Deep Linking

Deep linking allows users to open specific StorifyMe stories directly from shared links, providing a seamless experience when content is shared across platforms.

StorifyMe provides two approaches for implementing deep links:

Option 1: StorifyMe-Hosted Deep Links (Recommended)

StorifyMe automatically generates and hosts deep linking configuration files for both platforms. This is the simplest approach and requires no backend infrastructure on your end.

Step 1: Configure App Credentials in Dashboard

Log in to your StorifyMe dashboard
Navigate to Settings → Mobile
Configure both platforms:

iOS Configuration:

Team ID: Your Apple Developer Team ID
Bundle ID: Your app's bundle identifier (e.g., com.yourcompany.app)
App Store ID: Your app's Apple App Store ID

Android Configuration:

Package Name: Your app's package name (e.g., com.yourcompany.app)
SHA-256 Fingerprints: Your app signing certificate fingerprints

Click Save

StorifyMe will automatically generate the configuration files at:

iOS: https://storifyme.xyz/.well-known/apple-app-site-association
Android: https://storifyme.xyz/.well-known/assetlinks.json

Step 2: Add Dependencies

Add the required packages to your pubspec.yaml:

pubspec.yaml
dependencies:
    flutter:
        sdk: flutter
    storifyme: ^latest_version
    uni_links: ^0.5.1 # For handling deep links


    # Alternative: Use app_links for newer approach
    # app_links: ^3.4.0

Run:

flutter pub get

Step 3: iOS Setup

Configure Associated Domains in Xcode:

Open your iOS project in Xcode: ios/Runner.xcworkspace
Select the Runner target
Go to Signing & Capabilities
Click + Capability and add Associated Domains

Add the following domains:

applinks:storifyme.xyz
applinks:storifyme.com

Step 4: Android Setup

Get SHA-256 Fingerprints:

# Debug keystore
keytool -list -v -keystore ~/.android/debug.keystore -alias androiddebugkey -storepass android -keypass android

# Release keystore
keytool -list -v -keystore /path/to/your-release-key.keystore -alias your-key-alias

# Play App Signing (from Play Console)
# Go to: Your App → Setup → App integrity → App signing key certificate

Add ALL fingerprints to the StorifyMe dashboard.

Update AndroidManifest.xml:

Open android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml and add intent filters:

android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
<activity
    android:name=".MainActivity"
    android:exported="true"
    android:launchMode="singleTask"
    android:theme="@style/LaunchTheme">

    <!-- Your existing intent filters -->
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
    </intent-filter>

    <!-- StorifyMe Deep Links - storifyme.xyz -->
    <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />

        <data
            android:scheme="https"
            android:host="storifyme.xyz"
            android:pathPrefix="/stories/YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID/" />
    </intent-filter>

    <!-- StorifyMe Deep Links - storifyme.com -->
    <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />

        <data
            android:scheme="https"
            android:host="storifyme.com"
            android:pathPrefix="/stories/YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID/" />
    </intent-filter>

    <!-- Support for /shorts/ path -->
    <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />

        <data
            android:scheme="https"
            android:host="storifyme.xyz"
            android:pathPrefix="/shorts/YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID/" />
    </intent-filter>

    <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />

        <data
            android:scheme="https"
            android:host="storifyme.com"
            android:pathPrefix="/shorts/YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID/" />
    </intent-filter>

</activity>

Important: Replace YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID with your actual StorifyMe account ID.

Step 5: Handle Deep Links in Flutter

The deep link URL format is:

https://storifyme.xyz/stories/{ACCOUNT_ID}/{story_handle}
https://storifyme.xyz/shorts/{ACCOUNT_ID}/{story_handle}

Create a deep link handler service:

lib/services/deep_link_handler.dart
import 'dart:async';
import 'package:uni_links/uni_links.dart';
import 'package:storifyme_flutter/storifyme_flutter.dart';

class DeepLinkHandler {
  StreamSubscription? _sub;

