Dynamic Links Deprecation FAQ

We launched Firebase Dynamic Links over 7 years ago to make URLs more powerful - for example, dynamically changing the destination of a link based on run-time conditions.

Over the years, the web and mobile ecosystems have evolved with technologies such as App Links, Google Play Instant , Universal Links, and App Clips and have made user journeys across apps and the web more seamless and predictable for your app users. We believe you and your users will benefit more from adopting these technologies directly and continuing to move the ecosystem forward. However, alongside these new changes, the original native APIs that Firebase Dynamic Links were built on also evolved and presented new challenges.

For example, ecosystem changes impacted our ability to provide a consistently stable experience for one of Firebase Dynamic Links’ core features - giving app users a smooth transition into the app post-install, regardless of platform.

Instead of continuing to support a less than ideal experience, we have decided to sunset Firebase Dynamic Links, and to refocus our resources on solving other developer pain points.

We understand that this change will require your time to evaluate and adopt alternative solutions or platform providers in the market.

We are continuing to evolve Firebase to meet your needs as the ecosystem continues to evolve and change. We'll continue to launch new features and updates across Firebase products, and are committed to helping you excel in your app development journeys.

What do I need to know?

On August 25th, 2025, Firebase Dynamic Links will shut down. All links served by Firebase Dynamic Links (both hosted on custom domains and page.link subdomains) will stop working and you will no longer be able to create new links.

To help you decide how to migrate from Firebase Dynamic Links, we will continue to update this FAQ document with additional information for you to consider, as well as provide migration guides for different migration scenarios that might match the way you use Firebase Dynamic Links today.

We will also continue to update this guide with more FAQs as the deprecation moves forward towards the August 25th, 2025 sunset date and we discover any additional issues as we help support you in your migration efforts.

See the FAQs below to help answer some of your most important questions.

To start your migration, please take a look at "How should I migrate from the service" FAQ further below.

On August 25th, 2025, Firebase Dynamic Links will shut down. All links served by Firebase Dynamic Links (both those hosted on custom domains and on page.link subdomains) will stop working.

How much time will I have to migrate?

You have until August 25th, 2025 to complete your migration.

Yes, your new and existing links will continue to work until the Dynamic Links service is shut down on August 25th, 2025.

When Firebase Dynamic Links is sunsetted, you can expect that:

  • All links clicked will return a HTTP 404 status response to end users.

  • All HTTP requests to:

    • https://firebasedynamiclinks.googleapis.com/v1/shortLinks (Short Links API)
    • https://firebasedynamiclinks.googleapis.com/v1/SHORT_DYNAMIC_LINK/linkStats (Link Stats API)

    will return a 400/403 HTTP Status response.

  • The following behavior based on which SDK platform version and API call made in your app:

    iOS

    Use case API call Status code Behavior Will your app crash?
    Create Short Link

    shorten (Swift)

    shortenUrl (Swift)

    shortenWithCompletion (Objective-C)

    		 400 Error is emitted with failure reason No*
    First Open Attribution

    Gets called automatically on FirebaseApp.configure (Swift) / FIRApp.configure (Objective-C)

    		 400 No errors are emitted, but an FDL object is sent back with empty data No*
    Reopen Attribution

    handleUniversalLink (Swift)

    handleUniversalLink (Objective-C)

    		 400 Error is emitted with failure reason No*

    Android

    Use case API call Status code Behavior Will your app crash?
    Create Short Link

    buildShortDynamicLink (Kotlin)

    buildShortDynamicLink (Java)

    		 400 Error is emitted with failure reason No*
    First Open Attribution

    getDynamicLink(getIntent()) (Kotlin)

    getDynamicLink(getIntent()) (Java)

    		 400 Task returns a success response, but FDL data will be empty No*
    Reopen Attribution

    getDynamicLink(getIntent()) (Kotlin)

    getDynamicLink(getIntent()) (Java)

    		 400 Task returns a success response, but FDL data will be empty No*
    Accept Invitation AppInvite module in Google Play Services invoked when handling intent redirection (from *.page.link or custom domain) 400 Shows a spinner when Google Play Services is invoked and disappears when a 400 response is returned No*

How should I migrate from the service?

