Definition
The general term links is used interchangeably with URLs to refer to the piece of string you type into the search bar of a browser to land on a website.
A deep link in this case is a URL that points to a particular web page of a website.
Use Cases and Examples
Say you wanted to visit my About page:
- https://eddymens.com/ will take you to the home page of my website. This is just a link
- https://www.eddymens.com/about is a deep link that takes you directly to my About page.
Another example of deep linking is when you open up a link within an email on mobile. A browser-like window opens up and you are taken to a specific page.
Another example on mobile is when you click on a link to download an app and it takes you to the app on the app store.
A good use of deep linking is when website owners append parameters to URLs to create a tailored experience. For example, when you click on a referral link from one site and land on the other site and you see the promo code is already applied.
Summary
Deep links are perfect for call-to-actions. The user is taken to a specific page without them having to further navigate to complete an anticipated action.
Here is another article you might like 😊 "What Is Semantic?"