Glossary · Internet & Web

Deep Link

A deep link is a link that points to a specific page or piece of content inside a website or app, rather than to its home page or start screen.

Updated October 6, 2026

A deep link is a hyperlink that leads directly to a specific page, item or screen within a website or mobile app, instead of its home page or opening screen. On the web, almost every ordinary page URL is a deep link.

Why it matters

Deep links save people steps: a product link opens that product, not the shop front. In mobile apps they are harder, because a link must decide whether to open the app or the website. Platforms support verified app links, where the site declares which app may handle its addresses, and a fallback sends users without the app to the web page or app store. Deferred deep linking carries the destination through the install.

Example

https://example.com/products/blue-kettle?color=teal

This opens a particular product with a color preselected, rather than example.com. If the shop's app is installed and the link is verified, a phone may open the same product inside the app instead.

Common mistakes

  • Using links that depend on a session or login state, so they fail when shared.
  • Having no web fallback for people who lack the app.
  • Breaking deep links by changing URL structure without redirects.

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