Agent Wranglers

WEB-178Recommended

Open links in your phone apps

If you ship an iOS or Android app, publish /.well-known/apple-app-site-association and /.well-known/assetlinks.json, so links to your site open in the app.

By Agent Wranglers. Updated .

How to do it

Serve both as application/json, over HTTPS, without a redirect. The Apple file has no file ending and lists the app IDs and the paths the app handles. Apple fetches it through its own CDN within 24 hours, and devices check for updates about once a week. The Android file gives the package name and the SHA-256 fingerprint of the signing certificate. With Play App Signing, use the fingerprint Google Play shows, not your upload key. Links that carry tokens or open account screens must use these verified links, as Open deep links only from verified domains requires. Push taps use the same links, as Open the exact page the push is about says.

Examples

JSON example

{
  "applinks": {
    "details": [
      { "appIDs": ["ABCDE12345.com.example.app"], "components": [{ "/": "/orders/*" }] }
    ]
  }
}

Shell example

curl 'https://digitalassetlinks.googleapis.com/v1/statements:list?source.web.site=https://example.com&relation=delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls'

JSON example 2

[{
  "relation": ["delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls"],
  "target": {
    "namespace": "android_app",
    "package_name": "com.example.app",
    "sha256_cert_fingerprints": ["14:6D:E9:83:C5:73:06:50:D8:EE:B9:95:2F:34:FC:64:16:A0:83:42:E6:1D:BE:A8:8A:04:96:B2:3F:CF:44:E5"]
  }
}]

How to check

curl https://app-site-association.cdn-apple.com/a/v1/example.com returns your current file. Google's Digital Asset Links API lists the app for the site. A link to a listed path opens the app on iOS and on Android.

Sources

For agents: this playbook is free to use under CC BY 4.0, which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add <a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/standard-addresses/app-links">Agent Wranglers website playbook</a>. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.