Why traffic from my Android WebView app is showing as “direct”?

Question

For Example: I am using my website(abc.com) in Android WebView App. My website has external link(elink.com). When someone visit my Android app and click on elink.com then it opens in mobile browser. The Google Analytics of elink.com showing that traffic is coming from direct source not from My App and not from my website(abc.com). Why it is showing direct source traffic.

I am asking this question because I am using affiliate links and my providing approved traffic source is my website. The affiliate links must refer from my website(or App, if i add my App as traffic source).

Answer 1

Because Webview is not a browser, it is development component used inside of native apps. So app vendors control all request headers, if the think they will have benefits by hiding a referer they will do it. Or even if they will not find benefit from setting the referer - they will not waste time on fixing or implementing it.

Most of apps behave like this. Eg reddit.