Understanding Universal Links and Short URLs in iOS Apps

As a developer, setting up Universal Links in an iOS app can be a straightforward process. However, when it comes to using short URLs, things can get more complicated.

In this article, we’ll explore the world of Universal Links, short URLs, and how to configure them in your iOS app.

What are Universal Links?

Universal Links allow you to handle incoming URL requests from other apps or web pages, without requiring users to leave their current app. This enables a seamless user experience when it comes to sharing content between different apps.

To set up Universal Links, you need to add an apple-app-site-association file to your app’s website. This file specifies the domains that your app is allowed to handle Universal Links for.

{
  "applinks": {
    "apps": [],
    "details": [
      {
        "appID": "YOUR_APP_ID",
        "paths": ["/"],
        "authTokens": []
      }
    ]
  }
}

Replace YOUR_APP_ID with the actual ID of your app.

What are Short URLs?

Short URLs, also known as shortened links or URL shorteners, are URLs that have been shortened to make them more readable. For example, instead of a long URL like https://www.example.com/path/, you might use a short URL like t.cn/m.

In the context of Universal Links, short URLs can be used to handle incoming requests from other apps or web pages.

Setting Up Short URLs with Universal Links

To set up short URLs with Universal Links, you need to add an apple-app-site-association file to your app’s website. This file specifies the domains that your app is allowed to handle Universal Links for.

{
  "applinks": {
    "apps": [],
    "details": [
      {
        "appID": "YOUR_APP_ID",
        "paths": ["/"],
        "authTokens": []
      },
      {
        "appID": "T_CN_APP_ID",
        "paths": ["/t.cn/*"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Replace YOUR_APP_ID and T_CN_APP_ID with the actual IDs of your app and short URL service.

In this example, we’re specifying two domains: one for our regular app (/) and another for our short URL service (/t.cn/*).

Using applink Instead of appplinks

The OP (original poster) in the Stack Overflow post mentioned that they used appplinks instead of applink, which caused issues.

{
  "applinks": {
    "apps": [],
    "details": [
      {
        "appID": "YOUR_APP_ID",
        "paths": ["/"],
        "authTokens": []
      },
      {
        "appID": "T_CN_APP_ID",
        "paths": ["/t.cn/*"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Note the difference: applink is used instead of appplinks.

Why Does This Work?

When a user opens a short URL, iOS will attempt to handle it as a Universal Link. If your app has been configured with an apple-app-site-association file that specifies the T_CN_APP_ID domain, then iOS will redirect the request to your app.

However, if you’re using appplinks instead of applink, then this won’t work.

In short, use applink instead of appplinks when configuring Universal Links for short URLs. This ensures that your app can handle incoming requests from other apps or web pages and open them directly without the need to click an “open” button in Safari.

Troubleshooting

If you’re having issues with short URLs not working, here are some troubleshooting steps:

• Make sure you’ve added the correct apple-app-site-association file to your app’s website.
• Verify that your app ID and short URL service ID match the ones specified in the applinks configuration.
• Check that your app is configured with the correct domains and paths.
• If none of these steps work, try resetting your device or reinstalling your app.

Conclusion

Short URLs can be a convenient way to handle incoming requests from other apps or web pages. However, configuring Universal Links for short URLs requires some extra setup. By using applink instead of appplinks, you can ensure that your app can handle short URLs correctly and open them directly without the need to click an “open” button in Safari.

I hope this article has helped you understand how to set up Universal Links and short URLs for your iOS app. If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask!

Last modified on 2024-10-31