This guide explains how to open to a specific page of your app or website using push notifications. For options using Email or SMS, please go to Email Links and Click Tracking or Sending SMS Messages.

Launch URL

The Launch URL or url API parameter should be an https:// URL that opens a webpage or a custom URI like your-app:// that your app is setup to detect and handle programmatically usually through:

• iOS URL Schemes
• Android Intent Filters

If you have a Website and Mobile App, you can set Different URL for web/app with the web_url and app_url parameters on the dashboard or API.

Default Processing of Launch URL

Sending a Launch URL with http:// or https:// links will have the following behavior. Note that Apple requires HTTPS URLs for iOS unless you update the App Transparency Security Settings.

Suppressing Launch URLs

This section discusses how to prevent the Launch URL from opening a browser. If you want to keep this functionality, then see below Deep Linking with Additional Data instead.

Native Android SDK version 4.2.0+, in AndroidManifest.xml add com.onesignal.suppressLaunchURLs.
Setting the value to true will not launch the url in a browser. Allows you to handle programmatically.
Setting the value to false will launch the url in a browser.

<meta-data android:name="com.onesignal.suppressLaunchURLs" android:value="true"/>

Native iOS SDK version 3.2.1+, in Info.plist add OneSignal_suppress_launch_urls.
Setting the value to true will not launch the url in a browser. Allows you to handle programmatically.
Setting the value to false will launch the url in a browser.

<key>OneSignal_suppress_launch_urls</key>
<true/>

Deep Linking

Linking to specific pages of your app through push works best with a custom URI that your app is setup to detect and handle programmatically usually through iOS URL Schemes and Android Intent Filters. It is not recommended to use iOS Universal Links or Android App Links.

It is recommended to create a custom scheme specific for your app like your-app-name://the-identifier-for-the-page-to-go-to.

Deep Linking With Additional Data

Using Additional Data or the API data parameter, you can pass some data into the notification and handle it programmatically within the SDK Notification Opened Handler and the additionalData property.

Link into the app store

You can enter the store link as the launch URL. Examples:

Android - https://developer.android.com/distribute/marketing-tools/linking-to-google-play.html
iOS - grab the link to the app store page, but replace https:// with itms-apps://

Link into another app

In most cases, you can setup a URL Scheme and deep link using the protocol x://

For example, deep linking into Whatsapp, you can use: whatsapp://wa.me/15551234567

Dynamic URLs

Variables can be set within the Launch URL through Data Tags. See Message Personalization - Launch URL Substitution for details.

No Linking

Currently on mobile apps, anytime the user clicks the push it will open the app.

Web Push: If you do not want to link to any page or url, you can add ?_osp=do_not_open to the end of a URL like this https://yoursite.com/page?_osp=do_not_open as the launch url, this will prevent the push from going to any url upon click and will just dismiss the push.

UTM Parameters

UTM parameters are query parameters added to URLs to measure the effectiveness of a marketing campaign. OneSignal allows you to automatically set source, medium, and campaign parameters for your push notification's sent from the OneSignal Dashboard using the Launch URL / App URL and Action Button URLs.

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UTM Parameter Limitations

UTM Parameters set within the dashboard are not supported in the following options:

• Emails
• Automated Messages
• API requests
• Using "Send Test Message" button
• Additional Data

You will need to add UTMs directly within the Template or API request directly.

If you are using the OneSignal WordPress Plugin, you can add UTM parameters within the Plugin Settings towards the bottom within the UTM Tracking Settings.

Enable UTM parameters in Settings > Messaging > Turn on automated UTM tagging

You can edit these values to suit your requirements. UTM Parameters set within the dashboard are as follows:

• Source = onesignal
• Medium = push
• Campaign = {{ sendDate }}-{{ title }}

sendDate: Sent At date from the Delivery → Sent Messages statistics
title: First 15 chars (a-z, A-Z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen) of the message title

Note: Message variables sendDate and title are for the campaign parameter only.

Example URL with UTM parameters appended from the settings:
https://test.com?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2020-06-03-sale-today

FAQ

How are UTM parameters appended to my URLs?

With UTM Tagging enabled in app settings, you should enter the launch URLs without the UTM parameters as these will be appended automatically.

If you add other UTMs with this feature enabled, then the UTMs you set manually will override the UTM Parameters set within the dashboard.

Can I use non-English characters in the UTM parameters?

Yes! We don’t validate the accuracy of a URL. If there are characters other than a-z, A-Z, 0-9, underscores, or hyphens entered in a URL or UTM parameters, then please make sure the URL works before sending the notification.

How to use UTM parameters?

Google Analytics, for example, uses links with UTM parameters to provide insights into your campaigns and subscriptions. These are a few common ways to use Google Analytics to understand your traffic, user behavior, and conversion data:

• Understand Your Campaigns: Replicate the successful campaigns and improve the underperforming ones.
  On Google Analytics, navigate to Acquisition > Campaigns > All Campaigns

  • Compare metrics across different campaigns, such as subscriptions, sessions, bounce rates, and goal conversions. If you’ve used the same UTM campaign tag for different sources or mediums, you can click into that campaign and compare the performance across these different channels (source/medium).

• Understand Your Audiences: Identify the successful segments and improve your target audience for future campaigns.
  On Google Analytics, navigate to Audience > Demographics | Interests | Geo | Mobile

  • Add Campaign as a secondary dimension to Audience reports. Compare campaign performance across demographic segments (Age, Gender, Location, Devices) or interests (Affinity Categories, In-Market Segments).

• Understand Your Channels: Optimize your marketing channels.
  On Google Analytics, navigate to Acquisition > All Traffic > Source/Medium

  • Compare the performance of push as a channel with your other channels, such as email or paid ad campaigns.

For more advanced analysis, filter your data by date ranges and audience segments. Add a secondary dimension for deeper insight. Set up goals, events, and custom data to track conversions.