Deep links for Meta, TikTok and Google Ads campaigns
Wherever an ad sends people to a URL, a LinkTrail link sends each tap to the right screen — through the store if the app isn't installed — captures the network's click ID, and puts the campaign's installs next to its spend.
What each integration does
| Partner | Click ID captured | What LinkTrail does |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Ads | fbclid | Cost import + fbclid capture |
| Google Ads | gclid | Cost import + gclid & Play Install Referrer |
| TikTok Ads | ttclid | Cost import + ttclid capture |
| BigQuery | — | Raw event export via an S3 stage |
How it works with Meta and TikTok ads
- 1
Use a LinkTrail link where the ad sends people to a URL
In traffic and website-objective campaigns, creator posts and bio links, create one link per network or placement, tagged with its campaign and channel, and use it as the destination URL. Someone with the app lands on the advertised screen; someone without it goes through the App Store or Google Play and still lands on that screen at first open — that's deferred deep linking. In app campaigns aimed at people who already have the app, put the link in the ad's deep link field instead.
- 2
The network's click ID is captured with the click
When someone taps the ad, the network appends its click ID to the URL — fbclid for Meta Ads, gclid for Google Ads, ttclid for TikTok Ads. LinkTrail records it with the click, and the install that click produces carries it forward.
- 3
Import the network's cost export
Export spend from the ad platform as a CSV and import it. Cost joins to installs and in-app events by campaign, giving cost per install and cost per activated user by channel from one attribution source instead of each network's own count.
Running one campaign on both platforms? The cross-platform campaign guide covers tagging, the SDK hooks, and why iOS and Android attribute differently. For reconciling several networks' numbers, see channel cost reconciliation.
What LinkTrail doesn't do with ad networks
- App install campaigns on Meta, TikTok and Google send people straight to the store and attribute installs inside the network, so they don't accept a LinkTrail link as the destination. Deferred deep linking in those campaigns comes from the network's own SDK or an integrated measurement partner, which LinkTrail isn't today.
- LinkTrail doesn't connect to your ad accounts or call the networks' APIs. Spend comes from the CSV each network exports.
- It doesn't send install or in-app event postbacks back to Meta, TikTok or Google. If the networks' own campaign optimisation needs those installs, keep the network's SDK or conversion API in place alongside LinkTrail.
- SKAdNetwork and AdAttributionKit postbacks for iOS campaigns are aggregated and delayed by Apple, whichever tool receives them.
Campaign attribution with UTM tags is on every plan, including Free. Ad-network cost data is on Growth and above — see pricing. How installs are matched is on the attribution page, and deep links for Meta and TikTok ads explains which campaign types a link works in.
Ad network integrations — common questions
Does LinkTrail work with Meta and TikTok ads?
Yes, where the ad sends people to a URL — traffic and website campaigns, creator posts and bio links — a LinkTrail link routes each device to the app or its store, carries the ad's context through the install with deferred deep linking, and captures the network's click ID (fbclid or ttclid). In app campaigns it goes in the deep link field, for people who already have the app. App install campaigns send new users straight to the store and don't accept third-party links as the destination.
Does LinkTrail send installs back to Meta or TikTok?
No, not today. The integrations are inbound: LinkTrail reads the click ID on the link and imports the cost CSV the network exports. It doesn't post installs or in-app events back to the networks, so if their campaign optimisation relies on those signals, keep the network's own SDK or conversion API running alongside LinkTrail.
Do I need to connect my ad accounts?
No. LinkTrail never asks for access to your ad accounts. Spend comes from the CSV you export from each network, which you import on the Growth plan or above.
Can I use the same link for iOS and Android in one ad?
Yes. One link routes iPhones to the App Store, Android phones to Google Play, and devices with the app straight into it, and reports installs from both under the same campaign. How the match differs per platform is covered in the cross-platform campaign guide.
Questions about your setup?
Email support@linktrail.io or see the plans, starting with a free tier.