Branch Metrics Cordova/Ionic/Phonegap SDK Reference

This is a repository of our open source Cordova | Phonegap | Ionic SDK, and the information presented here serves as a reference manual for the SDK. This SDK is a See the table of contents below for a complete list of the content featured in this document.

IMPORTANT: Upgrading to V 2.0

On 2/27, we revamped this module to be a thin wrapper around our native iOS/Android SDKs. This fixed a ton of bugs and added additional functionality, but will require you to change the interfaces. If you don't have time to do so, just use a reference to version 1.8, which we're storing in locked branch called 'v1.8.0-locked'.

Get the Demo App

There's a full demo app embedded in this repository. It should serve as an example integration and help guide you in resolving any bugs you encounter. If you think you've got a bug, please first check that it's present in the demo app before writing in. You can find the source here.

Additional Resources

Installation

The compiled iOS SDK footprint is 180kb

The compiled Android SDK footprint is 187kb

Latest libraries for Android and/or iOS SDKs must be installed.

Command line install

Install parameters:

BRANCH_KEY - Your Branch live API key. You can sign up for your own Branch key at https://dashboard.branch.io.
URI_SCHEME - It could be your app name or the URI set in your Branch dashboard. As a reminder, the URI scheme is what you use to open your app from a browser, i.e. yourapp://.
[optional] ENCODED_ID - This is for supporting App Links (6.0+) on Android. You can obtain the encoded id from the Branch dashboard. For more info about App Links, please see this section of the Android readme.

Cordova

cordova plugin add https://github.com/BranchMetrics/Cordova-Ionic-PhoneGap-Deferred-Deep-Linking-SDK.git --variable BRANCH_KEY=<your-branch-key> --variable URI_SCHEME=<your-app-uri-scheme-without-colon-and-slashes>

example:

cordova plugin add https://github.com/BranchMetrics/Cordova-Ionic-PhoneGap-Deferred-Deep-Linking-SDK.git --variable BRANCH_KEY=key_live_fnmRM1FXtu11t6e4LU8WsldpvDcA0bzv --variable URI_SCHEME=branchsters

Phonegap

phonegap plugin add https://github.com/BranchMetrics/Cordova-Ionic-PhoneGap-Deferred-Deep-Linking-SDK.git --variable BRANCH_KEY=your-branch-key --variable URI_SCHEME=your-app-uri-scheme --variable ENCODED_ID=your-encoded-id

example:

phonegap plugin add https://github.com/BranchMetrics/Cordova-Ionic-PhoneGap-Deferred-Deep-Linking-SDK.git --variable BRANCH_KEY=key_live_fnmRM1FXtu11t6e4LU8WsldpvDcA0bzv --variable URI_SCHEME=branchsters

Additional App Permissions

To be able to use all of the deep linking capabilities of the Branch SDK, some manifest files need to be configured.

If you are enabling both iOS Universal Links and Android App Links, these keys in the following sections should be combined into a single parent item without duplicates.

Android: Resolving issue with multiple support-lib v4

Branch.IO doesn't depends on android-support-v4 file. But in any case you will be integrating other Cordova plugins along with Branch.IO, here are possible ways to fix the issue:

Adding multiDexEnabled true inside defaultConfig tag in build.gradle

defaultConfig {
    multiDexEnabled true
}

Removing the android-support-v4.jar in Android libs directory.
Executing ./gradlew clean in the Android directory
Excluding android-support-v4 file for compiling

compile ('com.google.android.gms:play-services:6.5.87') {
    exclude module: 'support-v4'
}

iOS: Enable Universal Links

In iOS 9.2, Apple dropped support for URI scheme redirects. You must enable Universal Links if you want Branch-generated links to work in your iOS app. To do this:

Enable Associated Domains capability on the Apple Developer portal when you create your app's bundle identifier.
In your Dashboard Link Settings, tick the Enable Universal Links checkbox and provide the Bundle Identifier and Apple Team ID in the appropriate boxes. `

Add the following entry to your application's config.xml:

<branch-config>
    <ios-team-id value="your_ios_team_id" />
    <host name="READ_FROM_DASHBOARD.app.link" scheme="https" />
    <host name="READ_FROM_DASHBOARD-alternate.app.link" scheme="https" />
</branch-config>

You can get your iOS Team ID from the Apple Developer Portal. Once done, you have successfully enabled universal links for iOS. READ_FROM_DASHBOARD is the four-character value in front of all your links. You can find it listed in the custom domain field at the bottom of the Branch link settings. It will look something like this: /WSuf (the initial / character should be included).

