Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL) shut down on August 25, 2025. All FDL links now return HTTP 404 errors. Here is what happened, what the alternatives are, and how to migrate.
What Happened to Firebase Dynamic Links?
Google announced the deprecation in August 2023, giving developers approximately two years to migrate. The service officially shut down on August 25, 2025. FDL was popular because it was free, integrated directly with Firebase, and handled deferred deep linking out of the box. Google did not release a direct replacement.
What Are the Alternatives?
Branch.io is the most commonly cited replacement. It provides deferred deep linking, link analytics, and a migration path from FDL. Commercial plans start around $500 per month.
AppsFlyer OneLink is part of AppsFlyer's mobile attribution platform. OneLink provides deep linking with built-in attribution and is included free with all AppsFlyer plans.
Native OS Deep Linking using Apple Universal Links and Android App Links works for basic deep linking but does not provide deferred deep linking on its own.
Insert Affiliate offers Insert Links, deferred deep links built for affiliate marketing. Each Insert Link detects the user's platform, routes to the correct app store if not installed, and preserves affiliate attribution through installation. Insert Links use Universal Links and Android App Links under the hood. If you need to replace FDL-powered referral links, Insert Links handle both deep linking and affiliate tracking. Insert Affiliate also integrates with Branch.io and AppsFlyer if you choose those for general deep linking.
How to Plan Your Migration
Step 1: Audit where FDL links are used: emails, social media, QR codes, in-app sharing, push notifications, referral systems.
Step 2: Choose a replacement based on your needs. Full-featured analytics: Branch or AppsFlyer. Affiliate and referral links: Insert Affiliate. Basic verified deep links: native Universal Links and App Links.
Step 3: Set up redirects for old links on custom domains. page.link subdomains cannot be redirected since Google controls them.
Step 4: Update all active link sources with new links.
Step 5: Remove the Firebase Dynamic Links SDK and add the replacement SDK. Test both app-installed and app-not-installed flows.
Key Takeaway
Firebase Dynamic Links was convenient but free infrastructure carries risk. The replacements available today are more capable, and the right choice depends on whether you need general deep linking, mobile attribution, or affiliate and referral tracking.