Your app contains content that users search for every day: products, articles, recipes, videos, listings, profiles. But search engines cannot crawl your app the way they crawl websites. Without explicit setup, your in-app content is invisible to Google and Apple search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting your app content into search results requires three things: deep links that connect web URLs to in-app destinations, verification files that prove your app owns those URLs, and markup that tells search engines about the relationship. This guide covers all three. For platform-specific setup, see Google App Indexing<\/a> and Apple Spotlight indexing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Search engines index web pages, not app screens. To get app content into search results, you need to establish a connection between your web pages and your app:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a user on a mobile device clicks a search result that has this connection, the search engine can open the app directly instead of loading the web page. This is better for the user (faster, native experience) and better for you (higher engagement, lower bounce rate).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Web pages for your content.<\/strong> Every piece of app content that you want in search results needs a corresponding web URL. This does not need to be a full web app; even a simple server-rendered page works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deep link handling in your app.<\/strong> Your app must handle incoming URLs and route users to the correct content. On Android, this means App Links<\/a>. On iOS, this means Universal Links<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verification files.<\/strong> Your website must host verification files that prove your app is authorized to handle your URLs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Search markup.<\/strong> Your web pages need markup that tells search engines about the app connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Structured data<\/a> tells search engines about your content in a machine-readable format. For app indexing, use the Different content types have different structured data requirements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Products:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Recipes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to structured data, add The For sites with many indexable pages, add app deep link annotations to your XML sitemap<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is especially useful for e-commerce apps with thousands of product pages. Generate the sitemap programmatically:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both Google and Apple require that your app content matches your web content. If a user clicks a search result and opens your app, the app must show the same content (or richer content) as the web page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Violations that can get your app results removed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a user clicks an app-indexed search result but does not have the app installed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your web pages must work as standalone content, not just as wrappers for the app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Google Search Console<\/a>, filter the Performance report by "App" to see:<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Web-App Connection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Web page: https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/123\n \u2193 (connected via deep link markup + verification)\nApp screen: ProductActivity showing product 123\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nWhat You Need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\/.well-known\/assetlinks.json<\/code><\/li>\n\/.well-known\/apple-app-site-association<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nStructured Data for App Indexing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
potentialAction<\/code> property to declare that your content can be viewed in an app.<\/p>\n\n\n\nViewAction Markup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<script type="application\/ld+json">\n{\n "@context": "https:\/\/schema.org",\n "@type": "WebPage",\n "name": "Summer Sale Collection",\n "url": "https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/collections\/summer-sale",\n "potentialAction": {\n "@type": "ViewAction",\n "target": [\n "https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/collections\/summer-sale",\n {\n "@type": "EntryPoint",\n "urlTemplate": "android-app:\/\/com.yourapp.android\/https\/www.yourapp.com\/collections\/summer-sale"\n }\n ]\n }\n}\n<\/script>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nContent-Specific Markup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<script type="application\/ld+json">\n{\n "@context": "https:\/\/schema.org",\n "@type": "Product",\n "name": "Running Shoes Model X",\n "description": "Lightweight running shoes for road and trail",\n "image": "https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/images\/shoes-x.jpg",\n "offers": {\n "@type": "Offer",\n "price": "129.99",\n "priceCurrency": "USD"\n },\n "potentialAction": {\n "@type": "ViewAction",\n "target": "https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/shoes-x"\n }\n}\n<\/script>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<script type="application\/ld+json">\n{\n "@context": "https:\/\/schema.org",\n "@type": "Article",\n "headline": "10 Best Running Routes in San Francisco",\n "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Smith" },\n "datePublished": "2026-01-15",\n "potentialAction": {\n "@type": "ViewAction",\n "target": "https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/articles\/sf-running-routes"\n }\n}\n<\/script>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<script type="application\/ld+json">\n{\n "@context": "https:\/\/schema.org",\n "@type": "Recipe",\n "name": "Classic Margherita Pizza",\n "cookTime": "PT25M",\n "recipeYield": "4 servings",\n "potentialAction": {\n "@type": "ViewAction",\n "target": "https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/recipes\/margherita-pizza"\n }\n}\n<\/script>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nAlternate Link Tags<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<link><\/code> elements in your HTML <head><\/code> that declare app alternatives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<head>\n <!-- Android App Link -->\n <link rel="alternate" href="android-app:\/\/com.yourapp.android\/https\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/123" \/>\n\n <!-- iOS Smart App Banner -->\n <meta name="apple-itunes-app" content="app-id=YOUR_APP_STORE_ID, app-argument=https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/123">\n<\/head>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nalternate<\/code> link tells Google that an Android app can display this content. The Smart App Banner meta tag tells Safari that an iOS app is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSitemap Integration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>\n<urlset xmlns="http:\/\/www.sitemaps.org\/schemas\/sitemap\/0.9"\n xmlns:xhtml="http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xhtml">\n <url>\n <loc>https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/123<\/loc>\n <lastmod>2026-01-15<\/lastmod>\n <xhtml:link rel="alternate"\n href="android-app:\/\/com.yourapp.android\/https\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/123" \/>\n <\/url>\n <url>\n <loc>https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/456<\/loc>\n <lastmod>2026-01-14<\/lastmod>\n <xhtml:link rel="alternate"\n href="android-app:\/\/com.yourapp.android\/https\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/456" \/>\n <\/url>\n<\/urlset>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nfunction generateSitemap(products) {\n let xml = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>\\n';\n xml += '<urlset xmlns="http:\/\/www.sitemaps.org\/schemas\/sitemap\/0.9"\\n';\n xml += ' xmlns:xhtml="http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xhtml">\\n';\n\n for (const product of products) {\n const webUrl = `https:\/\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/${product.slug}`;\n const appUrl = `android-app:\/\/com.yourapp.android\/https\/www.yourapp.com\/products\/${product.slug}`;\n\n xml += ' <url>\\n';\n xml += ` <loc>${webUrl}<\/loc>\\n`;\n xml += ` <lastmod>${product.updatedAt}<\/lastmod>\\n`;\n xml += ` <xhtml:link rel="alternate" href="${appUrl}" \/>\\n`;\n xml += ' <\/url>\\n';\n }\n\n xml += '<\/urlset>';\n return xml;\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nContent Parity Requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Handling Users Without the App<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
autoVerify<\/code> set). Google may show an "Install" button.<\/li>\nMeasuring Search Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Google Search Console<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Key Metrics to Track<\/h3>\n\n\n\n