Prerequisites

Before you start either integration, make sure the following are in place:

• Branch account and SDK: The Branch SDK is integrated in your iOS and Android apps, and the Branch web SDK on your website. Branch Email is included in Branch's Engagement product.
• App-side deep linking: Universal Links (iOS) and App Links (Android) are enabled, Associated Domains are configured, and deep link routing is implemented in the app. See Branch's Email Integration Guide for the developer checklist.
• Click-tracking domain (ESP Integration): A dedicated click-tracking domain for your Netcore CE account, CNAME-pointed to Branch, plus the CE server domain. Your Netcore CE POC provides both; you enter them in the Branch dashboard.
• Primary key mapping (Event Integration): Your CE primary key is passed in Branch's NetcoreID parameter or one of param1 to param5, with a consistent data type. Events without a matching key are treated as anonymous contacts.

Configure the ESP Integration in the Branch Dashboard

This is the step-by-step for the Configure ESP stage of Branch's setup wizard. It is done once per app, in the Branch dashboard, by whoever owns the Branch account.

1. In the Branch dashboard, go to Email in the left-hand navigation.
2. On the Email overview page, open the Manager tab.
3. Find Smartech in the ESP list and click Enable. This opens the Configure ESP step.
4. Enter the Click tracking domain: this is the new Branch domain being set up for this account (for example, branch.promo.zivame.com). Leave off http:// or https://. Branch adds this itself. Before Branch is enabled, links in your Netcore CE emails carry the Smartech domain (elink.{domain}), which is what Smartech uses to collect engagement data on the panel. Once Branch is enabled here, that Smartech domain in the links is replaced by this Branch click tracking domain (branch.{domain}).
5. Enter the Smartech domain: the domain Smartech uses to collect click data (for example, elink.promo.zivame.com). This field is specific to Smartech and appears because Smartech needs it; not every ESP shows it.
6. Click Save.
7. Under Configure your app for your click tracking domain, send the CNAME setup instructions to your developer or IT team using the Send instructions field, or share the link directly. They need to add a CNAME record on the click tracking domain (not the Smartech domain) pointing to Branch's server, thirdparty.bnc.lt.
8. Do not click Next until the CNAME record is live. Branch's validation step checks for it, and this is required before Validate & Test will pass.
9. Once DNS has propagated, click Next to reach Validate & Test. Branch checks:
   • Deep linking is set up for email
   • Click tracking domain is set
   • AASA is valid
   • SSL is correctly set up
   • CNAME points to thirdparty.bnc.lt
   • iOS and Android SDK versions (a warning here means the SDK is integrated but outdated; it will not block validation but can affect email functionality, so flag it to the app dev team)
10. Any red or yellow item on this screen links to what to fix; resolve those before testing.
11. Contact your Netcore account manager — this part is done from the backend, not self-serve. Once all validation checks above have passed, share the click tracking domain created for Branch (branch.{domain}) with your Netcore POC. They will complete the setup on the Netcore side and confirm once it's done; only then should the client proceed to testing.
12. Once validation passes and Netcore has confirmed setup, use the Test panel: paste a URL from your website and click Get Test Link. Open the generated link on a mobile device that already has the app installed, or send it to the device by SMS or email, to confirm it opens the app correctly.

No further action is needed in Netcore CE itself for this part. The click tracking domain and Smartech domain above are the same values already configured for your CE emails.