Deep Linking

Deep linking is a mechanism that enables seamless navigation within the application, between different applications, and to the specific pages of the application using URL, improving user experience and engagement.

Uses Cases:

1. Deep Link Opens Installed App
   • Click on the deep link (e.g., myapp://homepage?id=123) from a browser or email.
   • Verify that the application launches and navigates to the correct page.
2. Deferred Deep Linking
   • Click on a deep link for an uninstalled app.
   • Install the app from the redirected App Store link.
   • Verify that the app opens to the intended page after installation.
3. Deep Link in Different Browsers
   • Test deep links from Chrome, Safari, Edge, and other browsers.
   • Verify consistent behavior in launching the app.
4. Deep Linking with Authentication
   • Ensure users are correctly authenticated before accessing protected pages via deep linking.
   • If not logged in, verify that the app redirects to the login page before proceeding.

When to use Deep Linking

The primary reason for introducing deep linking is to streamline workflows by allowing users to directly access specific tasks within a task group, eliminating unnecessary steps. This improves efficiency, enhances user experience, and ensures quicker task execution.

For example, deep linking can be used to navigate directly to a specific page in an application without requiring manual searches or multiple clicks.

How to use Deep Linking

1. Open an application on vDesigner or create a new one.
2. When you open an application, Application Dashboard opens in the new tab.

3. Hover on the application panel located on the left to expand it.
4. Click Downloads on the panel.

5. In the download section, click Settings at the top.

6. Click the Environment to see the settings.
7. In the third column of the settings, locate URL Scheme.
8. Copy the URL scheme, which will be copied in the link format like: SchemeName://HostName, for example, Decimal://vDesigner.

Note:

• If you have defined a Scheme Name for your application, the Host Name must be defined as well.
• Scheme Name must start with a letter followed by letter/s or number/s. It doesn’t support special characters (like @#$%^&).

• Host Name must NOT contain a number; a dot (.) can be used, but consecutive dots (..) are NOT allowed.

9. Then bind the Task Group ID with this compound SchemeName://HostName using a forward slash (/). And format becomes SchemeName://HostName/TaskGroupID.
   • Suppose Task Group ID is 123456789
   • The link will look like this: Decimal://vDesigner/123456789
10. Now, whenever this link is opened, it will execute the tasks under that task group.
    • Suppose this task group has a Navigation Task that can take you to the Dashboard of another application or the same application.
    • It will take the user to that dashboard, following the flow as explained above.