Amazon SES click tracking now supports custom URL paths for mobile app deep linking

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) has introduced a new ses:custom-path HTML attribute that preserves custom URL paths in tracking links. This allows mobile operating systems to recognize and route users to the correct app via Universal Links (iOS) or App Links (Android) without disabling engagement tracking. The feature is available across all AWS Regions where Amazon SES operates. Organizations must configure a custom redirect domain with an Apple App Site Association (AASA) or Digital Asset Links file to implement this functionality.

The ses:custom-path attribute must be added to anchor tags in HTML emails to ensure the custom path segment is retained in the tracking URL. This preserves the original deep link structure, enabling mobile apps to open directly from email links while still capturing click metrics. The change addresses a common challenge where tracking redirects would strip path information, breaking deep link functionality.

To use this feature, senders need to set up a custom domain for click tracking and host the required verification files (AASA for iOS or Digital Asset Links for Android) on that domain. Amazon SES will then append the custom path to the tracking URL, allowing mobile systems to match it to the app’s configuration. This maintains both engagement tracking and deep link performance.

The update is part of Amazon SES’s ongoing efforts to improve email marketing capabilities for mobile app integrations. For implementation details, users can refer to the Amazon SES Developer Guide sections on configuring custom domains for tracking and the email sending metrics FAQs. The feature does not require additional fees and is available immediately in all supported AWS Regions.