Create Tracking Links for Influencers: Mobile App API Steps
Create tracking links for influencers with Airbridge’s API, using one link per creator-video pair, consistent labels, saved URLs, and app-route testing.
Airbridge documents an API workflow for generating influencer tracking links.
- Use one roster row and one distinct tracking link for each creator-and-video combination you want to compare.
- Map creator to Campaign, angle or hook to Ad Group, and video to Ad Creative.
- Create links from a server-side job with an Airbridge Tracking link API token.
- Save each returned short URL against the matching roster row before distribution.
- Test the installed-app and app-not-installed routes before sharing.
Create tracking links for influencers by turning each creator-and-video combination into a roster row, then sending each row to an authenticated link-creation API.
When do tracking links for creators need an API?
Use an API when you repeatedly create the same kind of link for a changing list of creators, videos, or campaign angles. A roster-driven job can apply the same channel and naming rules to every row, then save each generated link beside its creator and asset. That workflow helps a small growth team avoid hand-building dozens of links between creative reviews, billing work, and campaign launches.
For a recurring campaign, automate the repetitive creation step and keep a person responsible for reviewing destinations, labels, and creator-facing URLs before the links go out. Airbridge's Tracking Link API creates tracking links through a POST request to https://api.airbridge.io/v1/tracking-links.
What should each creator link record contain?
Use a consistent hierarchy for the roster: creator as Campaign, angle or hook as Ad Group, and video as Ad Creative. This is a naming convention for the workflow; the API fields remain campaign, ad_group, and ad_creative.
| Link field | Put this value there | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Channel | A channel name used consistently for creator traffic | ugc-creators |
| Campaign | The creator's stable campaign-safe identifier or name | creator_042 |
| Ad Group | The video's angle, hook, or concept | spring_recipe |
| Ad Creative | The individual video or asset identifier | video_01 |
| Destination | The intended in-app content or page | The matching recipe or offer page |
| Fallback | The store or HTTPS destination for the platform | The appropriate app store listing |
Use one channel name for the creator program, then make each value identify the next level in the hierarchy. In the API, channel is required and names the touchpoint and conversion channel. Airbridge classifies channel names outside its predefined integrated channels as custom channels, so a label such as ugc-creators is a custom channel when it is not one of those predefined names.
Store a stable internal creator key in your roster, even if the report-facing campaign value uses a readable name. A stable key keeps an attribution label unchanged if a creator changes their display name, and it helps match campaign results back to the creator contract or internal record. Keep private contact details, payment data, or other sensitive information out of a URL. OWASP explains that URL query strings can appear in browser history, server logs, and referrer data, exposing personal information; use a campaign-safe ID or public creator label in the link instead.
How to create tracking links for influencers with the API
Create a server-side job that reads one approved roster row at a time, submits its fields, and stores the response. Airbridge advises using its Tracking link API token when creating links from a client server. Its API reference shows a bearer token in the Authorization header and uses Content-Type: application/json.
- Approve the roster row, campaign labels, destination, and platform fallback.
- Read the Tracking link API token from server-side secret storage. Keep it out of creator links and browser-delivered code.
- Send the approved campaign labels using the minimal request below, then save the response against the row.
curl -X POST 'https://api.airbridge.io/v1/tracking-links' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ${AIRBRIDGE_TRACKING_LINK_API_TOKEN}" \
-d '{
"channel": "ugc-creators",
"campaignParams": {
"campaign": "creator_042",
"ad_group": "spring_recipe",
"ad_creative": "video_01"
}
}'
The example shows link creation with campaign labels only; it does not configure a content deep-link destination or platform fallbacks. Add the required routing fields from the current API schema for the app, then verify the returned URL on installed and fresh-install devices. Serialize the JSON payload with the HTTP client rather than percent-encoding campaign text as if it were a complete URL.
How should the job save responses and handle volume?
Save the successful response’s data.trackingLink.id and data.trackingLink.shortUrl against the roster row before distribution. Keep the returned URL unchanged in the creator handoff; a locally reconstructed URL may omit options the API applied.
Use a persistent status per row, such as queued, created, reviewed, and distributed. When the job restarts, skip rows whose URL is already saved. If a request times out after it was sent, flag that row for reconciliation before resubmitting, so an uncertain result does not automatically create another link. Keep an error record with the row key and response detail so an operator can correct the field that caused the failure.
The Airbridge Tracking Link API reference sets a limit of 50 tracking links per second. Pace the job below that ceiling and queue larger batches, especially when other campaign operations share the same service. For a batch of 120 approved rows, for example, the job should process the rows in controlled groups rather than sending all requests as one simultaneous burst.
When customShortId is passed but the tracking link is created with abr.ge, the API returns a 400 error stating that custom short IDs require a custom domain. If no primary domain is set, pass the domain field as well. Add and verify a custom domain for the app before using it for a custom short ID. When you omit customShortId, Airbridge generates a random Short Link ID that cannot be changed later, so save the returned URL with the roster row.
How do you route a creator's audience to the right app destination?
Set platform fallback paths separately from the creator and video attribution labels. Airbridge's Tracking Link API reference supports fallbackPaths for platform redirects when deep linking does not route as intended; direct URLs entered there must use HTTPS. For Android, choose google-play or an HTTPS URL as the fallback.
Before you distribute creator URLs, confirm that each link resolves to the intended in-app content on devices where the app is installed and to the intended store destination when it is not. Match the destination to the content promised by the creator, such as the correct offer or onboarding page, so the person who taps the link lands in the relevant experience.
What should you test before sharing, and what can you compare?
Run Airbridge's deep-link test before releasing a batch. Its Deep Linking Test guide directs users to Settings > Testing Console > Deep Linking and separates tests for an installed app from tests for an app that is not installed. The guide asks teams to configure the fallback path in advance; when a custom domain is in use, it recommends completing all four listed tests.
Use this short release check for each representative platform and destination:
- Confirm the creator, angle, and video values in the roster match the link request.
- Open the generated short URL on a device with the app installed and confirm it opens the expected screen.
- Repeat with the app uninstalled and confirm the configured app-store or HTTPS fallback opens.
- Test any custom domain you use, including its domain-specific check in Airbridge's testing console.
- Save the tested URL against the roster row, then send that exact URL to the creator.
Separate batch creation from campaign evaluation
This workflow ends with approved, saved, and tested URLs. Use the UGC performance guide to assess the videos afterward, and the creator payout scorecard for compensation and renewal decisions. Those decisions should not be mixed into the batch-generation job.
FAQS
FAQ
How to generate a tracking link?
Send a POST request to Airbridge's tracking-link endpoint with the required channel, your campaign parameter values, and the appropriate authentication header. Save data.trackingLink.shortUrl from the successful response against the matching creator-and-video roster row.
Should every creator get one link or one link per video?
Use one link for each creator-and-video combination when you need video-level reporting.
Can I put a creator's email address in the link labels?
Use a campaign-safe creator ID or public label instead. Shareable URLs can appear in browser history, logs, and referrer information, so private contact and payment details belong in your internal roster, not the URL.
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