If you use a custom domain or subdomain for your Branch links, you should also add a key for <host name="mycustomdomainorsubdomain" scheme="https" />.

Support for legacy Branch links

If your links are of the form bnc.lt, you must still use this domain in your config file.

<branch-config>
    <ios-team-id value="your_ios_team_id" />
    <host name="bnc.lt" scheme="https" />
</branch-config>

Android: Enable App Links

Add the following entry to your application's config.xml:

<branch-config>
    <android-prefix value="READ_FROM_DASHBOARD" />
    <host name="xxxx.app.link" scheme="https" />
</branch-config>

READ_FROM_DASHBOARD is the four-character value in front of all your links. You can find it underneath the field labeled SHA256 Cert Fingerprints on the dashboard. It will look something like this: /WSuf (the initial / character should be included).

If you use a custom domain or subdomain for your Branch links, you should also add a key for <host name="mycustomdomainorsubdomain" scheme="https" />.

Support for legacy Branch links

If your links are of the form bnc.lt, you must still use this domain in your config file.

<branch-config>
    <android-prefix value="READ_FROM_DASHBOARD" />
    <host name="bnc.lt" scheme="https" />
</branch-config>

Non-Branch Links

There are instances where non-branch links are detected by the plugin but not processed. You can retrieve the url by implementing the method NonBranchLinkHandler() which will act as our callback to return the non-branch url.

To implement:

function NonBranchLinkHandler(data) {
    if (data) {
        alert('Non-Branch Link Detected: ' + JSON.stringify(data));
    }
}

Plugin Methods

Most methods are promisified, therefore you can easily get its success and error callback by chaining .then() method.

Example

Branch.getFirstReferringParams().then(function (res) {
  // Success Callback
  console.log(res);
}, function (err) {
  // Error Callback
  console.error(err);
});

Branch Session

setDebug
initSession
getLatestReferringParams
getFirstReferringParams
setIdentity
logout
userCompletedAction

Branch Universal Object

createBranchUniversalObject
registerView
generateShortUrl
showShareSheet
listOnSpotlight iOS only

Referral System Rewarding

loadRewards
redeemRewards
creditHistory

Android Build FAQ

setDebug(isEnable)

Setting the SDK debug flag will generate a new device ID each time the app is installed instead of possibly using the same device id. This is useful when testing.

Parameters

options: boolean - Boolean flag if debug mode should be enabled or not.

Usage

Branch.setDebug(true);

initSession()

Initializes the branch instance. Note: setDebug() should be called first before calling this method.

Usage

The initSession() method automatically also sets an internal deep link hander whose data can be accesed by implementing the required DeepLinkHandler() method. To implement, first call the method initSession:

onDeviceReady: function() {
    Branch.initSession().then(function (res) {
        console.log(res);
        alert('Response: ' + JSON.stringify(res));
    }).catch(function (err) {
        console.error(err);
        alert('Error: ' + JSON.stringify(err));
    });;;
},
initialize: function() {
    document.addEventListener('deviceready', onDeviceReady, false);
},

Then you should EXPLICITLY define a global method called DeepLinkHandler() which will act as our callback when the session beings. The deep link data will be included here:

function DeepLinkHandler(data) {
    if (data) {
        alert('Data from deep link: ' + JSON.stringify(data));
    } else {
        alert('No data found');
    }
}

getFirstReferringParams()

Retrieves the install session parameters.

Usage

Branch.getFirstReferringParams().then(function (res) {
  // Success Callback
  console.log(res);
}).catch(function (err) {
  // Error Callback
  console.error(err);
});

getLatestReferringParams()

Retrieves the session (install or open) parameters.

