Testing Deeplinks

Updated 10 months ago
by
Kashif Hussain

Testing deeplink functionality just got easier. Sofy now provides a dedicated Deeplink button within the device pane, streamlining your workflow and eliminating the need to manually launch a browser and enter long URLs.

How It Works

1. While interacting with a real device in Sofy, look for the Deeplink button in the device pane.

2. Click the button to reveal a text field.

3. Enter your deeplink URL (e.g., myapp://login or myapp://product/1234).

4. Alternatively, you may use a deeplink URL from a saved variable.

5. Hit "Add DeepLink" to instantly navigate the app to the specified screen.

This feature is especially useful for:

• Quickly jumping to deep navigation paths
• Bypassing onboarding or login flows for faster test setup
• Validating routing logic and screen behavior based on URL parameters

Considerations in using Deeplinks:

To be mindful of how Deeplinks work across Android and iOS platforms, it is important to understand the fundamentals. There are two major types of deeplinks:

• Custom Links (e.g., myapp://)
• Universal / App Links (e.g., https://...)

Please see the detailed breakdown of what support is available on each platform:

Android

• Supports both Custom (myapp://) and Universal Links (https://...)
• There are no restrictions related to domain verification
• Invalid deeplinks will trigger an error, making debugging easier

IOS

• Supports Custom Links (myapp://)
• More restrictive with domain verification
• Universal Links (https://...) have limited support; they will not work if the app is installed outside the App Store or TestFlight (e.g. uploading your iPA files in Sofy). These links will be redirected to the browser
• iOS does not provide native support for invalid deeplinks; they do not throw an error
• While Sofy's deeplink feature immediately launches valid deeplinks, there is a caveat for devices below iOS < 17. In such cases, Apple forces the device to launch Safari and execute deeplinks by launching the URL

Why Use Deeplinks in Sofy?

• Saves time by skipping manual steps
• Improves accuracy when testing deep navigation flows
• Boosts productivity for both exploratory and automated sessions

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