How Deep Linking Supercharges Shopify Mobile Apps

Shopify mobile apps drive significant revenue, but many struggle with user navigation. Deep linking solves this.

The Problem

Users click a product link and land on... the app home screen. They have to search again, losing interest along the way.

The Broken Flow

Email: "Check out this product!"
→ User clicks link
→ App opens to home screen
→ User has to search for product
→ User gives up 😞

The Fixed Flow

Email: "Check out this product!"
→ User clicks Codelloy smart link
→ App opens directly to product page
→ User adds to cart 🎉

Deep Link Types for Shopify

The URLs below are examples: your app defines its own scheme and paths.

Product Deep Links

shopify-app://products/123

Opens a specific product page directly.

Collection Deep Links

shopify-app://collections/summer-sale

Opens a collection or category page.

Cart Deep Links

shopify-app://cart?add=456&quantity=2

Adds items to cart automatically.

Checkout Deep Links

shopify-app://checkout

Opens the checkout flow.

Account Deep Links

shopify-app://account/orders

Opens order history or account pages.

Implementation with Codelloy

Step 1: Register Your Apps

Register your iOS and Android apps on the Codelloy dashboard with a name, platform and store URL. Each registered app gets a mobileAppId that you reference when you create links. See Mobile Apps for the walkthrough.

Step 2: Create Smart Links

Create links in the dashboard, or through the External API. This request is the product-link example from our Deep Linking Guide:

curl -X POST https://api.codelloy.com/link/external/v1/shortenedUrl/save \
  -H "X-API-KEY: your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com/product/123",
    "shortCode": "product123",
    "shortLinkName": "Spring sale — product 123",
    "deepLinks": [
      {
        "mobileAppId": "abc123def456",
        "deeplinkUrl": "myapp://product/123",
        "fallbackUrl": "https://example.com/product/123",
        "linkBehaviour": "app",
        "fallbackEnabled": true
      },
      {
        "mobileAppId": "789xyz456ghi",
        "deeplinkUrl": "myapp://product/123",
        "fallbackUrl": "https://example.com/product/123",
        "linkBehaviour": "app",
        "fallbackEnabled": true
      }
    ]
  }'

Step 3: Handle Links in Your App

Codelloy doesn't need an SDK in your app. When someone taps the link and your app is installed, Codelloy opens it through the deep link URL you set, your app's custom URL scheme (sent as an intent URL on Android), so you handle it with the URL-scheme routing your app already has.

Use Cases

These flows are illustrative examples, not measured results.

Abandoned Cart Recovery

User abandons cart
→ Send email with deep link to cart
→ User clicks, app opens to cart
→ User completes the purchase

Push Notifications

"Your wishlist item is on sale!"
→ Deep link to product
→ One-tap purchase

Social Media

Instagram bio: "Shop our collection"
→ Codelloy smart link
→ Opens app or web based on user

Email Marketing

Campaign email: "New arrivals"
→ Codelloy smart link
→ App opens to the collection, or the web store if the app isn't installed

Works With Any App That Opens Deep Links

Because Codelloy opens your app through its custom URL scheme rather than an SDK, it works with any Shopify mobile app that registers one, whether it was made with an app builder or custom code.

Getting Started

1. Sign up for Codelloy
2. Register your iOS and Android apps
3. Create your first smart link
4. Test on iOS and Android
5. Start driving conversions!

Talk to our team