A link from an email or notification should take someone to the relevant task. That becomes more complicated when the app is closed, the person has signed out, or the same phone contains more than one business account. Include these paths in your mobile agency brief.
Related service: Mobile application development- 01Validate the supported link.
- 02Resolve the app and sign-in state.
- 03Choose the appropriate account.
- 04Check record access on the server.
- 05Open the current record or explain the failure.
SECTION 01
Separate routing from access
Android App Links associate an app with an owned website so supported web links can route into the app. That association solves a navigation problem. It does not prove that the person opening an order or document may read it. OWASP's authorization guidance supports enforcing access on each request rather than trusting a hidden screen or link.
Ask for a route inventory: which links are public, which require an account, and which are unsupported. Keep secret credentials and private text out of URLs. The sign-in journey should retain only the necessary destination reference and check it again afterwards. Do not allow arbitrary return URLs to send the user somewhere unexpected.
SECTION 02
Illustrative example: a contractor changes teams
Imagine a contractor receives a link to a job, then loses access to that customer's team before opening it. The app should not show a cached job simply because the notification was once valid. It checks current authority and presents an unavailable-access message without revealing private details. This is a planning example, not a client result.
If the contractor belongs to two authorized teams, the app can offer an explicit account choice. Switching accounts must not silently carry private data from the previous session. A deleted job needs a different explanation from a network outage; otherwise users may keep trying to sign in to solve a problem authentication cannot fix.
SECTION 03
Test the entry path outside the app
Commission tests from a real message, browser and notification with the app installed, uninstalled, running and closed. Include expired sessions, revoked access and malformed identifiers. A demonstration that taps an internal button does not prove that operating-system link routing works.
Define the web fallback and the supported app-version behavior. If an older release cannot open a route, it should provide a useful next step instead of crashing. Request a test matrix and domain-association ownership in the handoff. Start with a small set of important destinations; supporting every screen as an external entry point adds maintenance and security review.
SECTION 04
Frequently asked questions
Can a deep link sign someone in automatically?
Ordinary content links should not bypass authentication. Any special sign-in link needs its own tightly scoped, expiring authentication design.
Should the link reveal whether a private record exists?
Avoid disclosing private record details to an unauthorized visitor. Use a helpful but appropriately limited message and a safe navigation route.
What belongs in the agency handoff?
The supported link patterns, domain ownership, account-switch rules, web fallback and executed tests for signed-out and unauthorized users.
PRIMARY REFERENCES
Sources and further reading
These references cover the standards, platforms, or published prices discussed in the guide. Worked examples and checklists are our editorial guidance.
- About deep linksAndroid Developers
- Authorization guidanceOWASP Foundation
EDITORIAL METHOD
About this guide
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