Sometimes you might want to link to other websites or platforms in your app—using links lets you create info cards that guide members to other sources of information. This guide will show you how to set them up and configure both external and deep links in Activate.
External links
External links open to another site, either within the VTS Activate app or in a new window or app. You can add them to Pages, Posts, sections, or tabs just like any other content in Activate. It's a great way to host permanent information or resources that isn't directly stored in your app.
To make an external link:
- Click the + New content button.
- Create a Post or Page—you can skip the templates.
- Fill out the Info step. This is going to be the link members tap or click.
- In the Editor step, check External link, then click Confirm.
- Enter your URL, then choose your opening mode.
- Click Save and Publish the content.
💡 It's a good idea to use http:// instead of https:// because of an issue that affects Android devices. Most sites redirect the user to the secure version of the website automatically. |
External links can be opened a few different ways. Choose your preferred option when you pick your opening mode:
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In App: On mobile, the link opens in Activate with a back button to return to the channel. On desktop, the link opens in a new tab.
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In App with SSO: On mobile, the link opens in the Activate app and the user’s information (usually email address) is passed to the linked site. On desktop, the link opens in a new tab.
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External: The link opens in the default browser or app for the link.
Deep links
Deep links open in a specified app, and even on specific pages in that app. If the user doesn't have the app on their device, they'll be sent to the appropriate app store to download it.
To make a deep link:
- Click the + New content button.
- Create a Post or Page—you can skip the templates.
- Fill out the Info step. This is going to be the link members tap or click.
- In the Editor step, check Deep link, then click Confirm.
- Enter your URL.
- Add the right App Store and Google Play links.
- Click Save and Publish the content.
Usually, the deep link will start with the app name, then a path to the page you want. Some apps publicly share their URLs, but others might require contacting the developer. Here are some supported deep links as examples:
- youtube://
- instagram://
- twitter://
- https://
- http://
- mailto://
- telprompt://
- tel://
- livesafeapp://open
💡 When you add app store links, make sure you use the URL for the same country as the members in your channel. |
The Document Library
If you link a lot of resources in PDF form on your content, try using the Document Library to store your resources in one place. The Document Library allows you to easily attach PDFs to your content through External Links.
Upload your PDFs, add titles and descriptions, and then add them to your content as links:
- Create a new piece of content, either a Page or Post
- In the Editor step, select External Link
- Under Type, choose Show users a document
- Select your document from the library
- After the document has been selected, you can Open document preview in new tab or Show in document library
You can add new documents to your library here too, if you can't find the PDF you need.
Publish your content. After publishing, make sure you add the content to a feed on a tab— this is what makes the content visible to your members. If you want to add your link to a specific Page or Post, you can use the content block to make a pin or create a link row, then choose document.
When a member clicks on the document, it opens for them for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, they'll need to refresh.
💡 Activate treats PDFs like images—nothing larger than 25MB will work. |
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