Deep links: app or website

The idea#

Every push carries a website URL (always on your store) and an optional app link. The same product is reachable both ways, so a tap lands in the app when it can and on the web when it cannot.

What happens on a tap#

1. Your link handler (if you registered one) is asked first — it opens the exact screen.
2. A custom-scheme app link (myshop://…) is opened by your own app only; if it cannot, continue.
3. The website URL is opened. With Android App Links / iOS Universal Links on your domain the OS opens the app at that path when installed, and the browser otherwise.

Setup#

1. 1

   Pick a link scheme

   Either a custom scheme (myshop://product/42) or just your https product URLs.

2. 2

   Prove the domain is yours (optional but best)

   Host /.well-known/assetlinks.json (Android App Links) and /.well-known/apple-app-site-association (iOS Universal Links) on your website. Then an https product link opens the app automatically.

3. 3

   Set the App link in the template

   Templates → Push → App link, e.g. myshop://product?url={{productUrl}}.

Your link handler#

See Android and iOS for the two-line handler.

When the app is not installed#

A device without your app has no app token, so it gets no app push at all. People who allowed web push receive that one instead, and its tap opens the website page. Any plain link (email, SMS, WhatsApp) also lands on the website.