{"id":869,"date":"2026-04-21T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/?p=869"},"modified":"2026-03-07T03:48:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T08:48:30","slug":"deep-linking-migration-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/deep-linking-migration-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep Linking Migration Checklist: 30 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Migrating your deep linking platform is straightforward if you have a checklist. Miss a step and you discover broken links in production. This checklist covers every phase of a deep link migration, from initial audit to post-migration monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For detailed migration guides by platform, see <a href=\"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/migrating-to-tolinku\/\">Migrating to Tolinku from Branch, Firebase, and AppsFlyer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phase 1: Pre-Migration Audit (Steps 1-10)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"checklist wp-block-list\"><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>1. Export all link configurations<\/strong> from your current platform (paths, parameters, redirects, OG tags)<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>2. Document all deep link paths<\/strong> your app handles (e.g., <code>\/product\/:id<\/code>, <code>\/invite\/:code<\/code>, <code>\/promo\/:slug<\/code>)<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>3. List all custom parameters<\/strong> passed through links (referral codes, campaign IDs, UTM tags, custom data)<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>4. Identify where links are used externally<\/strong>: email templates, social posts, QR codes, print materials, partner integrations, ad campaigns<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>5. Check custom domain configuration<\/strong>: document DNS records, SSL certificates, and domain ownership<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>6. Audit SDK usage in your app<\/strong>: deep link handling, link creation, event tracking, referral tracking<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>7. Export historical analytics<\/strong> from your current platform (click data, conversion data, attribution reports)<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>8. Identify integrations<\/strong>: which ad networks, ESPs, analytics tools, and partners connect to your current platform?<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>9. Document your Universal Links \/ App Links configuration<\/strong>: Associated Domains entitlement (iOS), intent filters (Android), AASA file, assetlinks.json<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>10. Assess traffic volume<\/strong>: how many clicks\/month do your links handle? This determines your Tolinku plan tier<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phase 2: New Platform Setup (Steps 11-17)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"checklist wp-block-list\"><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>11. Create your Appspace<\/strong> on the new platform with iOS and Android app configuration<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>12. Set up your branded domain<\/strong>: DNS CNAME record, SSL provisioning, domain verification<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>13. Create routes<\/strong> matching all your existing deep link paths (same paths and parameters)<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>14. Configure OG metadata<\/strong> for each route (title, description, image) to match your current link previews<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>15. Set up web fallback URLs<\/strong> for each route (where users go if the app isn&#8217;t installed and they don&#8217;t install)<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>16. Configure analytics<\/strong>: UTM parameter mapping, custom event definitions, conversion tracking<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>17. Set up any additional features<\/strong>: referral program, smart banners, A\/B tests<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phase 3: SDK Integration (Steps 18-22)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"checklist wp-block-list\"><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>18. Remove the old SDK<\/strong> from your iOS and Android projects (dependencies, initialization, callbacks)<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>19. Add the new SDK<\/strong> and configure Universal Links (iOS Associated Domains) and App Links (Android intent filters)<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>20. Implement deep link handling<\/strong>: URL parsing, route matching, screen navigation<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>21. Implement deferred deep linking<\/strong>: first-open handling for new installs that clicked a link before installing<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>22. Update link creation code<\/strong> (if your app generates links): replace old API calls with new platform&#8217;s API<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phase 4: Testing (Steps 23-26)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"checklist wp-block-list\"><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>23. Test direct deep linking<\/strong>: tap a link with the app installed, verify correct screen opens on both iOS and Android<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>24. Test deferred deep linking<\/strong>: uninstall app, tap a link, install from store, verify correct screen opens on first launch<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>25. Test web fallback<\/strong>: tap a link without the app on a device that won&#8217;t install, verify redirect to correct web URL<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>26. Test OG previews<\/strong>: share a link on Facebook, Twitter, iMessage, and WhatsApp; verify preview card renders correctly<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phase 5: Cutover (Steps 27-30)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"checklist wp-block-list\"><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>27. Begin parallel running<\/strong>: use new platform for all new links while old links continue through old platform<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>28. Update high-priority external links<\/strong>: email templates, website buttons, social profiles, active ad campaigns<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>29. DNS cutover<\/strong> (if transferring custom domain): lower TTL, update CNAME, verify SSL, test all routes<\/li><li><input type=\"checkbox\" disabled> <strong>30. Monitor for 2 weeks<\/strong>: watch analytics for click\/conversion drops, check user reports, verify link performance matches pre-migration baseline<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Post-Migration Monitoring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After completing the checklist, monitor these metrics for 2-4 weeks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Click volume<\/strong>: Compare daily clicks before and after migration. Any significant drop indicates broken links.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Conversion rate<\/strong>: Click-to-install and click-to-open rates should be stable or improved.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Deep link success rate<\/strong>: What percentage of deep links successfully route to the correct screen?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Deferred deep link match rate<\/strong>: What percentage of new installs from links correctly receive their deep link data?<\/li>\n<li><strong>User reports<\/strong>: Watch app reviews and support channels for link-related issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Things People Forget<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Smart banners<\/strong>: If your old platform provided web-to-app banners, don&#39;t forget to set up replacements on the new platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>QR codes<\/strong>: Static QR codes (printed on packaging, marketing materials, signage) can&#39;t be updated remotely. If they point to your old platform&#39;s domain, they&#39;ll break after the old platform is deactivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Email templates<\/strong>: ESP templates often have links deeply embedded in the HTML. Audit all templates, not just the ones you&#39;ve sent recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Webhook integrations<\/strong>: If you have webhooks configured on your old platform (sending click or install events to your server), recreate them on the new platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bot\/crawler handling<\/strong>: If your old platform handled bots differently (serving OG tags without redirecting), verify the new platform does the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rate limiting and caching<\/strong>: If you create links programmatically at high volume, verify the new platform&#39;s API can handle your throughput.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For zero-downtime migration strategies, see the link redirect guide in our migration series. For the general migration guide, see <a href=\"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/migrating-to-tolinku\/\">Migrating to Tolinku from Branch, Firebase, and AppsFlyer<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don&#8217;t miss anything when migrating deep linking platforms. This 30-step checklist covers pre-migration, implementation, testing, and cutover.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":868,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Deep Linking Migration Checklist: 30 Steps","rank_math_description":"Don't miss anything when migrating deep linking platforms. 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