What is deep linking?
Deep linking is a technique used to direct users to a specific location within a mobile app rather than simply opening the app’s homepage.
It enhances the user experience by taking them directly to the content they are interested in, such as a product page, article, or specific feature within the app.
This is particularly useful for marketing campaigns, user engagement, and improving the overall efficiency of app navigation.
How deep linking works at Linko?
Linko makes creating deep links easy. It analyzes the destination URL and generates deep links for iOS and Android.
When users click a link, they are taken directly to the app if it is installed on their device.
If the app is not installed, they are redirected to the web version or prompted to download the app, ensuring a smooth and targeted experience.
Platforms supported by Linko’s deep link feature
Linko supports deep linking for 18 popular platforms, ensuring accessibility and usability across multiple domains.
Supported platforms include:
| Platform | Supported Features |
|---|---|
| YouTube | Channel, video, user, handle |
| Amazon | App-specific deep linking for all URLs |
| Profiles, events, groups, posts, videos | |
| Messenger | Profile & Chat |
| Posts, profiles | |
| Twitter (X) | Hashtags, profiles |
| Spotify | Albums, artists, episodes, playlists, shows, tracks |
| App opening, chats, pre-filled messages | |
| TikTok | Videos, profiles |
| Snapchat | Adding users, discovering content |
| Apple Music | Albums, playlists, artists |
| Telegram | Chats, channels |
| Pins, profiles, boards | |
| Profiles, companies, job searches | |
| Walmart | Categories, products, browse sections |
| Netflix | Browsing content, watching videos, accessing titles |
| Twitch | Channels |
| Zoom | Meetings |
How to set up deep linking at Linko?
Setting up deep linking at Linko allows you to create links that direct users straight to your app or a specific part of it.
Here’s how you can set it up:
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Login to your Linko account,
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Paste your destination URL.
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Click on the Advanced button and scroll down.
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Select the Deep Linking and enable it.
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Then click on the Shorten button to shorten the link.
If the destination URL is from supported platforms, the deep link will be created automatically.
If it is not from supported platforms, follow the guide down below.
Supported platforms and their URL formats
Below is a user-friendly breakdown of each supported platform and the URL formats compatible with Linko’s deep linking feature.
YouTube
-
Channel:
youtube.com/channel/channel-id -
Video:
youtube.com/watch?v=video-idoryoutu.be/video-id -
User:
youtube.com/user/username -
Handle:
youtube.com/@username
Amazon
- Shorten any URL from
Amazon.com, and it will be converted for app-specific deep linking.
-
Profile:
facebook.com/profile.php?id=user-id -
Events:
facebook.com/events/event-id -
Groups:
facebook.com/groups/group-id -
Posts:
facebook.com/username/posts/post-id -
Videos:
facebook.com/username/videos/video-id
Messenger
-
Message:
m.me/facebook-idorm.me/username -
Alternate Format:
messenger.me/facebook-idormessenger.me/username
-
Post:
instagram.com/p/post-id -
Profile:
instagram.com/username
-
Hashtags:
twitter.com/hashtag/hashtag-name -
Profiles:
twitter.com/username
Spotify
-
Album:
open.spotify.com/album/album-id -
Artist:
open.spotify.com/artist/artist-id -
Episode:
open.spotify.com/episode/episode-id -
Playlist:
open.spotify.com/playlist/playlist-id -
Show:
open.spotify.com/show/show-id -
Track:
open.spotify.com/track/track-id
-
App Open:
whatsapp://app -
Chat:
wa.me/phone-number -
Pre-filled Message:
wa.me/phone-number?text=message
TikTok
-
Video:
tiktok.com/username/video/video-id -
Profile:
tiktok.com/username
Snapchat
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Add User:
snapchat.com/add/username -
Discover:
snapchat.com/discover/content-id
Apple Music
-
Album:
music.apple.com/country/album/album-id -
Playlist:
music.apple.com/country/playlist/playlist-id -
Artist:
music.apple.com/country/artist/artist-id
Telegram
- Chat or Channel:
t.me/username
-
Pin:
pinterest.com/pin/pin-id -
Profile or Board:
pinterest.com/username
-
Profile:
linkedin.com/in/username -
Company:
linkedin.com/company/company-name -
Job Search:
linkedin.com/jobs/search/?query
Walmart
-
Category:
walmart.com/cp/category-id -
Product:
walmart.com/ip/product-id -
Browse:
walmart.com/browse/section
Netflix
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Browse:
netflix.com/browse/content-id -
Watch:
netflix.com/watch/video-id -
Title:
netflix.com/title/title-id
Twitch
- Channel:
twitch.tv/username
Zoom
- Meeting:
subdomain.zoom.us/meeting-id
How can I create a deep link if the URL isn’t from supported platforms?
I will be using Instagram as an example for setting up a custom deep links.
Step 1: Provide the correct app URL to the respective app stores (e.g., Apple App Store or Google Play Store) where your app is available.
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iOS AppStore Link
https://apps.apple.com/in/app/instagram/id389801252 -
Android Play Store Link
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.android&hl=en_IN&pli=1
Step 2: In the device targeting section, choose the correct device type (e.g., iPhone, iPad, or Android) and enter the appropriate URI Format for each.
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iOS Deep Link URI
instagram://user?username=johndoeAndroid Deep Link URI
tent://www.instagram.com/johndoe/#Intent;package=com.instagram.android;scheme=https;end
Step 3: Once all the settings are in place, click the Shorten button to create your custom deep link.
Replace johndoe with your profile username.