  Future<void> init() async {
    // Handle initial link (app opened from link)
    try {
      final initialLink = await getInitialLink();
      if (initialLink != null) {
        _handleDeepLink(initialLink);
      }
    } catch (e) {
      print('Failed to get initial link: $e');
    }

    // Handle links when app is already running
    _sub = linkStream.listen((String? link) {
      if (link != null) {
        _handleDeepLink(link);
      }
    }, onError: (err) {
      print('Failed to handle link: $err');
    });
  }

  void _handleDeepLink(String url) {
    // Parse the deep link URL
    // Format: https://storifyme.xyz/stories/{ACCOUNT_ID}/{story_handle}
    try {
      final uri = Uri.parse(url);
      final pathSegments = uri.pathSegments;

      // For StorifyMe-hosted URLs
      if (pathSegments.length >= 3 &&
          (pathSegments[0] == 'stories' || pathSegments[0] == 'shorts')) {
        final storyHandle = pathSegments[2];

        // Open the story using StorifyMe SDK
        _openStory(storyHandle);
      }
    } catch (e) {
      print('Failed to parse deep link: $e');
    }
  }

  void _openStory(String storyHandle) {
    // Open story using StorifyMe SDK
    StorifyMeFlutter.openStory(storyHandle);
  }

  void dispose() {
    _sub?.cancel();
  }
}

Add the deep link handler to your main app:

lib/main.dart
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:storifyme_flutter/storifyme_flutter.dart';
import 'services/deep_link_handler.dart';

void main() {
  runApp(MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _MyAppState createState() => _MyAppState();
}

class _MyAppState extends State<MyApp> {
  final DeepLinkHandler _deepLinkHandler = DeepLinkHandler();

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();

    // Initialize StorifyMe SDK
    StorifyMeFlutter.initialize(
      accountId: 'YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID',
      apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY',
    );

    // Initialize deep link handler
    _deepLinkHandler.init();
  }

  @override
  void dispose() {
    _deepLinkHandler.dispose();
    super.dispose();
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      title: 'StorifyMe Demo',
      home: HomeScreen(),
    );
  }
}

Step 6: Testing StorifyMe-Hosted Deep Links

iOS Testing (Simulator):

# Test with storifyme.xyz
xcrun simctl openurl booted "https://storifyme.xyz/stories/YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID/test-story"

# Test with storifyme.com
xcrun simctl openurl booted "https://storifyme.com/stories/YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID/test-story"

Android Testing (ADB):

# Test with storifyme.xyz
adb shell am start \
  -W -a android.intent.action.VIEW \
  -d "https://storifyme.xyz/stories/YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID/test-story" \
  com.yourcompany.app

# Test with storifyme.com
adb shell am start \
  -W -a android.intent.action.VIEW \
  -d "https://storifyme.com/stories/YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID/test-story" \
  com.yourcompany.app

Replace:

YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID with your StorifyMe account ID
com.yourcompany.app with your app's package name

Physical Device Testing:

Send yourself a message with a story link
Tap the link on your device
The app should open and display the story

Troubleshooting StorifyMe-Hosted Links

iOS Issues:

Verify Associated Domains are correctly configured in Xcode
Clean and rebuild: flutter clean && flutter pub get && flutter run
Test on a physical device
Check AASA file: curl https://storifyme.xyz/.well-known/apple-app-site-association

Android Issues:

Verify android:autoVerify="true" is set in intent filters
Check path prefix includes your ACCOUNT_ID
Verify SHA-256 fingerprints in dashboard
Clear app defaults: Settings → Apps → Your App → Open by default → Clear defaults
Check verification: adb shell pm get-app-links com.yourcompany.app

Option 2: Custom Domain Deep Links (Advanced)

Before you begin

Make sure you have configured your sharing domain in the StorifyMe Dashboard Settings. Set either Custom Domain OR Proxy - this domain will be used when links are copied/shared from your stories.

For a custom domain connected directly to StorifyMe, StorifyMe generates the association files automatically. Follow the custom-domain app links guide for the required dashboard settings and app configuration. The manual file-hosting instructions below apply to customer-managed proxies.

