Share app links on social media with a clean preview
Links shared on social media need two things: a preview card that reads well, and a destination that still works inside the in-app browser. WarpLink serves crawlers a card built from the title, description and image you set, and sends people to the destination for their device: the app link, the store or the web page.
How it works
Set the card on the link
Fill og_title, og_description and og_image_url on the link. Use an image of at least 1200 by 630 pixels over HTTPS, a title under 60 characters and a description under 155.
Share the short link
Paste the WarpLink address in the post, bio or message. Crawlers from the major networks and chat apps are recognized and get the card. They are not counted as clicks.
Let people reach a page they can use
Inside many social apps the page opens in an embedded browser, which does not hand links to your app. Give the link a web destination that works on its own, so the person still lands somewhere useful.
Offer the open-in-app step on your page
On your own web page, add a button that opens your app with a real tap. A tap in the page is the gesture iOS needs to hand a Universal Link to the app, and the button can fall back to the store when the app is missing.
Keep the destination through an install
With the SDK in your app, a person who installs from the store opens the screen the post pointed to on first launch.
Refresh a stale card
Networks cache a card the first time they read it. After you change a field, use the network's own debugger to ask for a fresh read.
Create a link with a preview card
// The preview card a crawler reads. People get the redirect.
const response = await fetch("https://api.warplink.app/v1/links", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
// API key from Keys > API
Authorization: "Bearer wl_live_YOUR_API_KEY",
"Content-Type": "application/json",
},
body: JSON.stringify({
app_id: "3f9a1c2e-6b7d-4e1a-9c2f-8a5b1d0e7c44",
slug: "lisbon-weekend",
destination_url: "https://app.example/guides/lisbon",
og_title: "A weekend in Lisbon",
og_description: "Open the guide in the app, with the map and saved places.",
og_image_url: "https://app.example/images/lisbon-1200x630.jpg",
}),
});
const link = (await response.json()) as { short_url: string };What you get
- Linking
- A short link that gives crawlers a full preview card and gives people the redirect to the app, the store page or the web page.
- Attribution
- Installs that follow a tap on a WarpLink link, in any channel, include installs that began on a social post, matched back to the link.
- Analytics
- Clicks, unique clicks and installs per link, with referrer and device breakdowns, so you can see which post or profile brought people.
Common questions
Why does my deep link not open the app from Instagram or TikTok?
Those apps open links in an embedded browser, and an embedded browser does not hand the link to the operating system. The post on in-app browsers explains each case and the fixes.
How does WarpLink build the preview card?
When a known crawler asks for the link, WarpLink returns a small page with Open Graph and Twitter Card tags from the fields you set. A person asking for the same address is redirected to the destination for their device.
What if I set no card fields?
A crawler is redirected to the destination, so the destination page's own tags make the card. Set the fields on the link when the destination is a screen in your app with no web page.
Do crawlers count as clicks?
No. Requests from recognized crawlers are excluded before a click is recorded, so a preview being built does not add to your counts.
Does a password-protected link still show a card?
No. A password-protected link answers all visitors, crawlers included, with the password form, so no card is built. Use a link without a password when you want a card.