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Quick Start: Your First Link in 5 Minutes

This tutorial walks you through creating an OpenLynk account, setting up your first app, and generating a deep link -- all from the dashboard. No SDK or code is required.

By the end, you will have a working link and your first click recorded in analytics.

Step 1: Sign Up​

Go to openlynk.io/auth/signup and create your account. You can sign up with an email address or use a social login provider.

After signing in, you will land on the dashboard.

Step 2: Create Your Organization​

If this is your first time, OpenLynk will prompt you to create an organization. An organization is the top-level container for all your apps, team members, and billing.

Enter a name for your organization (for example, your company name) and confirm.

note

You can invite team members to your organization later from the Settings page. Each member can be assigned a role that controls their level of access.

Step 3: Create Your First App​

Click Create App in the dashboard. You will need to fill in a few fields:

FieldWhat to enterExample
App NameA display name for your appMy Shop
App SlugA unique subdomain for your linksmyshop
Web DomainA fallback URL for users without the apphttps://myshop.com

The app slug is the most important field. It becomes the subdomain for all your deep links. For example, if your slug is myshop, your links will look like:

https://myshop.openlynk.to/abc123
warning

The app slug cannot be changed after creation. Choose something short, memorable, and closely aligned with your brand.

You can fill in the iOS and Android platform fields later when you are ready to integrate the SDK. For now, the app name, slug, and web domain are enough to create and test links.

Click Save to register the app.

Navigate to the Links section of your app and click Create Link.

Fill in the following:

  • Destination Path -- The in-app screen this link should open, expressed as a path. For example: /product/123 or /promo/summer-sale.
  • Metadata (optional) -- Key-value pairs that travel with the link. These are delivered to your app when the link is opened. Common uses include UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_campaign) or custom data (product_id, referrer).

Click Create. OpenLynk generates a short URL like:

https://myshop.openlynk.to/1709876543-x7k9m2

Copy this URL.

Open the link in a browser on your computer or phone. Since you have not installed a mobile app with the SDK yet, one of two things will happen:

  • If you set a Web Domain -- You will be redirected to your fallback web URL (e.g. https://myshop.com).
  • If you set a Store URL -- You will be redirected to the App Store or Play Store page.
  • If neither is set -- You will see a default OpenLynk landing page.

This is expected behavior. The deep link will open directly in your app once you integrate the SDK and configure Universal Links (iOS) or App Links (Android).

tip

Try opening the link on both a desktop browser and a mobile browser to see how the redirect behavior differs. On mobile, the platform is detected automatically and the appropriate store or fallback is used.

Step 6: View the Click in Analytics​

Go back to the dashboard and open the Analytics section for your app. You should see your test click recorded with:

  • Timestamp of the click
  • Device type and operating system
  • Country based on IP geolocation
  • Referrer information (if available)

Each link also has its own analytics page showing click trends over time.

Exit Checklist​

Before moving on, confirm you have completed the following:

  • Account created at openlynk.io
  • Organization set up
  • App registered with a slug
  • First link created and tested
  • Click visible in analytics
tip

To integrate the SDK in the next step, you will need an API key. Go to your app's settings page in the dashboard and click Generate API Key. Keep this key secure -- it authenticates all SDK requests.

What's Next?​

You have a working link and a dashboard account. The next step is integrating the OpenLynk SDK into your mobile app so that links open directly in-app and deferred deep linking works across the install flow.

Choose your platform: