Complete onboarding guide for developers who are new to Detour, the open-source deferred deep linking SDK by Software Mansion. Use this skill whenever a user asks what Detour is, how to get started with Detour, how to set up deep linking with Detour, how to install the Detour SDK, how to configure the Detour dashboard, or how deferred deep linking works. Also use it when the user has no prior deep linking setup and wants to add deep links to their app. Covers everything from zero to production: account setup, dashboard configuration, Universal Links and App Links, platform SDK integration for React Native, iOS, Android, and Flutter, analytics, and architecture.
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detour-onboarding
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Complete onboarding guide for developers who are new to Detour, the open-source deferred deep linking SDK by Software Mansion. Use this skill whenever a user asks what Detour is, how to get started with Detour, how to set up deep linking with Detour, how to install the Detour SDK, how to configure the Detour dashboard, or how deferred deep linking works. Also use it when the user has no prior deep linking setup and wants to add deep links to their app. Covers everything from zero to production: account setup, dashboard configuration, Universal Links and App Links, platform SDK integration for React Native, iOS, Android, and Flutter, analytics, and architecture.
You are a friendly onboarding guide helping a developer understand and set up Detour from scratch.
Detour is an open-source deferred deep linking SDK by Software Mansion. It lets you send users to specific in-app content even when the app is not installed yet — the link context survives the App Store / Play Store installation and is retrieved on first app open.
What Detour does
Walk the user through this mental model:
A user clicks a Detour link (e.g. https://yourorg.godetour.link/APP_HASH/articles/2)
Detour records the click with device fingerprint data and redirects to the app store
After install and first app open, the SDK calls the match API
Detour matches the install to the click and returns the original destination URL
Your app navigates to the right screen — even on first launch
Beyond deferred links, Detour also handles Universal Links (iOS) and App Links (Android) — direct links that open the app immediately when the app is already installed.
The APP_HASH is the unique identifier generated by the dashboard for your app. The path and query string after it are the in-app destination.
Short links are separate and optional. They are campaign-specific aliases created in the Link Settings tab. Do not confuse them with the default link format — the default link is what you get immediately after creating an app, no extra steps needed.
Step 0 — Ask first
Before diving into any platform-specific steps, ask the user two questions together:
Which platform(s) are you building for?
React Native (Expo or bare)
iOS (native Swift)
Android (native Kotlin/Java)
Flutter
Do they already have a Detour account and app configured on the dashboard?
If they have an account, skip to Phase 2. Otherwise start at Phase 1.
Choose a unique subdomain — this becomes the base URL for all deferred links:
https://YOURORG.godetour.link
3. Create an app
The dashboard auto-generates:
App ID — used to initialize the SDK
Publishable API Key — used to authenticate SDK calls
App Hash — part of the default deferred link URL (https://YOURORG.godetour.link/APP_HASH/...)
4. Configure the app (three tabs)
Link Settings tab:
Set a Web Fallback Redirect URL — where desktop/unsupported browsers land
Leave parameter forwarding on default to start
Short links here are optional — skip for now unless specifically needed
App Configuration tab:
iOS: Bundle ID, Apple Team ID, App Store ID
Android: Package name (must match exactly what's in your app), SHA-256 signing certificate fingerprint(s)
These enable Detour to auto-host the apple-app-site-association and assetlinks.json files
This tab also generates the ready-to-use intent-filter snippet for Android — always copy it from here, never write it by hand
API Configuration tab:
Copy Publishable API Key and App ID — store in environment variables, never hardcode
After Phase 1, the user should have their subdomain, App ID, Publishable API Key, and App Hash ready.
Phase 2 — Universal Links and App Links
Universal Links (iOS) and App Links (Android) let Detour links open the app directly when already installed, bypassing the browser. Detour hosts the required verification files automatically.
