Using Short Links to Track App Downloads Across Marketing Channels
App developers often invest time and money promoting their app across multiple platforms — social media, blogs, email, and paid ads. But how do you know which channel actually brings in downloads?
That’s where short links become a powerful tool.
Using URL shorteners like URLShortly.com, you can assign a unique short link to each platform, and easily track the performance of every campaign.
This article will walk you through how to do that — and why it matters.
The Problem: Blind Spots in Download Tracking
Let’s say you're promoting your app:
You post on Instagram
Upload a tutorial on YouTube
Send an email newsletter
Run Google or Meta ads
Each of these could bring users to your app’s store page, but you won’t know which source worked best unless you set up tracking.
The Solution: Create Unique Short Links for Each Channel
Instead of using the same app store link everywhere, create custom short links for each marketing channel.
Example:
| Platform | Custom Short Link |
|---|---|
urlshortly.com/myapp-ig | |
| YouTube | urlshortly.com/myapp-yt |
urlshortly.com/myapp-email | |
| Facebook Ads | urlshortly.com/myapp-fbads |
urlshortly.com/myapp-reddit |
Each link points to the same destination (your app store page), but gives you separate analytics.
How to Set It Up
Copy your main app store link (Google Play or App Store).
Go to URLShortly.com.
Paste the original link.
Add a custom alias like
/myapp-yt.Repeat for other platforms.
Use each link only on its assigned channel.
What You Can Track
With these links in place, URLShortly will help you monitor:
Number of clicks per channel
Geographic location of users
Time and day of peak activity
Device types (iOS, Android, Desktop)
Referral sources
This data helps you focus your energy where it counts.
Example Insights You Might Discover
Instagram stories bring more clicks than your main bio link.
Reddit links generate better quality traffic than Facebook ads.
Email newsletters have fewer clicks but better conversion rates.
YouTube viewers mostly come from mobile — perfect for app installs.
Now you can double down on what's working and fix what’s not.
Pro Tip: UTM Parameters + Short Links
If you’re running ads or email campaigns, you can add UTM parameters to your original URLs, and then shorten them.
This lets you also track activity inside tools like Google Analytics while still using clean short links.
Example:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.myapp&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=launch
→urlshortly.com/myapp-yt
Conclusion
Smart app developers don’t just launch apps — they track performance, test results, and optimize. Short links are an easy, powerful way to track downloads across channels and make informed decisions.
Using URLShortly.com, you’ll not only simplify your links — you’ll strengthen your entire app marketing strategy.