Deep links
A deep link opens your mobile app directly when it's installed, falls back to the App Store or Google Play when it isn't, and sends desktop visitors to the web. Starter+
What a deep link does
On iOS and Android the visitor briefly sees an Opening the app… page while the app is tried.
Create a deep link
Open Deeplinks under Link Tools.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| App URL | Your app's URL scheme (yourshop://…) or a universal / app link (https://yourshop.com/…) your app handles. Ask your app developer which one to use. |
| Store URL | Where to send people who don't have the app. |
| Tablet / Desktop URL | Optional pages for those devices. Without them they get the fallback URL. |
| Fallback URL | Required. Used for everything the fields above don't cover. |
Example: open a product in your app
An Instagram story promotes product 123. Tapping the link should open it in the shop app, or the store if the app isn't installed.
If nothing happens you will be taken to the store.
ContinueThe wait time
How long to wait for the app to open before going to the store, between 200 and 10,000 ms (default 1,800). If people with the app installed still end up in the store, increase it; if the wait feels slow, lower it.
Deep links, rules and splits
A deep link is its own kind of link: the Geo targeting and A/B testing tabs are turned off on it, because a rule or a variant would take the click before the app could open. For country rules or a split test, use a regular link. If the deep link also has cloaking turned on, cloaking decides instead.