Retrieving information about an online system user for use by an application during retrieval and installation of the application

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• receive, at an online system, a user interaction with a content item in a content feed, the user interaction including a request to install an application on a client device associated with a user of the online system;
• initiate retrieval of the application to the client device in response to the request;
• during retrieval of the application, present a user interface to the user on the client device, the user interface comprising a user-fillable form configured to receive user-provided information about the user for use by the application and to receive one or more permissions to enable the application to retrieve profile information about the user from the online system;
• responsive to receiving the user-provided information about the user via the user interface, store the received user-provided information at the online system;
• generate an access token associated with the one or more permissions to enable the application to retrieve the profile information about the user from the online system;
• generate a link for launching the application on the client device, the link including the access token and including the user-provided information about the user received via the user interface, wherein the link, when accessed, enables communication of the access token and the user-provided information to the application;
• determine retrieval of the application to the client device has completed;
• responsive to determining retrieval of the application to the client device has completed, presenting a window including the link to the client device;
• responsive to receiving an indication that the user closed the window, present the link in conjunction with the content feed;
• receive from the application, the access token and a request to retrieve the profile information about the user from the online system;
• authenticate, based on the one or more permissions associated with the access token, that the application is permitted to receive the profile information;
• and
• responsive to authenticating that the application is permitted to receive the profile information, provide the profile information to the application.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
• receive, at an online system, a user interaction with a content item in a content feed, the user interaction including a request to install an application on a client device associated with a user of the online system;
• initiate retrieval of the application to the client device in response to the request;
• during retrieval of the application, present a user interface to the user on the client device, the user interface comprising a user-Tillable form configured to receive user-provided information about the user for use by the application and to receive one or more permissions to enable the application to retrieve profile information about the user from the online system;
• responsive to receiving the user-provided information about the user via the user interface, store the received user-provided information at the online system;
• generate an access token associated with the one or more permissions to enable the application to retrieve the profile information about the user from the online system;
• generate a link for launching the application on the client device, the link including the access token and including the user-provided information about the user received via the user interface, wherein the link, when accessed, enables communication of the access token and the user-provided information to the application;
• determine retrieval of the application to the client device has completed;
• responsive to determining retrieval of the application to the client device has completed, presenting a window including the link to the client device;
• responsive to receiving an indication that the user closed the window, present the link in conjunction with the content feed;
• receive from the application, the access token and a request to retrieve the profile information about the user from the online system;
• authenticate, based on the one or more permissions associated with the access token, that the application is permitted to receive the profile information;
• and
• responsive to authenticating that the application is permitted to receive the profile information, provide the profile information to the application.