Mobile App Deep Linking

Requires Mobile 5.1+

Deep links allow marketplaces to navigate their customers directly to specific content within their mobile app. Users can create deep links for an outlet's menu or an outlet's specific menu item. These links can be shared via social media and messages for a seamless user experience.

What is a Deep Link?

A deep link is a URL that directs customers to a specific location within an app rather than simply opening the app’s home screen. Deep links enhance user experience by providing direct access to relevant content without requiring users to navigate manually.

Why Use Deep Links?

• Cross-Platform Compatibility: The same deep link will work for both Android and iOS users alike.

• Improved User Experience: Customers can quickly access specific content within the app without unnecessary navigation.

• Enhanced Marketing Campaigns: Businesses can use deep links in social media, email, or advertisements to drive traffic to specific products or promotions.

• Increased Engagement & Retention: Customers are more likely to interact with relevant content when they are taken directly to it.

What type of Deep Links are available?

You can choose to either set up a deep link automatically via Redbox Management, or you can manually generate a deep link.

How to Automatically Generate a Deep Link

Redbox supports automatically generated deep links through push notifications, allowing you to direct customers straight to an outlet’s menu or a specific menu item within the app.

These links are created as part of a marketing campaign in Redbox Management.

On Create Campaign, select Push, under Action, you can choose between:

• Outlet Menu - This will navigate the customer directly to the outlet's menu.

• Menu Item - This will navigate the customer to the outlet menu and then open the menu item.

• Open App - This will navigate the customer to the outlet list.

Because push campaigns are sent to existing users through Redbox’s marketing system, you can be confident that the customer already has the app installed, ensuring a smooth and reliable deep-linking experience.

How to Manually Generate a Deep Link

These deep links require the customer to have the associated app installed on their device. If the app is not installed, the link will result in an error or fail to open correctly.

Note: Redbox is actively working on improving this experience by introducing smart redirection. In the future, customers without the app installed will be automatically redirected to the corresponding page on the website instead.

To manually generate a deep link, you will need to collect the relevant IDs to build the correct deep link. There are two types of deep links available:

• Outlet Menu - This will navigate the customer directly to the outlet's menu.

• Menu Item - This will navigate the customer to the outlet menu and then open the menu item.

Deep Link Structure

Our deep links follow a strict, structured format:

Outlet Menu - appid://outlet/outletID

For example - .com.{MARKETPLACE_NAME}://outlet/{OUTLET_ID}

Menu Item - appid://menuItem/menuItemID/outlet/outletID

For example - .com.{MARKETPLACE_NAME}://menuItem/{MENI_ITEM_ID}/outlet/{OUTLET_ID}

How to find the relevant ID’s:

Marketplace App ID

• This can be found on your Apple Store Connect or your Google Play Store. Both apps will have the same app ID. The ID is normally in the following format ‘com.marketplaceName’. You can find these by navigating to

  • Google Play Store → Select the app → select Dashboard → the app ID can be found below the app name.

  • Apple Store Connect → Select the app → select App Information → the app ID can be found below the Bundle ID

Outlet ID

• This can be found by navigating to Redbox Management → Businesses → Select the required business → Select Outlets → Select the required outlet → See the URL.

  • For example, if your URL is 'https://manage.redbox.systems/business/clmuh9eke079a0830tznnlbe8/outlets/clmuh9elq079l0830zxamxdaj/overview', the bold highlighted section of the URL is your Outlet ID.

Menu Item ID

• This can be found by navigating to Redbox Management → Businesses → Select the required business → Select Menu → Select the menu group → Select the menu item → See the URL.

  • For example, if your URL is ‘https://manage.staging.redbox.systems/business/clmuh9eke079a0830tznnlbe8/menu?menuId=clmujt3hg09jb0840t7gu82df&menuItemId=clmuk3h5b09xo0840v8xfa1cz, the bold highlighted section of the URL is your menu item ID.

Once you have generated your deep link, we suggest testing your deep link is working as expected before sharing it with your customer.

Additional Considerations:

• If an outlet no longer exists (i.e., the outlet is deactivated), the user will be navigated to the outlet list.

• Menu items that are set to sold out will open but cannot be added to the basket.

• Menu items that are set to hidden will open but cannot be added to the basket.

• Menu items that are scheduled will appear and can be added to the basket. However, if the menu item is not available for the customer currently selected slot, the customer will be prompted at checkout that the item is not available.

• If a menu item no longer exists (i.e., has been deleted), the customer will be navigated to the outlet list.