Deep linking and channels
How to score an MMP on deep linking and channels: deferred deep links on the entry plan, web-to-app attribution from your website, and connected TV measurement.
Check that deferred deep links come with the plan you are buying rather than a separate product, that installs starting on your mobile website can be attributed, and, only if you buy TV ads, that connected TV campaigns can be measured.
What is deep linking in an MMP evaluation?
Deep linking is how an MMP sends a user from a link straight to the right screen in your app, and deferred deep linking does the same for a user who has to install the app first.
Deferred deep link: a link that remembers its destination through the app store install, so a new user lands on the promised product, offer or invite after first open. See the glossary entry.
Is deferred deep linking on the entry plan?
Some vendors include deep links with attribution; others sell them as a separate product or tier.
- Included on the entry plan: Linkrunner (every plan, including Free), Adjust, Airbridge (Core) and Tenjin.
- Core product, plan not published: Branch.
- Partly: AppsFlyer (from its paid Standard deep-linking tier; not on the free Zero plan since 15 Sep 2026), Singular (deep linking on every plan, deferred not spelled out), Kochava (SmartLinks on every plan, deferred not confirmed).
- Not published: AppMetrica.
Our sister site tracks which MMPs still include deep linking free.
Can installs from your website be attributed?
Web-to-app attribution credits an install to the web visit, smart banner or web campaign that started it. It matters if you run ads to a mobile website or landing page, or if much of your traffic arrives on the web first.
- Yes: Linkrunner (web-to-app flows, Web SDK in beta), Branch, Singular, Airbridge and Tenjin.
- Partly: AppsFlyer and Adjust (their banner and script tools sit on paid plans or paid add-ons), Kochava (web SDK, no web-to-app flow described) and AppMetrica (Yandex Direct only).
Do you need CTV attribution?
Connected TV attribution measures app installs after a TV ad, usually by matching households by IP address. Kochava, AppsFlyer, Adjust, Singular, Airbridge, AppMetrica and Linkrunner document it; Branch offers it on Enterprise only; Tenjin does not publish it. If you do not buy TV inventory, weight this at 0.
How do the nine MMPs mark on deep linking and channels?
Vendors A to Z, from each vendor's own pages, checked 2 Nov 2026.
✓Yes ½Partly ✗No ?Not published
| Requirement |  Adjust |  Airbridge |  AppMetrica |  AppsFlyer |  Branch |  Kochava |  Linkrunner |  Singular |  Tenjin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deferred deep linking | ✓YesDeferred deep linking in the feature list for every plan source | ✓YesDeferred deep links on the Core plan source | ?Not publishedDeep-link opens tracked; deferred deep linking not confirmed source | ½PartlyFrom the paid Standard deep-linking tier; not on Zero since 15 Sep 2026 source | ✓YesDeferred deep linking is its core product; plan availability not published source | ½PartlySmartLinks on every plan; deferred not confirmed source | ✓YesDynamic, deferred deep links on every plan, including Free source | ½PartlyDeep linking on every plan; deferred not spelled out on the pricing page source | ✓YesDeferred deep linking in the all-inclusive feature list source |
| Web-to-app attribution | ½PartlySmart Banners and Smart Scripts, sold as paid Growth Solutions source | ✓YesWeb-to-app banner on the Core plan source | ½PartlyWeb+App format works with Yandex Direct only source | ½PartlySmart Banners and Smart Script on eligible paid plans only source | ✓YesWeb SDK and Journeys web-to-app banners source | ½PartlyWeb SDK and web measurement from Foundation; no web-to-app flow described source | ✓YesWeb-to-app flows; Web SDK in beta source | ✓YesWeb SDK, smart banners and web-to-app links source | ✓YesWeb-to-app setup guides for Google Ads and Meta source |
| CTV attribution | ✓YesCTV attribution on Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku and others source | ✓YesCTV campaign measurement documented source | ✓YesCTV, desktop and console attribution source | ✓YesCTV and TV-to-mobile attribution source | ½PartlyCTV and OTT on Enterprise only source | ✓YesMobile and CTV measurement from the free plan source | ✓YesCTV attribution by household IP view-through source | ✓YesCTV attribution, enabled per integration source | ?Not publishedNot published source |
What should you ask vendors?
Deferred deep linking
- Are deferred deep links included on the plan you are quoting, or sold as a separate deep-linking product?
- Do your links support custom branded domains, Universal Links and Android App Links?
- How do links behave inside in-app browsers such as Instagram and Facebook?
Web-to-app attribution
- How do you attribute an install that started on our mobile website (web SDK, smart banner or link)?
- Is web-to-app measurement included or a paid add-on?
CTV attribution
- Which CTV platforms and ad partners can you measure, and is the match deterministic or modelled?
- Is CTV attribution included in the plan you are quoting?
The full RFP template has every question in one list.
Questions
What is the difference between deep linking and deferred deep linking?
A deep link opens a screen in an app that is already installed. A deferred deep link also works when the app is not installed: it carries the destination through the install and opens it on first launch.
Do I need a separate deep linking tool if I have an MMP?
Not if your MMP includes deferred deep links on your plan. Check the plan, because some vendors sell deep linking as a separate product with its own tiers.
Is CTV attribution deterministic?
Usually not. Most CTV measurement matches TV ad exposure to app installs by household IP address or modelling, so treat it as directional and ask the vendor which method it uses.
What is an MMP scorecard?
An MMP scorecard is a weighted list of requirements used to compare mobile measurement partners. Each vendor is marked yes, partly, no or not published on each requirement from its own published facts, and the weights decide the final score.
What questions should I ask MMP vendors in an RFP?
Ask about the all-in cost at your volume, which plan each feature sits on, raw data exports, SKAN 4 support, deferred deep linking, seats, security certifications and support response times. The MMP RFP template on this site has the full list, free to copy.
What does Not published mean on this site?
It means the vendor's own pricing page, docs or trust centre did not state the fact when it was checked. It is not a no: the scorecard shows it as a question mark and adds it to your RFP questions.
Other criteria
- Pricing and costPublished pricing, free plan, low price at your volume, fraud protection included. What the MMP costs at your volume, whether you can start free, and which features cost extra.
- Privacy, SKAN and complianceSKAN 4 support, enterprise compliance, self-hosted option. iOS measurement under SKAN, security certifications and where your raw data lives.
- Data, exports and integrationsUnrestricted data exports, warehouse delivery, large partner ecosystem. Getting raw data out, into your warehouse, and how many partners the MMP already talks to.
- Agencies and teamsUnlimited seats, agency multi-client access. Seats for the whole team and access for the agencies that run your campaigns.
- Support and regionIndia support, long market track record. A team in your region and how long the vendor has been in the market.