Invite links that land inside the group.
A class code, a team, a challenge, a private group. A fresh install arrives already inside it, instead of at a 'join a group' screen.
- Who runs it
- Product, marketers
- Time to set up
- One app release
- Plan
- Growth, for the link API
The organiser's invite makes the link.
When an organiser taps invite, your backend makes a link with the group and, if you use them, an expiring invite token in its data. The source tag records how they shared it.
- Expire tokens for private groups.
- One link per invite, made through the API.
The new member is already in.
With the app, the invite opens on the group's join screen. Without it, the store, then the same screen after install. One tap to join.
- Works on iPhone and Android.
- The app checks the token before letting them in.
Invites that became members.
Invite-to-member rate: of the people who tapped an invite, how many joined. Your app sends the join as an event, credited to the invite.
- Taps, installs and joins per group.
- Which invite methods organisers actually use.
One-time setup, then it's all yours.
Your developer creates invite links through the API and reads the invite when the app opens. After that, every group works the same way.
LinkTrail.onLink(link => {
// link.customData = { invite: "inv_a91k", role: "member" }
joinGroup(link.path, link.customData.invite);
});The full walkthrough: Group invites: landing inside the group, not at a 'join a group' screen
Any product with groups — classes, teams, workspaces, challenges, family plans — has the same onboarding cliff. The organiser invites people. The invitee installs. The app asks them to sign up, then asks if they'd like to join a group, then asks for a code the organiser sent in a message they've now closed. Every one of those steps loses someone, and the organiser is the one who notices when the group is half empty.
What problem does this solve?
The invite link should carry the group across the install, so the new user arrives already in it — or with a single 'join?' confirmation, if joining needs consent — with the sign-up flow shaped around the group they're joining. The organiser sees the group fill; the invitee never touches a code.
How do you set the links up?
The organiser's invite action generates a link with the group and, if you use them, a one-time or expiring invite token in the payload. The app consumes it at first open. The source tag tells you which invite method — in-app share, copied link, email — organisers actually use.
{
"deepLinkPath": "/groups/g_7742/join",
"customData": {"invite": "inv_a91k", "role": "member", "src": "organiser-share"}
}What if the group is private?
The payload carries an invite token, and the token is what the server validates — the group ID alone grants nothing. Tokens can be single-use or expiring, and the server decides at join time whether it's still valid. The link's job is to get the right person to the right join screen; the server's job is to decide whether they're allowed in.
- Expire tokens. A group link that works forever is a link that eventually gets posted somewhere public.
- Handle the already-a-member case. The organiser will tap their own link to test it; it should open the group, not offer to join it.
- If sign-up is required, do it after the join confirmation, not before. The person wants the group; the account is the price of admission, and it should look that way.
Which metric should you watch?
Invite-to-member rate: of the people who tapped an invite, how many ended up in the group. It is the number organisers care about, and it is usually the single biggest activation lever in any group-based product.
Which teams own a group invite flow?
- Mobile product teams
- Growth marketers
Which LinkTrail features does a group invite flow need?
- Deferred deep linking
- Smart routing
- Post-install events
Group invite questions.
How do invite links put a new user inside the group?
The organiser's invite action generates a link with the group and an invite token in the payload. The app consumes it at first open after install, so the invitee lands in the group — or on a single join confirmation — without entering a code.
How do you keep private group invites secure?
The payload carries an invite token that the server validates at join time — the group ID alone grants nothing. Make tokens single-use or expiring, and handle the organiser tapping their own link by opening the group.
Which metric should group products watch?
Invite-to-member rate: of the people who tapped an invite, how many ended up in the group. It is the number organisers care about and usually the biggest activation lever in a group-based product.
If you're doing this, you'll probably want these.
Referral programme
Friend invites a friend. The friend lands inside the invite after installing, the referrer is credited, and suspected fake installs are flagged so you can check them before you hand out a reward.
Shared content
When someone shares a recipe, a listing or a workout, the friend lands on that thing, not your home screen.
Onboarding that matches the ad
If the ad promised 20% off, the first screen shows 20% off. Nobody has to find the code again.
Make your first invite link.
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