Usage

Branch.getLatestReferringParams().then(function (res) {
  // Success Callback
  console.log(res);
}).catch(function (err) {
  // Error Callback
  console.error(err);
});

setIdentity(object)

Sets the identity of a user and returns the data. To use this function, pass a unique string that identifies the user - this could be an email address, UUID, Facebook ID, etc.

Parameters

identity: string - A string uniquely identifying the user, ofetn a user ID or email address.

Usage

Branch.setIdentity("new_identity").then(function (res) {
  // Success Callback
  console.log(res);
}).catch(function (err) {
  // Error Callback
  console.error(err);
});

logout()

Logs out the current session, replaces session IDs and identity IDs.

Usage

Branch.logout().then(function (res) {
    console.log(res);
}).catch(function (err) {
    console.error(err);
});

userCompletedAction(action[, metaData])

Registers custom events.

Parameters

action: string - A string for your custom action (e.g. "completed_purchase", "wrote_message", etc.)

metaData: object [Optional] - Custom values to be passed with the action

Usage

Branch.userCompletedAction('complete_purchase').then(function (res) {
    console.log(res);
}).catch(function (err) {
    console.error(err);
});

Branch.userCompletedAction('registered', { user: 'Test' }).then(function (res) {
    console.log(res);
}).catch(function (err) {
    console.error(err);
});

Branch Universal Object

As more methods evolved in iOS, we've found that it was increasingly hard to manage them all. We abstracted as many as we could into the concept of a Branch Universal Object. This is the object that is associated with the thing you want to share (content or user). You can set all the metadata associated with the object and then call action methods on it to get a link or index in Spotlight.

createBranchUniversalObject(object)

Initializes the universal Branch object.

Parameters

options: object - Options in creating object.

object

Key	TYPE	DESCRIPTION
canonicalIdentifier	String	The object identifier
title	String	The object title
contentDescription	String	Object Description
contentImageUrl	String	The Image URL
contentIndexingMode	String	Indexing Mode 'private' or 'public'
contentMetadata	Object	Custom key/value

Usage

var branchUniversalObj = null;

Branch.createBranchUniversalObject({
  canonicalIdentifier: 'identifier',
  title: 'Just another title',
  contentDescription: 'Just another description',
  contentImageUrl: '/img.jpg',
  contentIndexingMode: 'public'
}).then(function (newBranchUniversalObj) {
  // Success Callback
  branchUniversalObj = newBranchUniversalObj;
  console.log(newBranchUniversalObj);
}, function (err) {
  // Error Callback
  console.error(err);
});

registerView()

If you want to track how many times a user views a particular piece of content, you can call this method in viewDidLoad or viewDidAppear to tell Branch that this content was viewed.

Usage

branchUniversalObj.registerView();

generateShortUrl(options, controlParameters)

Once you've created your Branch Universal Object, which is the reference to the content you're interested in, you can then get a link back to it with the mechanism described below.

Parameters

options: object - Options needed to generate the URL.

KEY	TYPE	MEANING
feature	`string`	This is the feature of your app that the link might be associated with. eg: if you had built a referral program, you would label links with the feature `referral`
alias	`string`	Specify a link alias in place of the standard encoded short URL (e.g., `[branchsubdomain]/youralias or yourdomain.co/youralias)`. Link aliases are unique, immutable objects that cannot be deleted. Aliases on the legacy `bnc.lt` domain are incompatible with Universal Links and Spotlight
channel	`string`	Use channel to tag the route that your link reaches users. For example, tag links with ‘Facebook’ or ‘LinkedIn’ to help track clicks and installs through those paths separately
stage	`string`	Use this to categorize the progress or category of a user when the link was generated. For example, if you had an invite system accessible on level 1, level 3 and 5, you could differentiate links generated at each level with this parameter
duration	`int`	duration of the link.

controlParameters: object - Link properties needed to generate the URL.