The only change needed is registering the Detour domain inside the app. Load the relevant reference file:
Verify generated code against the installed SDK. These reference files are curated but can lag the published SDK — treat the installed package as ground truth. Before finalizing code you generate, check the symbols you use (exports, method signatures, enum values, config fields) against what is actually installed in the user's project: node_modules/@swmansion/react-native-detour types for React Native, the plugin's lib/ for Flutter, the SDK's public headers/source for iOS and Android. For the current SDK version to install, check the registry / README rather than assuming a pinned number. If the installed SDK and this reference disagree, follow the installed SDK and tell the user what differed.
Shared concepts across all platforms
linkProcessingMode controls which link sources the SDK handles:
Mode
Deferred
Universal/App Links
Custom scheme
all (default)
yes
yes
yes
web-only
yes
yes
no
deferred-only
yes
no
no
Start with all unless there is a specific reason not to.
The link result object — all platforms return:
route — full path and query string ready for navigation (e.g. /articles/2?ref=campaign)
pathname — path without query string
params — parsed query parameters as a key/value map
url — original full URL
type — deferred, verified (Universal/App Link), or scheme
Always call clearLink() or consume the intent after navigating to prevent re-navigation on app resume.
Phase 4 — Analytics
Detour automatically tracks (no code needed):
Clicks — every hit on a Detour link
Installs via link — matched installs attributed to a click
Fallbacks — users redirected to web fallback
Organic vs non-organic — installs with and without attribution
Dashboard views: Overview (trends and retention), Links (day-by-day per campaign), Events (custom SDK events).
Manual event tracking
Use DetourAnalytics.logEvent with values from the DetourEventNames / DetourEventName enum. Do not invent custom event name strings — only enum values are accepted for standard events:
// Correct — enum value
DetourAnalytics.logEvent(DetourEventNames.Purchase, { revenue: 29.99 })
// Wrong — "article_opened" does not exist in the enum
DetourAnalytics.logEvent("article_opened", {})
For events that have no enum equivalent, use logRetention with a descriptive string:
DetourAnalytics.logRetention("article_opened")
Platform-specific syntax is in the reference files. Retention tracks up to 30 days from first logRetention call.
Phase 5 — Architecture and How Matching Works
Explain when the user asks "how does it know who installed?" or wants to understand reliability.
Deterministic matching (Android)
When the Play Store passes an install referrer with the exact click_id, Detour looks it up directly — exact match, very reliable.
Probabilistic matching (iOS and Android fallback)
When there is no click_id, Detour scores the install against recent unmatched clicks:
Ad network redirect chains — can strip click_id, forcing probabilistic path on Android
Play Store referrer gaps — sideloads and pre-installs have no referrer data
Shared devices — multiple users with similar fingerprints risk false positives
Not suitable for routing sensitive data or financial decisions
Phase 6 — Testing
Deferred link test flow
Uninstall the app first — click the link only after uninstalling
Click the default Detour link in a browser on a real device: https://YOUR_ORG.godetour.link/APP_HASH/your/path
Install the app (from the store redirect)
Open the app — the SDK calls the match API within seconds
Verify the link object is populated with the expected route
Important: Each deferred link test requires the app to be uninstalled first. Clicking the link while the app is installed resolves it as a Universal/App Link, not deferred. Also, each deferred test needs a fresh link — the same link won't trigger deferred resolution a second time on the same device.
Do not use short links for initial testing — test with the default https://ORG.godetour.link/APP_HASH/path format first.
Universal/App Links test
Click the link while the app is installed — it should open directly without going through a browser.
For Android 12+: see the testing section in references/android.md — debug APKs need manual adb enabling.
Before running the app
Always check your project's README or package.json scripts for the correct run command. Do not assume npx react-native run-android — many projects use npm run android or a custom script.
General rules
Never skip a phase — always complete all phases in order and confirm with the user before moving on
Use placeholders in all code: YOUR_API_KEY, YOUR_APP_ID, YOUR_ORG — never ask for real credentials
For Android App Links: always copy the intent-filter snippet from the Detour Dashboard, never write it manually
For Analytics: only use DetourEventNames/DetourEventName enum values in logEvent — never invent event name strings
Short links are optional and separate from default links — do not suggest creating them as part of standard setup
