Hit a wall with our deferred deep links losing UTM tags after app store redirects. Our marketing team can’t track which campaigns actually convert because everything shows as direct. Tried URL shorteners and adjusted MMP settings, but no luck. Switched to handling onboarding through a web flow before app install, which seems to preserve parameters better. Anyone else solved this without relying on fingerprinting? What’s your setup for passing UTMs through the whole journey?
Had the same issue. Built a web-based paywall that captures UTMs first.
Used a tool that generates the JSON for the flow. Just drop it in and the SDK handles the rest. No more lost tags after app install.
Web flows are key here. We test UTMs by modifying the web funnel in minutes, not weeks.
Changes go live instantly, so we iterate faster. Lets us see exactly which campaign elements drive installs.
Keeping users on web until they subscribe fixed it for us.
UTMs stay because they never hit the app store mid-flow. Simple but effective.
Web first. App second. Tags stick.
Three rules for UTMs in deferred links:
- Capture at first touchpoint
- Maintain session through web flow
- Passthrough to app via deep link
We use a hybrid model where the web funnel stores UTMs and syncs post-install. Dropped direct traffic by 65%.
Ran a test last month with web-based UTMs.
Attribution clarity jumped immediately. Saw 30% higher ROAS on campaigns where we controlled the full flow.
Still seeing some discrepancies but less than before.