Mobile deep linking

What is deep linking?

Deep linking is a hyperlink, or deep link URL, that directs a user to a specific piece of in-app content. In other words, deep link means hyperlinking to a specific piece of in-app content so that users can be connected deep inside your app, from outside of the app environment.

Mobile deep linking explained

Mobile deep linking provides a way for developers to display their products more precisely and effectively by directing users to relevant content. Mobile apps can utilize deep linking to generate traffic to pages with in-app purchases or special offerings.

Deep link example

A mobile game can run an ad promoting a ‘special deal’ on weapons, which when clicked, takes the user directly to the IAP offering as opposed to the game’s main page or general IAP store. Deep linking allows developers to drastically improve ROI by driving traffic to specific pages based on different user interests.

Deep links in Android

Deep links on Android only work on Android 6.0 (API level 23) and higher. To create deep links on Android apps, you need to first add intent filters for incoming links, then read the data from those incoming links, and finally test the deep links. You can learn more on the Android Developer website here.

Deep links in iOS

Deep links on iOS work for iOS 9 or higher. Apple calls them "Universal Links." To create deep links on iOS apps, first add universal link support to your association file, then use wildcards and directives in your path strings, and lastly test. Learn more on the Apple Developer website here.

Learn more about the benefits of deep linking.