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What is a Deeplink and How Does It Work?

Written by Bouncy Admin
Updated over 2 months ago

A Deeplink is a smart link created on Bouncy that redirects visitors to a destination URL. Unlike regular links, Bouncy deeplinks can detect the visitor's device and attempt to open content directly in native apps — like opening an Instagram profile in the Instagram app instead of a web browser.

How Deeplinks Work

When someone clicks your Bouncy deeplink:

  1. The click is received by Bouncy's servers

  2. Analytics are recorded — the visitor's country, device, platform, referrer, and timestamp are logged

  3. Geo-filtering rules are checked — if the visitor is in a blocked country/city, they're redirected to an alternate URL

  4. Language rules are checked — if the visitor's browser language matches a rule, they're redirected accordingly

  5. Adult content checkpoint — if enabled, an age verification gate is shown before proceeding

  6. Bounce behavior executes — based on your chosen mode (Aggressive, Conservative, or Basic), the visitor is redirected to your destination

Bounce Behavior Modes

Each deeplink has a bounce behavior setting that controls how aggressively it tries to open native apps:

Mode

What It Does

Best For

Aggressive

Tries multiple techniques to force-open the native app

Maximum app-opening rate; social media links

Conservative

Attempts app-opening but falls back gracefully to web

Balanced user experience; general use

Non-Meta Platforms

Optimized for non-Meta advertising; bypasses adult content warnings on non-Meta platforms

Ad campaigns outside Facebook/Instagram

Basic Redirect

Simple HTTP redirect, no app-opening logic

Email campaigns; maximum compatibility

What You Can Customize on a Deeplink

  • Slug — the custom URL path (e.g., bouncy.ai/your-slug)

  • Domain — choose bouncy.ai, a system domain, or your custom domain

  • Destination URL — where visitors end up

  • Bounce behavior — how the redirect works

  • SEO settings — page title, meta description, OG image, Twitter card

  • Geo-filtering — block or redirect by country/city

  • Language filtering — redirect by browser language

  • Google Analytics ID — per-link GA4 tracking

  • Meta Pixel ID — per-link Facebook pixel tracking

  • Custom meta tags — arbitrary meta tag key-value pairs

  • Notes — internal notes for your reference

Deeplinks vs App Links vs Websites

Deeplink

App Link

Website

What it is

Smart redirect to any URL

Pre-built redirect for a specific app

A full landing page

Best for

Any destination URL

Opening a specific app (Instagram, TikTok, etc.)

Link in Bio pages

Setup

Enter any destination URL

Select app + enter identifier

Use the Website Builder

Analytics

Yes (paid plans)

Yes (paid plans)

Yes (paid plans)

Creating Your First Deeplink

Ready to create one? See How to Create Your First Deeplink.

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