BL.INK supports deep linking, mobile deep linking, and all types of URL protocols across all of our plans. Shorten any link to send visitors directly to the right place.
What is deep linking?
Deep linking means linking directly to where users would like their visitors to go. Whether that is to a specific page in a website, or location within an app, BL.INK’s short links can support it.
Deep linking in a web browser takes a user to a specific place on a website.
Let’s break it down further. A domain is like a home address. Users may type in an address to a GPS, and the GPS would guide them to the home. But if that user needs to be inside the living room of that home, the GPS cannot take them there.
With deep linking, users can take their visitors directly to the living room.
For example, https://www.bl.ink is BL.INK’s domain, or “home address”. It is not a deep link. However, https://www.bl.ink/pricing is a deep link. If clicked, this URL would take visitors to BL.INK’s pricing page, or “living room”.
BL.INK offers the ability to shorten URLs like https://www.bl.ink/pricing using our shared b.link domain or a domain a user owns.
What is mobile deep linking?
Mobile deep linking is a similar concept. Mobile deep linking allows users to direct their visitors to a page or location within a specific app.
So taking our example of a home and a living room, let’s break it down further.
https://twitter.com/blinksmartlinks links to BL.INK’s Twitter page, or “home address”. To direct visitors to a specific BL.INK post in Twitter, we would use something like https://twitter.com/blinksmartlinks/status/1256265885670612992
With BL.INK, users may shorten links like https://twitter.com/blinksmartlinks/status/1256265885670612992 to make them shorter and more clickable.
Using deep links allows for more dynamic links that adapt to the device a visitor is using. For example, a deep link may take a visitor to the Instagram app on mobile but will load the Instagram website if a visitor is on a desktop.
A deep link can also route a visitor to a contact page if they’re on a desktop or can act as a tap to dial if the visitor is on a mobile device.
Going even deeper
BL.INK also supports the ability to shorten mobile deep link uniform resource identifier (URI). A URI tells a visitor’s device to open the associated mobile app.
To direct visitors to the Twitter app, or prompt visitors to download the app, we would use a link like twitter://user?screen_name=blinksmartlinks
BL.INK supports all types of URL protocols. sms:// may be used in a short link to compose a text message. tel:// may be used to dial a phone number. instagram:// can take visitors directly to an Instagram profile or post in the app. BL.INK also supports twitter://, linkedin://, fb:// and other app specific links.
NOTE:
If you have questions about a specific protocol, please feel free to reach out to us.
BL.INK also supports the ability to shorten iOS Universal Links. Universal Links are Apple’s way of directing a visitor to the desired mobile application. If the visitor does not have the app installed, it will automatically direct the visitor to the correct website in a mobile web browser.
NOTE:
To set up support for iOS Universal Links, please reach out to our support team to configure the apple-app-site-association file on BL.INK's servers.
Putting it all together
The TLDR; of it all is that yes, BL.INK does support the ability to shorten deep links across all of our plans, including the ability to shorten URIs and Universal Links.
Still have questions? Feel free to reach out to our support team.