If your domain is served through a customer-managed proxy, configure the proxy to forward the association-file requests or host those files on the proxy. The app-side steps below apply to both direct custom domains and proxies.

1. Add Dependencies

Add the required packages to your pubspec.yaml:

pubspec.yaml
dependencies:
    flutter:
        sdk: flutter
    storifyme: ^latest_version
    app_links: ^3.4.0 # For handling deep links

2. Android Configuration for Custom Domain

Update AndroidManifest.xml:

Add an intent filter to your Android manifest:

android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
<activity
    android:name=".MainActivity"
    android:exported="true"
    android:launchMode="singleTop"
    android:theme="@style/LaunchTheme">

    <!-- Your existing intent filters -->

    <!-- Deep link intent filter -->
    <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
        <data
            android:scheme="https"
            android:host="YOUR_PROXY_DOMAIN" />
    </intent-filter>
</activity>

Host or forward assetlinks.json (proxy domains only):

For a customer-managed proxy, host assetlinks.json at https://YOUR_PROXY_DOMAIN/.well-known/assetlinks.json. Proxy forwarding to StorifyMe requires a separate, validated proxy-specific configuration:

assetlinks.json
[
    {
        "relation": ["delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls"],
        "target": {
            "namespace": "android_app",
            "package_name": "com.your.package",
            "sha256_cert_fingerprints": ["YOUR_PACKAGE_FINGERPRINT"]
        }
    }
]

3. iOS Configuration for Custom Domain

Add Associated Domain:

In ios/Runner/Runner.entitlements:

ios/Runner/Runner.entitlements
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>com.apple.developer.associated-domains</key>
    <array>
        <string>applinks:YOUR_PROXY_DOMAIN</string>
    </array>
</dict>
</plist>

Host or forward apple-app-site-association (proxy domains only):

For a customer-managed proxy, host the AASA file at https://YOUR_PROXY_DOMAIN/.well-known/apple-app-site-association. Proxy forwarding to StorifyMe requires a separate, validated proxy-specific configuration:

apple-app-site-association
{
    "applinks": {
        "apps": [],
        "details": [
            {
                "appID": "TEAMID.com.your.package",
                "paths": ["/*"]
            }
        ]
    }
}

4. Implementation for Custom Domain

Method 1: Direct Story Launch (Recommended)

For custom domain deep links, use direct story opening which doesn't depend on widget loading:

main.dart
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:storifyme/storifyme.dart';
import 'package:app_links/app_links.dart';

class MyApp extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _MyAppState createState() => _MyAppState();
}

class _MyAppState extends State<MyApp> with WidgetsBindingObserver {
  final _appLinks = AppLinks();

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    WidgetsBinding.instance.addObserver(this);
    _initDeepLinks();
  }

  @override
  void dispose() {
    WidgetsBinding.instance.removeObserver(this);
    super.dispose();
  }

  void _initDeepLinks() {
    // Handle links when app is already running
    _appLinks.uriLinkStream.listen((uri) {
      _handleDeepLink(uri);
    });

    // Handle links when app is launched from link
    _appLinks.getInitialAppLink().then((uri) {
      if (uri != null) {
        _handleDeepLink(uri);
      }
    });
  }

  void _handleDeepLink(Uri uri) {
    if (uri.scheme == 'https') {
      final handle = _extractStoryHandle(uri);
      if (handle != null) {
        // Launch story directly using StorifyMe
        _openStoryByHandle(handle);
      }
    }
  }

  String? _extractStoryHandle(Uri uri) {
    final pathSegments = uri.pathSegments;

    if (pathSegments.isEmpty) return null;

    // For custom domain URLs with various patterns
    switch (pathSegments.length) {
      case 1:
        // For URLs like: https://domain.com/story-handle
        return pathSegments[0];

      case 2:
        // For URLs like: https://domain.com/story/story-handle
        if (pathSegments[0] == 'story' || pathSegments[0] == 'stories') {
          return pathSegments[1];
        }
        break;

      default:
        return null;
    }

    return null;
  }

  void _openStoryByHandle(String handle) {
    // Note: This method depends on your StorifyMe Flutter plugin implementation
    // You may need to use the method provided by your plugin
    StorifyMe.openStoryByHandle(handle);
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      title: 'StorifyMe App',
      home: HomePage(),
    );
  }
}

