Table of Contents
- What is a Universal Link?
- How does a Universal Link work?
- Universal Links are a type of mobile deep link
- Universal Links vs. custom URL schemes
- Universal Links vs. deferred deep links
- Why Universal Links matter for affiliate creators
- Universal Links and affiliate tracking
- How Universal Links relate to Joylink
- The simplest way to understand Universal Links
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Editorial disclosure: Joylink publishes educational content for creators and affiliate marketers. Articles may reference Joylink’s products and services. Unless otherwise stated, Joylink does not receive compensation for mentioning third-party platforms or retailers.
A Universal Link is a standard web link that can open a specific destination inside an iPhone or iPad app when that app is installed.
If the app is unavailable - or the link cannot be handled by it - the same link can open the corresponding webpage instead.
For example, a shopper tapping a link to a pair of headphones might be sent to:
- The exact headphones inside the retailer’s iOS app, or
- The same product page on the retailer’s website
This creates one link with two possible experiences, allowing the shopper to continue toward the relevant destination without choosing between separate “open in app” and “visit website” links.
What is a Universal Link?
Universal Links are Apple’s system for connecting standard HTTPS web addresses to content inside an app.
When a website and app have been properly associated, iOS can recognize that the app is approved to handle certain links from that website. The link can then open the relevant app content instead of loading the webpage.
If the app is not installed, the URL continues to work as a regular website link.
This is possible because the website and app establish a two-way association. The developer identifies the supported website domains within the app, while the website publishes an
apple-app-site-association file specifying which app and URL paths it supports. Apple’s developer documentation explains the current configuration requirements.For shoppers and creators, the technical setup happens behind the scenes. The visible result is a link that can choose between an app and website destination.
How does a Universal Link work?
A typical Universal Link journey looks like this:
- A shopper taps an HTTPS link on an iPhone or iPad.
- iOS checks whether an installed app is associated with that website and permitted to handle the URL.
- If the app can handle it, iOS opens the relevant content inside the app.
- Otherwise, the URL opens as a webpage.
- The shopper continues toward the intended action or purchase.
The link itself can look like an ordinary website URL. It does not require a separate custom link format that only the app understands.
Apple describes Universal Links as a two-way association between an app and its website, supported through the app’s Associated Domains capability. Apple’s Associated Domains documentation provides the technical overview.
Universal Links are a type of mobile deep link
“Mobile deep link” is a broad category. It describes a link that opens a specific location inside a mobile app.
“Universal Link” refers specifically to Apple’s web-to-app linking system.
That means:
- Every functioning Universal Link that opens specific app content is a mobile deep link.
- Not every mobile deep link is a Universal Link.
- Android uses its own corresponding system, commonly called Android App Links.
- Some mobile deep links rely on custom URL schemes or third-party routing technology instead.
Universal Links are designed to work with normal HTTPS addresses, allowing the same URL to retain a valid web destination.
Universal Links vs. custom URL schemes
Before Universal Links, apps commonly used custom URL schemes to open in-app content.
A custom scheme might resemble:
retailerapp://product/12345A Universal Link resembles a normal web URL:
https://retailer.com/product/12345Universal Link | Custom URL scheme |
Uses a standard HTTPS address | Uses an app-specific format |
Can open a matching webpage | May fail if the app is unavailable |
Requires an app-and-website association | Is registered by the app |
Can be used as a standard web link | Is primarily intended to open an app |
Gives iOS a verified relationship to evaluate | Can create conflicts if another app claims the same scheme |
The important advantage for shoppers is fallback. A standard web address remains useful even when the app cannot open.
Universal Links vs. deferred deep links
Universal Links and deferred deep links solve different problems.
A Universal Link can open an installed app or fall back to the website. It does not automatically guarantee that someone who installs an app after tapping the link will arrive at the original destination.
A deferred deep link attempts to preserve that destination through the installation process:
Tap link → Install app → Open original product or content
Deferred journeys generally require additional linking and attribution infrastructure. Their behavior can vary by provider, app and operating-system limitations.
Creators should therefore avoid assuming that every Universal Link will preserve the intended destination through a new app installation.
Why Universal Links matter for affiliate creators
Creators frequently distribute links through mobile-first channels such as:
- Social posts
- Instagram DMs
- Messaging communities
- Video descriptions
- Creator storefronts
If a shopper already uses a retailer’s app, opening the exact product there may create a familiar and efficient experience. The shopper may already be signed in, have payment details saved or prefer the app’s checkout flow.
If the app is unavailable, the website provides an important fallback.
This can help creators maintain continuity between the product featured in their content and the destination that appears after the click.
However, opening the right product is only one requirement. The referral must also remain eligible for affiliate attribution.
Universal Links and affiliate tracking
An app-opening journey can introduce additional tracking considerations.
A shopper may move among:
- A social or messaging app
- An embedded browser
- Safari
- A retailer app
- A mobile checkout
- An app-install experience
Whether the creator receives credit can depend on the retailer, affiliate network, tracking configuration and program rules.
A Universal Link does not automatically create affiliate tracking. It controls how associated web content can open inside an iOS app. Affiliate tracking must still be included and preserved through the supported journey.
Creators should therefore use approved affiliate-link tools and test links inside the channels where they will actually be shared.
How Universal Links relate to Joylink
Joylink helps creators create and manage tracked affiliate links for supported retailers and programs.
A creator can begin with the product or retailer destination that matches the recommendation, create a Joylink and distribute it through mobile-first content channels. Depending on the retailer, device and destination configuration, the shopper’s journey may continue in an app or on the web.
Universal Link behavior is generally controlled by the retailer or app owner—not by the creator. Joylink helps manage the tracked affiliate link, while the destination’s mobile configuration determines whether an associated app opens.
Creators should test important Joylinks on mobile and confirm:
- The intended product appears
- The app or website destination works
- A usable fallback exists
- Affiliate tracking remains supported
- The product is available
- The content includes a clear disclosure
The simplest way to understand Universal Links
A Universal Link is one standard web address with an intelligent iOS destination.
When the associated app is available, the link can open the relevant content inside it. When the app cannot handle the link, the website remains available.
For affiliate creators, the goal is not simply to open an app. It is to maintain a direct, trackable and useful journey from the recommendation to the destination the shopper expects.