How does Deeplink work?

Deep linking works by sending users directly to a specific location inside a mobile application, bypassing the standard homepage or a mobile website.

Deep linking is essentially the mobile equivalent of standard web links. Just as when you click on them, take you to an article or a page inside a website, deep links take users to a particular piece of content or section within a mobile app they already have installed.

The Core Mechanism

At its heart, deep linking relies on Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs), similar to the URLs used for websites. However, instead of http:// or https://, deep links often use custom schemes specific to an app or platform (e.g., myapp://product/123) or standard web URLs that are configured to open in the app if available.

Here's a simplified breakdown of the process:

1. A user clicks on a deep link (e.g., in an email, a webpage, a social media post, or another app).
2. The operating system (like iOS or Android) intercepts the link.
3. The OS checks if an installed app is registered to handle that specific link scheme or URL pattern.
4. If a matching app is found, the OS opens the app and passes the information from the link to it.
5. The app then uses the data embedded in the link (e.g., /product/123) to navigate the user to the designated content or screen within the app.

Types of Deep Links

While the basic concept is straightforward, deep links come in various forms:

• Standard Deep Links: Only work if the app is already installed on the user's device. If the app isn't installed, the link typically fails or does nothing.
• Deferred Deep Links: These are more intelligent. If the app isn't installed, the user is redirected to the app store to download it. After installation, the app can still take the user to the intended specific content they initially clicked for.
• Contextual Deep Links: The most advanced type, these links carry additional data about the user and the click, allowing for personalized experiences even after the user installs and opens the app.

Why are Deep Links Important?

Deep links enhance the user experience and are crucial for app engagement and marketing.

• Seamless Navigation: Users get directly to the content they're interested in without manual searching.
• Improved User Retention: It makes it easier for users to return to specific parts of the app.
• Effective Marketing: Allows campaigns (email, social media, ads) to drive users directly to relevant in-app content (like a product page or a specific offer).

Think of it like this: Without deep links, clicking a link to an online newspaper article might just take you to the newspaper's homepage, requiring you to find the article yourself. With a deep link (or a standard web link in this analogy), you go straight to the article page. For apps, deep links provide that same level of directness.

Comparison: Web Link vs. Deep Link

In essence, deep linking provides a direct pathway into the content residing inside an app, just as conventional web links provide direct access to content inside a website.