If you need to open a story within a loaded widget context:

home_page.dart
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:storifyme/storifyme.dart';

class HomePage extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _HomePageState createState() => _HomePageState();
}

class _HomePageState extends State<HomePage> {
  late StorifyMeWidget _storifyMeWidget;
  String? _pendingHandle;
  bool _widgetLoaded = false;

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    _initStorifyMeWidget();
  }

  void _initStorifyMeWidget() {
    _storifyMeWidget = StorifyMeWidget(
      widgetId: 'YOUR_WIDGET_ID',
      onLoad: (stories) {
        setState(() {
          _widgetLoaded = true;
        });

        // If we have a pending handle, open it now
        if (_pendingHandle != null) {
          _openStoryInWidget(_pendingHandle!);
          _pendingHandle = null;
        }
      },
      onFail: (error) {
        // If widget fails to load but we have a handle, try direct launch
        if (_pendingHandle != null) {
          StorifyMe.openStoryByHandle(_pendingHandle!);
          _pendingHandle = null;
        }
      },
    );
  }

  void handleDeepLink(String handle) {
    if (_widgetLoaded) {
      // Widget is already loaded, open immediately
      _openStoryInWidget(handle);
    } else {
      // Store handle to open after widget loads
      _pendingHandle = handle;
    }
  }

  void _openStoryInWidget(String handle) {
    _storifyMeWidget.openStoryByHandle(handle, (result) {
      if (!result.success) {
        // Story not found in widget, fall back to direct launch
        StorifyMe.openStoryByHandle(handle);
      }
    });
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(
        title: Text('StorifyMe Stories'),
      ),
      body: Column(
        children: [
          // Your other widgets
          Expanded(
            child: _storifyMeWidget,
          ),
        ],
      ),
    );
  }
}

If you're using GetX for navigation, you can handle deep links in your route management:

app_routes.dart
import 'package:get/get.dart';
import 'package:storifyme/storifyme.dart';

class AppRoutes {
  static String home = '/';
  static String story = '/story/:handle';

  static List<GetPage> routes = [
    GetPage(
      name: home,
      page: () => HomePage(),
    ),
    GetPage(
      name: story,
      page: () {
        final handle = Get.parameters['handle'];
        if (handle != null) {
          // Open story directly
          StorifyMe.openStoryByHandle(handle);
        }
        return HomePage(); // Return to home after opening story
      },
    ),
  ];
}

Using go_router

If you're using go_router for navigation:

router.dart
import 'package:go_router/go_router.dart';
import 'package:storifyme/storifyme.dart';

final GoRouter router = GoRouter(
  routes: [
    GoRoute(
      path: '/',
      builder: (context, state) => HomePage(),
    ),
    GoRoute(
      path: '/story/:handle',
      builder: (context, state) {
        final handle = state.params['handle'];
        if (handle != null) {
          // Open story and navigate back to home
          WidgetsBinding.instance.addPostFrameCallback((_) {
            StorifyMe.openStoryByHandle(handle);
            context.go('/');
          });
        }
        return HomePage();
      },
    ),
  ],
);

Testing Custom Domain Deep Links

Android Testing (Using ADB):

adb shell am start \
  -W -a android.intent.action.VIEW \
  -d "https://YOUR_PROXY_DOMAIN/your-story-handle" \
  com.your.package

iOS Testing:

Use Safari in the iOS Simulator
Navigate to your deep link URL
Tap the link to trigger your app

Flutter Testing:

You can test deep links in development using:

// Simulate receiving a deep link during development
void _simulateDeepLink() {
  final testUri = Uri.parse('https://YOUR_PROXY_DOMAIN/test-story-handle');
  _handleDeepLink(testUri);
}

URL Pattern Examples

Your implementation should handle various URL patterns:

URL Pattern	Handle Extraction
`https://domain.com/story-handle`	`pathSegments[0]`
`https://domain.com/story/story-handle`	`pathSegments[1]`
`https://domain.com/stories/story-handle`	`pathSegments[1]`

