through the event tracking endpoint (POST /api/v1/events). The referral attribution itself — who invited whom — works on every plan.

Start tracing — free plan, no credit card

Two HTTP calls, no SDK, and deferred deep linking, install attribution and referral tracking on every plan.

Start tracingAPI reference

Further reading