KEY	TYPE	MEANING
$fallback_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for all platforms - so you don’t have to enable it by platform
$desktop_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint on desktops
$android_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for Android
$ios_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for iOS
$ipad_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for iPads
$fire_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for Amazon Fire OS
$blackberry_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for Blackberry OS
$windows_phone_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for Windows OS

Usage

branchUniversalObj.generateShortUrl({
  // put your link properties here
  "feature" : "sample-feature",
  "channel" : "sample-channel",
  "stage" : "sample-stage"
}, {
  // put your control parameters here
  "$desktop_url" : "http://desktop-url.com",
}).then(function (res) {
    // Success Callback
    console.log(res.generatedUrl);
}, function (err) {
    // Error Callback
    console.error(err);
});

showShareSheet(options, controlParameters)

UIActivityView is the standard way of allowing users to share content from your app. Once you've created your Branch Universal Object, which is the reference to the content you're interested in, you can then automatically share it without having to create a link using the mechanism below.

Sample Android Share Sheet

Sample UIActivityView Share Sheet

The Branch iOS SDK includes a wrapper on the UIActivityViewController, that will generate a Branch short URL and automatically tag it with the channel the user selects (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

Parameters

options: object - Options needed to generate the URL.

KEY	TYPE	MEANING
feature	`string`	This is the feature of your app that the link might be associated with. eg: if you had built a referral program, you would label links with the feature `referral`.
alias	`string`	Specify a link alias in place of the standard encoded short URL (e.g., `[branchsubdomain]/youralias or yourdomain.co/youralias)`. Link aliases are unique, immutable objects that cannot be deleted. Aliases on the legacy `bnc.lt` domain are incompatible with Universal Links and Spotlight
channel	`string`	Use channel to tag the route that your link reaches users. For example, tag links with ‘Facebook’ or ‘LinkedIn’ to help track clicks and installs through those paths separately
stage	`string`	Use this to categorize the progress or category of a user when the link was generated. For example, if you had an invite system accessible on level 1, level 3 and 5, you could differentiate links generated at each level with this parameter
duration	`int`	duration of the link.

controlParameters: object - Link properties needed to generate the URL.

KEY	TYPE	MEANING
$fallback_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for all platforms - so you don’t have to enable it by platform
$desktop_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint on desktops
$android_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for Android
$ios_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for iOS
$ipad_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for iPads
$fire_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for Amazon Fire OS
$blackberry_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for Blackberry OS
$windows_phone_url	`string`	Change the redirect endpoint for Windows OS

shareText: string - Custom share text

Usage

branchUniversalObj.showShareSheet({
  // put your link properties here
  "feature" : "sample-feature",
  "channel" : "sample-channel",
  "stage" : "sample-stage",
  "duration" : 1,
}, {
  // put your control parameters here
  "$desktop_url" : "http://desktop-url.com",
}, 'Custom share text: ');

Share Sheet Callbacks (Android ONLY)

NOTE: Share sheet callbacks must be declared first before executing showShareSheet or else it won't be able to catch the event's first trigger.

To implement the callback, you must add listeners to the following events:

onShareSheetLaunched

The event fires when the share sheet is presented.

branchUniversalObj.onShareSheetLaunched(function () {
  console.log('Share sheet launched');
});

onShareSheetDismissed

The event fires when the share sheet is dismissed.

branchUniversalObj.onShareSheetDismissed(function () {
  console.log('Share sheet dimissed');
});

onLinkShareResponse

The event returns a dictionary of the response data.

branchUniversalObj.onLinkShareResponse(function (res) {
  console.log('Share link response: ' + JSON.stringify(res));
});

onChannelSelected

The event fires when a channel is selected.

branchUniversalObj.onChannelSelected(function (res) {
  console.log('Channel selected: ' + JSON.stringify(res));
});

Note: Callbacks in iOS are ignored. There is no need to implement them as the events are handled by UIActivityViewController.