Best Practices

Use Direct Launch for Shared Content: Direct story opening is more reliable for shared links
Implement Fallback Logic: If a story isn't found in a widget, fall back to direct launch
Handle App State: Consider whether your app is cold starting or already running
Error Handling: Handle invalid or expired story handles gracefully
User Experience: Show loading states while processing deep links
Navigation: Decide how deep links should affect your app's navigation stack

Performance Considerations

Lazy Loading: Only initialize deep link handling when needed
Memory Management: Clean up listeners in dispose methods
Background Processing: Handle deep links efficiently to avoid blocking the UI

Common Issues

Deep Link Not Working on Android

Verify assetlinks.json is properly formatted and accessible
Check SHA256 fingerprint matches your app signing certificate
Ensure package name matches exactly

Deep Link Not Working on iOS

Verify apple-app-site-association file is accessible
Check Team ID and bundle identifier are correct
Use Apple's validation tool to test your association file

Plugin Method Not Found

Ensure you're using the correct method names from your StorifyMe Flutter plugin
Check plugin documentation for the exact API
Verify plugin version compatibility

Deep Linking

Option 1: StorifyMe-Hosted Deep Links (Recommended)

Step 1: Configure App Credentials in Dashboard

Step 2: Add Dependencies

Step 3: iOS Setup

Step 4: Android Setup

Step 5: Handle Deep Links in Flutter

Step 6: Testing StorifyMe-Hosted Deep Links

Troubleshooting StorifyMe-Hosted Links

Option 2: Custom Domain Deep Links (Advanced)

1. Add Dependencies

2. Android Configuration for Custom Domain

3. iOS Configuration for Custom Domain

4. Implementation for Custom Domain

Method 1: Direct Story Launch (Recommended)

Method 2: Widget-Based Launch

Using GetX Navigation

Using go_router

Testing Custom Domain Deep Links

URL Pattern Examples

Best Practices

Performance Considerations

Common Issues

Deep Link Not Working on Android

Deep Link Not Working on iOS

Plugin Method Not Found

Web SDK

Mobile SDK

Web SDK

Mobile SDK

Web SDK

Mobile SDK

Web SDK

Mobile SDK

Option 1: StorifyMe-Hosted Deep Links (Recommended)​

Step 1: Configure App Credentials in Dashboard​

Step 2: Add Dependencies​

Step 3: iOS Setup​

Step 4: Android Setup​

Step 5: Handle Deep Links in Flutter​

Step 6: Testing StorifyMe-Hosted Deep Links​

Troubleshooting StorifyMe-Hosted Links​

Option 2: Custom Domain Deep Links (Advanced)​

1. Add Dependencies​

2. Android Configuration for Custom Domain​

3. iOS Configuration for Custom Domain​

4. Implementation for Custom Domain​

Method 1: Direct Story Launch (Recommended)​

Method 2: Widget-Based Launch​

Using GetX Navigation​

Using go_router​

Testing Custom Domain Deep Links​

URL Pattern Examples​

Best Practices​

Performance Considerations​

Common Issues​

Deep Link Not Working on Android​

Deep Link Not Working on iOS​

Plugin Method Not Found​

Option 1: StorifyMe-Hosted Deep Links (Recommended)

Step 1: Configure App Credentials in Dashboard

Step 2: Add Dependencies

Step 3: iOS Setup

Step 4: Android Setup

Step 5: Handle Deep Links in Flutter

Step 6: Testing StorifyMe-Hosted Deep Links

Troubleshooting StorifyMe-Hosted Links

Option 2: Custom Domain Deep Links (Advanced)

1. Add Dependencies

2. Android Configuration for Custom Domain

3. iOS Configuration for Custom Domain

4. Implementation for Custom Domain

Method 1: Direct Story Launch (Recommended)

Method 2: Widget-Based Launch

Using GetX Navigation

Using go_router

Testing Custom Domain Deep Links

URL Pattern Examples

Best Practices

Performance Considerations

Common Issues

Deep Link Not Working on Android

Deep Link Not Working on iOS

Plugin Method Not Found