Deep Linking for Content Sharing

Content sharing is one of the most common deep linking use cases. When users share an article, product, or video from your app, the shared link should take the recipient directly to that content, whether they have the app installed or not.

The flow

1. A user shares a piece of content from your app (e.g. taps “Share” on an article).
2. Your app generates a Tolinku deep link for that content (e.g. https://myapp.tolinku.com/article/456).
3. The recipient taps the link.
4. If the app is installed: The app opens and shows the article.
5. If the app is not installed: The user sees a landing page with a preview of the article and download buttons. After installing, deferred deep linking takes them to the article.

Setting up content sharing

1. Create a dynamic route

In the Tolinku dashboard, create a dynamic route for your content type:

• Prefix: article
• Link type: Dynamic
• Path pattern: article/:id

This handles URLs like https://myapp.tolinku.com/article/456.

2. Configure OG metadata

For rich social previews when links are shared on social media or messaging apps:

• Option A (static): Set default OG title, description, and image in the route settings.
• Option B (dynamic): Configure a metadata endpoint on your server that returns OG tags per item. Tolinku fetches the metadata when the link is accessed and renders the correct title, description, and image.

Tip

Dynamic OG metadata is essential for content sharing. A link to “Article: 10 Best Hiking Trails” should show that specific title and thumbnail in the social preview, not a generic app description.

3. Build the share URL in your app

When the user taps “Share,” construct the URL:

const shareUrl = `https://myapp.tolinku.com/article/${articleId}`;

Pass this URL to the platform share sheet (iOS UIActivityViewController, Android Intent.ACTION_SEND, React Native Share.share).

4. Handle incoming deep links

When the recipient opens the link and your app handles it, parse the path and navigate:

// iOS
if let result = Tolinku.handleUniversalLink(url) {
    // result.path = "/article/456"
    let articleId = result.path.split(separator: "/").last
    navigateToArticle(id: articleId)
}

5. Design a landing page

Create a custom landing page for the article route that shows a preview of the content (title, thumbnail, excerpt) with prominent download buttons. Use the visual builder to design it.

For dynamic content, use a Product Showcase or Event / Listing template that pulls data from your API.

Adding UTM tracking

Add UTM parameters to track which shares drive installs:

https://myapp.tolinku.com/article/456?utm_source=share&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=user_sharing

This lets you see in your analytics dashboard how many clicks and installs came from user-generated shares versus marketing campaigns.

Best practices

• Use descriptive OG metadata. A compelling title and thumbnail dramatically increase tap-through rates on shared links.
• Keep the landing page focused. Show a preview of the content with a clear CTA to install the app.
• Include a web fallback. If your content is also available on the web, set a web fallback URL so desktop users can view it without installing.
• Track share events. Use tolinku.track('custom.content_shared') to measure how often users share content and which pieces are shared most.