Short answer: OneLink is AppsFlyer's smart link: one link that sends each person to the app, the right app store or a web page, and records the click for attribution. A onelink.me address is AppsFlyer's default domain for those links. onelink.to is a different service from a different company. Since 15 September 2026, AppsFlyer's free Zero plan keeps basic links but not deferred deep linking or branded domains.
What is OneLink?
OneLink: AppsFlyer's smart link and deep linking product, a single link that routes each user by device and records the click so the install can be credited to a campaign.
Three things look alike in a bio, an email or a QR code:
- AppsFlyer OneLink on onelink.me: links such as
yourapp.onelink.me/abc. Theonelink.mepart is AppsFlyer's default domain, so the link belongs to AppsFlyer, not to the brand using it. - AppsFlyer OneLink on a branded domain: the same product on the brand's own address, such as
go.yourbrand.com/abc. You can't tell it's a OneLink from the address alone. - onelink.to: a separate company's link service, best known for one link or QR code that sends iPhone users to the App Store and Android users to Google Play. It is not part of AppsFlyer.
Smart link: one https link that checks the device that opened it and sends the person to the app, the right store or a web page.
What is onelink.me used for?
A onelink.me link is an AppsFlyer OneLink, used by an app's marketing team to send people into their app and track which campaign brought them. If you tap one, it opens the app if you have it, or takes you to your phone's app store if you don't. You'll see them in Instagram bios, ad buttons, referral messages and QR codes.
How do you tell which OneLink you have?
Look at the domain, then test it on real phones.
| What you see | What it is | What to check |
|---|---|---|
something.onelink.me/... | AppsFlyer OneLink on AppsFlyer's domain | Whether new users still land on the right screen since 15 Sep 2026 |
onelink.to/... | The separate onelink.to service | Which plan you're on and what it includes for deep linking |
Your own domain, such as go.brand.com/... | Could be any deep linking tool | Ask whoever set it up which tool serves it |
To test one:
- Paste the link into the link checker to see every parameter it carries.
- Tap it on an iPhone without the app. Note where it lands.
- Install the app from that store page and open it. Note the first screen.
- Repeat on an Android phone, then with the app already installed.
OneLink code: people use this for two things, the short code at the end of a OneLink address and a QR code generated from a OneLink. Both point at the same link, so test the QR code the same way.
What changed on AppsFlyer's free plan in 2026?
On 15 September 2026, AppsFlyer Zero accounts that hadn't upgraded moved to a reduced plan. AppsFlyer had given Zero accounts three months of free Deep Linking Advanced from 13 May 2026; when that ended, branded domains and user invites were revoked.
- Branded domains: revoked. AppsFlyer's own notice warns this "may result in inactive links".
- Deferred deep linking: AppsFlyer's deep linking pricing page lists it from the Standard tier up, which is custom-priced, so it isn't on Zero.
- Still on Zero: short links, QR codes, web and social to app routing, and basic click reporting.
- Read-only: existing bulk links and Smart Banners keep running but can't be edited.
Deferred deep linking: sending a new user to a specific screen on the first open after they install the app from a link. The deferred deep linking explainer covers how to test it.
So a Zero link can still reach the store, but a new user may open the app on the home screen. For the dated record of each change, see the AppsFlyer Zero plan change log.
Is onelink.to the same as OneLink?
No. onelink.to is a separate company's link service and isn't connected to AppsFlyer. Its core use is one link or QR code that sends each phone to the right app store.
Features vary by plan, so check its own pricing page. For a side-by-side of the two products, this OneLink and onelink.to comparison goes through both.
What should you use instead?
It depends on what the link has to do:
- Only send people to the right store: a simple store redirect, or a landing page with both store buttons, is enough. The one link for both stores page shows both options, and the app store link builder makes the two tagged store links.
- Land new users on a specific screen after install: you need deferred deep linking, which on AppsFlyer now means a paid, custom-priced tier.
- Know which campaign drove each install: you need attribution as well, which on AppsFlyer Growth is billed at $0.07 per conversion after the welcome package.
Deep linking tools that include deferred deep linking include Linkrunner, Adjust (in its shared attribution features) and Airbridge (on its Core plan). Linkrunner's OneLink alternative page explains how its links, which are deferred by default on every plan, replace OneLinks. For a wider comparison, see the deep linking tool checklist.