We've found that different developers have different needs when it comes to using Firebase Dynamic Links.

Depending on your own use cases and evaluation of your Firebase Dynamic Links usage, it’s likely one of the scenarios below will match with your needs.

For this scenario, we recommend you use other deep-linking service providers / vendors, such as Adjust, Airbridge, AppsFlyer, Bitly, Branch, Kochava and other similar providers in the market. (Note, these providers have not been vetted by Google, but do provide similar functionality to Firebase Dynamic Links).

You can also export your deep-link metadata, which can make it easier to migrate your links to whichever provider you choose.

To help find a provider with matching features to Firebase Dynamic Links, refer to the following list of features below.

Firebase Dynamic Links Features:

  • Routes users to the correct store for their device from a single click (and falls back to a webpage if needed)
  • Provides users with a continuation of journey after downloading and installing your app view a deferred deep link
  • Provides users with a contextual experience via deep-linked content in your app (when already installed)
  • Provides analytics data related to dynamic link click events
  • Provides the ability to create short-link URLs
  • Provides the ability to add metadata to links for social sharing

What if I only care about deep-linking to my app after it has already been installed?

For this scenario, we recommend using App Links and Universal Links which are platform-supported ways for developers to provide deep-linking experiences for their users.

Check out this guide for more details on how to migrate to using App Links and Universal Links.

This guide also describes how to optionally use Firebase Hosting to host the necessary domain and asset link verification files on the domain you plan to use for your new links (e.g. assetlinks.json file for App Links, apple-app-site-association file for Universal Links).

For this scenario, you may not need to take any action in your app to handle the upcoming sunset, however we recommend:

  • Reviewing your existing Firebase Dynamic Links following the guide on exporting your link metadata to ensure your users and app will not be impacted once the links are no longer being served.

  • Deleting your Firebase Dynamic Links URL prefixes in the Firebase console. Note: URL prefix domains will automatically be deleted after August 25th, 2025.

  • Removing the Firebase Dynamic Links SDK from your apps.

If you see a migration scenario that doesn't cover your own needs, please reach out to let us know

The Firebase Dynamic Links APIs for Short Links and Analytics will remain available until the sunset date on August 25th, 2025.

After that date these APIs will no longer be available for use, and the service will be shut down.

Please refer to the guide on exporting your link metadata for instructions on how to export your link metadata.

You can use the export guide to retrieve your Firebase Dynamic Links metadata, which includes the link itself.

You can use the Firebase Dynamic Links Analytics API to retrieve link statistics data for each of your Firebase Dynamic Links. This Analytics API is limited to ~5 QPS. For an example on how to operate within that request limit when using the API, please refer to this Cloud Task sample.

You can also use Google Analytics and export your data for a subset of link analytics data, including App Updates events which are unique to Google Analytics.

If you require a higher request rate to help with your migration, please contact us at Firebase Support.

Your domain and link metadata will be marked for deletion on August 25th, 2025 and purged in accordance with our data retention policy.

Yes, your email link authentication using Firebase Authentication will continue to work.

Firebase Authentication currently uses Firebase Dynamic Links to customize Authentication links, but we will provide an update that will require a client- side update to ensure that email link auth continues working after the Firebase Dynamic Links service is shut down.

Note that Firebase Authentication only depends on the Firebase Dynamic Links service internally, but does not depend on the Firebase Dynamic Links SDK.

It currently is not possible to newly onboard onto Firebase Dynamic Links if your Firebase project doesn't already have FDL enabled as of the sunset announcement date on August 25th, 2023.

If you need to enable Firebase Dynamic Links to enable email link authentication, please contact Firebase Support and we'll reach back to you to help get you configured.

Note that this continuation of functionality is separate from using Firebase Dynamic Links for the primary use cases of store and web routing, deferred and regular deep-linking, which will be deprecated according to the migration timeline shared above.

Please see the "How should I migrate from the service" FAQ which details different migration scenarios and provides migration guides for various alternatives available.