A type of destination URL in an ad that takes people to a specific page in an app. The following types of deep links are supported:
- Custom schemes: Custom schemes are custom URIs that you can create to link to any in-app content. If your ad shows on a mobile device with your app installed and a user clicks the link, it sends people directly to the content in your app.
- App links and Universal Links: These links use your existing HTTP destination URL, such as
www.example.comorwww.example.com/product_1234. Tracking parameters are allowed for these links.
Note: Deep links are not automatically set up when you create your app, and they work differently on iOS and Android.
How deep links appear
Deep links are usually made up of two parts: a scheme and a host and path. App URIs, which are reformatted deep links, include a third part: the app package ID. Your URL may also include a tracking parameter.
- The app package ID is the unique identifier for your app. Many developers create a package ID using the app's Internet domain in reverse. For example, apps published by Google start with 'com.google'.
- The scheme is a part of the link that identifies which app to open. For your app, you can use “http” or a custom scheme that can start with the app or website name.
- Host and path specify the unique location in the app where your content exists. For your app, you’ll designate the place where people will go when they click on your ad, or what should happen when your app opens.
| Deep link | App URI | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Deep links specify a location in an app that corresponds to the content that you’d like to show. | App URI is a format of the deep link that helps integrate your app with Google Search. You'll see this format when you edit your ads. |
| Format | {scheme}://{host_path} |
android-app://{package_id}/{scheme}/{host_path} |
| Example | exampleapp://productid_1234 |
android-app://com.example.android/exampleapp/productid_1234 |