How to open installed pwa from external url

When you want to open an installed Progressive Web App (PWA) project directly via an external URL, you can employ several approaches to accomplish this. Here are some steps and techniques that can help users enjoy the convenience of navigating directly to specific content from external links.

1. Using the "start_url" Attribute in the Web App Manifest

In the PWA's Manifest file, you can specify a start_url, which is the default URL opened when the app launches. You can add query parameters or paths to this URL to customize the content loaded when the app starts.

For example, if your PWA's homepage URL is https://example.com, and you want to launch directly to a specific interface using a URL like https://example.com/#/special-page, you can set the start_url in the Manifest to:

json
"start_url": "/#/special-page"

Every time a user launches the app by tapping the PWA icon on their desktop or mobile device, they are directly taken to the special-page.

2. Using Service Worker to Intercept and Handle URLs

Using Service Worker, you can intercept the app's network requests and modify its behavior or routing based on different parts of the URL (such as paths or query parameters). For example, when a user clicks an external link pointing to your PWA (e.g., https://example.com/?redirect=/profile), the Service Worker can parse this URL and navigate to the corresponding internal page (e.g., /profile).

Here is a simple Service Worker script snippet for intercepting and parsing query parameters:

javascript
self.addEventListener('fetch', event => {
    const url = new URL(event.request.url);
    if (url.searchParams.has('redirect')) {
        const redirectPath = url.searchParams.get('redirect');
        event.respondWith(caches.match(redirectPath).then(response => {
            return response || fetch(redirectPath);
        }));
    }
});

3. Using Deep Linking Technology

For mobile devices, you can also use Deep Linking technology to associate specific URL patterns with your PWA. This means that when a user clicks on a link matching a specific pattern on their mobile device, the operating system can directly open your PWA application instead of the default web browser.

Implementing Deep Linking can be quite complex, as it requires configuring the appropriate files on your application's web server (such as Android's assetlinks.json or iOS's apple-app-site-association file) and ensuring your PWA can correctly handle these incoming URLs.

Conclusion

By using the above methods, you can achieve the functionality of opening an installed PWA directly via an external URL. The most appropriate method depends on your specific requirements, such as the target platform of the application and the expected user interaction. In practice, you may need to combine several techniques to achieve the best user experience.

This topic relates to the deep linking feature of Progressive Web Applications (PWA), enabling the opening of specific installed PWA projects through external URLs.

To implement this feature, follow these steps:

1. Configure the Web App Manifest: Progressive Web Applications depend on a manifest file named manifest.json, which specifies the app's name, icon, start URL, display mode, and background color. Ensure your PWA project includes a properly configured manifest.json file.

2. Set up the Service Worker: PWA commonly uses a Service Worker for caching, push notifications, and other functionalities. Verify that your Service Worker script is correctly registered to manage the app's pages.

3. Use Universal Links or App Links:

   • For iOS devices, implement Apple's Universal Links by placing an apple-app-site-association file in the root directory of your website to specify which PWA should be opened and the corresponding URL paths.

   • For Android devices, implement Android App Links by creating an assetlinks.json file in the .well-known directory of your website, similarly specifying the PWA and URL paths.

4. Parse URL Data: When a PWA is launched through an external link, parse the URL within your Service Worker or web page script to extract required information (e.g., paths, query parameters), and navigate to the appropriate section of the application.

5. Test Links: Once configured, test your links to ensure they function correctly. Validate on different devices to confirm that external URLs open your PWA as expected.

For example, if you have a PWA for an online store and want to open a specific product page via an external URL, you would follow these steps:

• Ensure that your Web App Manifest specifies the start_url, and your Service Worker can control the app's pages.

• Implement Universal Links for iOS devices by adding the apple-app-site-association file to the root directory of your server.

• For Android devices, create the assetlinks.json file and store it in the .well-known directory.

• Within your Service Worker or page script, implement code to parse the incoming URL and navigate to the appropriate product page.

• After testing, when users click a link to a specific product, their device will directly launch your online store PWA and display the product details.