Universal Link
Short definition
A Universal Link is an Apple technology that lets a standard HTTPS URL open directly inside a specified iOS app when the app is installed, and fall back to Safari (or a website) when it is not.
Detailed
Universal Links are enabled by hosting an `apple-app-site-association` JSON file at the root of your HTTPS domain and declaring the associated domains in the app's entitlements. They replaced the older, easily-spoofable custom URL schemes and are the Apple counterpart to Android's App Links. Deep links inside a Universal Link let the app route users to specific content — product pages, chats, articles — without an intermediary browser redirect.
Example
An indie shopping app registers `shop.example.com` as an associated domain. When a user taps `https://shop.example.com/products/blue-shoes` in an email, iOS checks for the installed app, opens it directly to the blue-shoes product page, and skips Safari entirely. If the app is not installed, the URL loads the mobile site instead.
Primary sources
How Forvibe handles this
Forvibe's App Links addresses this directly: smart links with qr codes and analytics.
See how it works →Related terms
- App Store ConnectApp Store Connect is Apple's web and API console for submitting, managing, and distributing iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS apps on the Apple App Store.
- ASOApp Store Optimization (ASO) is the practice of improving a mobile app's visibility and conversion rate inside app stores such as the Apple App Store and Google Play.
- Google Play ConsoleGoogle Play Console is Google's web and API console for publishing and managing Android apps and games on the Google Play Store.