Note: Avoid passing alias in iOS. Adding an alias key in the options parameter will return a Non-Universal link which will not work in iOS 9.2.

listOnSpotlight()

Note: iOS only. Used for Spotlight listing

Usage

branchUniversalObj.listOnSpotlight().then(function (res) {
  // Success Callback
  console.log(res);
}).catch(function (err) {
  // Error Callback
  console.error(err);
});

Referral System Rewarding

loadRewards()

Reward balances change randomly on the backend when certain actions are taken (defined by your rules), so you'll need to make an asynchronous call to retrieve the balance. Here is the syntax:

Usage

Branch.loadRewards().then(function (rewards) {
  // Success Callback
  console.log(rewards);
}).catch(function (err) {
  // Error Callback
  console.error(err);
});

redeemRewards(value)

Redeems a reward with the given amount/value.

Parameters

KEY	TYPE	MEANING
value	`int`	Amount to be redeemed.
bucket	`int`	Bucket where the amount will be redeemed. optional

Usage

Branch.redeemRewards(100, "default").then(function (res) {
  // Success Callback
  console.log(res);
}).catch(function (err) {
  // Error Callback
  console.error(err);
});

creditHistory()

This call will retrieve the entire history of credits and redemptions from the individual user. To use this call, implement like so:

Usage

Branch.creditHistory().then(function (history) {
  // Success Callback
  console.log(history);
}, function (err) {
  // Error Callback
  console.error(err);
});

The response will return an array that has been parsed from the following JSON:

[
    {
        "transaction": {
                           "date": "2014-10-14T01:54:40.425Z",
                           "id": "50388077461373184",
                           "bucket": "default",
                           "type": 0,
                           "amount": 5
                       },
        "event" : {
            "name": "event name",
            "metadata": { your event metadata if present }
        },
        "referrer": "12345678",
        "referree": null
    },
    {
        "transaction": {
                           "date": "2014-10-14T01:55:09.474Z",
                           "id": "50388199301710081",
                           "bucket": "default",
                           "type": 2,
                           "amount": -3
                       },
        "event" : {
            "name": "event name",
            "metadata": { your event metadata if present }
        },
        "referrer": null,
        "referree": "12345678"
    }
]

referrer

The id of the referring user for this credit transaction. Returns null if no referrer is involved. Note this id is the user id in developer's own system that's previously passed to Branch's identify user API call.

referree

The id of the user who was referred for this credit transaction. Returns null if no referree is involved. Note this id is the user id in developer's own system that's previously passed to Branch's identify user API call.

type

This is the type of credit transaction

0 - A reward that was added automatically by the user completing an action or referral
1 - A reward that was added manually
2 - A redemption of credits that occurred through our API or SDKs
3 - This is a very unique case where we will subtract credits automatically when we detect fraud

Android Build FAQ

Gradle build cannot find io.branch.sdk.android:library:1.+ dependency:

Go to your build.gradle file and find dependencies and add the following inside:

compile "io.branch.sdk.android:library:1.+"

Bugs / Help / Support

Feel free to report any bugs you might encounter in the repo's issues. Any support inquiries outside of bugs please send to support@branch.io.

edanchenkov/Cordova-Ionic-PhoneGap-Deferred-Deep-Linking-SDK

Branch Metrics Cordova/Ionic/Phonegap SDK Reference

IMPORTANT: Upgrading to V 2.0

Get the Demo App

Additional Resources

Installation

Command line install

Cordova

Phonegap

Additional App Permissions

Android: Resolving issue with multiple support-lib v4

iOS: Enable Universal Links

Support for legacy Branch links

Android: Enable App Links

Support for legacy Branch links

Non-Branch Links

Plugin Methods

setDebug(isEnable)

Usage

initSession()

Usage

getFirstReferringParams()

Usage

getLatestReferringParams()

Usage

setIdentity(object)

Usage

logout()

Usage

userCompletedAction(action[, metaData])

Usage

Branch Universal Object

createBranchUniversalObject(object)

object

Usage

registerView()

Usage

generateShortUrl(options, controlParameters)

Usage

showShareSheet(options, controlParameters)

Usage

Share Sheet Callbacks (Android ONLY)

onShareSheetLaunched

onShareSheetDismissed

onLinkShareResponse

onChannelSelected

listOnSpotlight()

Usage

Referral System Rewarding

loadRewards()

Usage

redeemRewards(value)

Usage

creditHistory()

Usage

Android Build FAQ

Bugs / Help / Support