Links that open your app
Links people share from your app open in the app when it's installed, and on the web when it isn't. Open Publishing and select Links to your app to see what your app's links look like, add what the link files need, and check that everything is in place.
How links work
The Share buttons in your app share links to a course, product, service, listing, article, event, campaign or page. On a phone with your app, a link opens the right screen in the app. Notification links work the same way. How links work shows example links of your app:
- Every app has links on Yallapp's address: yallapp.com.tr/a/ followed by your app's ID. Without the app, they open a page with your app's name, picture and store links.
- WordPress apps also have links on your website, like yoursite.com/a/…. Without the app, they open the same page on your website.
The next build of your app knows these addresses (Builds and downloads).
What the files need
Phones open a link in your app only when the address says it trusts your app, with two small files the address serves: one for Android and one for iPhone. Yallapp's are always ready, made from what your dashboard knows about your app. Under What the files need you add the two things only you can give:
- App signing key certificate: SHA-256 fingerprint (Google Play). In Play Console, open your app, then Test and release › App integrity › App signing, and copy the SHA-256 certificate fingerprint under App signing key certificate. Google signs the app people download with that key, so without it the app from Google Play opens links in the browser. Paste it as Play Console shows it (pairs with colons); the SHA-1 fingerprint just above it isn't the one. Your upload key's fingerprint is added by our builds. See Publish on Google Play.
- Apple Team ID, when your plan includes the iPhone app. In your Apple Developer account, it's under Membership details › Team ID: 10 letters and digits. Your iOS builds fill it in, so it's usually there already; change it only if your app moved to another Apple developer account. See Publish on the App Store.
Select Save. Emptying a field removes what was saved. Phones read the change within a day.
Links on your website
On a WordPress app, your website serves its own two files through the Yallapp plugin (Install the WordPress plugin); keep the plugin up to date. For links on your website to open the app:
- your website's address starts with https;
- WordPress is at the root of its domain, not in a folder (yoursite.com, not yoursite.com/shop). Otherwise, links on Yallapp's address still work;
- your server passes the /.well-known folder to WordPress, without redirecting it.
After you save, we ask your website to pick up the change. If Check links says a fingerprint is missing, use Check now in the plugin's settings.
Check links
Under Link status, select Check links. It checks, line by line:
- Google Play's signing key fingerprint: the one you save above.
- Your upload key's fingerprint: added with your next build.
- Apple Team ID, when your plan includes the iPhone app. It also needs your iOS bundle ID in App setup › Store listing.
- On a WordPress app, Your website's address and whether Your website is at the root of its domain, then your website's two files, fetched the way phones fetch them: over https, with no redirect, served as JSON, answering within 8 seconds, under 256 kB, and naming your app and its fingerprints.
Each line passes or fails, and says what to do when it fails. At the top you see Links open your app. or Some links don't open your app yet., with when it was checked (in UTC). App setup shows the last result too, with its own Check links. If you check many times in a row, wait a few minutes before trying again.