iOS Universal Links Guide

• • Seamless transition from web to app
• • Works even if your app isn't installed (falls back to website)
• • No custom URL scheme registration needed
• • Better user experience and engagement
• • Secure domain verification process

applinks:yourdomain.com
applinks:www.yourdomain.com
applinks:api.yourdomain.com
applinks:subdomain.yourdomain.com

// For development/testing
applinks:dev.yourdomain.com
applinks:staging.yourdomain.com

{
  "applinks": {
    "details": [
      {
        "appIDs": ["TEAMID.com.yourcompany.yourapp"],
        "components": [
          {
            "/": "/product/*",
            "comment": "Handles product pages"
          },
          {
            "/": "/dashboard",
            "comment": "Handles dashboard"
          },
          {
            "/": "/profile/*",
            "comment": "Handles profile pages"
          },
          {
            "/": "/admin/*",
            "exclude": true,
            "comment": "Excludes admin pages"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "webcredentials": {
    "apps": ["TEAMID.com.yourcompany.yourapp"]
  }
}

import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View {
    @StateObject private var navigationManager = NavigationManager()
    
    var body: some View {
        NavigationStack(path: $navigationManager.path) {
            HomeView()
                .navigationDestination(for: String.self) { route in
                    destinationView(for: route)
                }
        }
        .onOpenURL { url in
            handleUniversalLink(url)
        }
    }
    
    private func handleUniversalLink(_ url: URL) {
        guard let components = URLComponents(url: url, resolvingAgainstBaseURL: true) else {
            return
        }
        
        let path = components.path
        let queryItems = components.queryItems
        
        switch path {
        case let p where p.hasPrefix("/product"):
            if let productId = queryItems?.first(where: { $0.name == "id" })?.value {
                navigationManager.navigateToProduct(id: productId)
            }
            
        case "/dashboard":
            navigationManager.navigateToDashboard()
            
        case let p where p.hasPrefix("/profile"):
            if let userId = queryItems?.first(where: { $0.name == "user" })?.value {
                navigationManager.navigateToProfile(userId: userId)
            }
            
        default:
            print("Unknown path: \(path)")
        }
    }
    
    @ViewBuilder
    private func destinationView(for route: String) -> some View {
        let components = route.components(separatedBy: ":")
        let destination = components[0]
        
        switch destination {
        case "product":
            if components.count > 1 {
                ProductDetailView(productId: components[1])
            }
        case "dashboard":
            DashboardView()
        case "profile":
            if components.count > 1 {
                ProfileView(userId: components[1])
            }
        default:
            Text("Unknown destination")
        }
    }
}

import SwiftUI

@MainActor
class NavigationManager: ObservableObject {
    @Published var path = NavigationPath()
    
    func navigateToProduct(id: String) {
        // Validate product ID
        guard isValidProductId(id) else {
            print("Invalid product ID: \(id)")
            return
        }
        path.append("product:\(id)")
    }
    
    func navigateToDashboard() {
        path.append("dashboard")
    }
    
    func navigateToProfile(userId: String) {
        // Validate user ID
        guard isValidUserId(userId) else {
            print("Invalid user ID: \(userId)")
            return
        }
        path.append("profile:\(userId)")
    }
    
    func popToRoot() {
        path.removeLast(path.count)
    }
    
    // MARK: - Validation
    
    private func isValidProductId(_ id: String) -> Bool {
        // Validate product ID format
        let regex = "^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{1,50}$"
        return NSPredicate(format: "SELF MATCHES %@", regex).evaluate(with: id)
    }
    
    private func isValidUserId(_ id: String) -> Bool {
        // Validate user ID format
        let regex = "^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{1,30}$"
        return NSPredicate(format: "SELF MATCHES %@", regex).evaluate(with: id)
    }
}

import UIKit

class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
    
    func application(_ application: UIApplication, 
                     continue userActivity: NSUserActivity, 
                     restorationHandler: @escaping ([UIUserActivityRestoring]?) -> Void) -> Bool {
        
        guard userActivity.activityType == NSUserActivityTypeBrowsingWeb,
              let url = userActivity.webpageURL else {
            return false
        }
        
        // Handle the Universal Link
        return handleUniversalLink(url)
    }
    
    private func handleUniversalLink(_ url: URL) -> Bool {
        guard let components = URLComponents(url: url, resolvingAgainstBaseURL: true) else {
            return false
        }
        
        let path = components.path
        
        // Post notification for SwiftUI to handle
        NotificationCenter.default.post(
            name: .universalLinkReceived, 
            object: url
        )
        
        return true
    }
}

extension Notification.Name {
    static let universalLinkReceived = Notification.Name("universalLinkReceived")
}