5 Steps for Universal Pattern Links in AndroidManifest 2025

<activity
    android:name=".ui.ProductActivity"
    android:exported="true">
    <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="www.your-awesome-brand.com" />
        <!-- More specific path patterns will go here in the next step -->
    </intent-filter>
</activity>

• * (asterisk): Matches a sequence of zero or more occurrences of the immediately preceding character. For example, /item/123* would match /item/12, /item/123, and /item/12333.
• .* (dot-asterisk): Matches any sequence of zero or more characters. This is the most common and useful pattern. For example, /products/.* will match any URL that starts with /products/, like /products/a-cool-gadget or /products/another/nested/item.

Here’s how you’d update your manifest to handle specific product and user profile pages:

<!-- Inside your intent-filter -->

<!-- Handles URLs like https://www.your-awesome-brand.com/products/super-widget-123 -->
<data android:scheme="https" android:host="www.your-awesome-brand.com" android:pathPattern="/products/.*" />

<!-- Handles URLs like https://www.your-awesome-brand.com/user/alex-ivanov -->
<data android:scheme="https" android:host="www.your-awesome-brand.com" android:pathPattern="/user/.*" />

Step 3: Host and Validate Your Digital Asset Links JSON

This is the server-side half of the verification equation and a common stumbling block. You must prove you own the domain you listed in your manifest. You do this by hosting a special JSON file at a specific location on your server.

This file is called assetlinks.json and it must be accessible at:

https://www.your-awesome-brand.com/.well-known/assetlinks.json

The contents of this file create a relationship between your website and your app. The structure is an array of objects, where each object defines a trusted "target" (your app).

[
  {
    "relation": ["delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls"],
    "target": {
      "namespace": "android_app",
      "package_name": "com.your.package.name",
      "sha256_cert_fingerprints": [
        "AB:CD:EF:12:34:56:78:90:AB:CD:EF:12:34:56:78:90:AB:CD:EF:12:34:56:78:90:AB:CD:EF:12:34:56:78:90"
      ]
    }
  }
]

Getting the SHA256 Fingerprint

The sha256_cert_fingerprints value is a unique signature of the certificate you use to sign your app. Crucially, you must use the fingerprint for your production signing key.

1. For Google Play App Signing: The easiest and recommended way is to go to your Google Play Console. Navigate to Setup > App integrity. Under the "App signing key certificate" tab, you'll find the SHA-256 certificate fingerprint.
2. For local keystores: You can use the keytool command-line utility.

Pro Tip: Ensure your server serves the assetlinks.json file with a Content-Type of application/json and that it's accessible without any redirects. A 404 error or a redirect will cause verification to fail silently. You can test this by simply trying to open the URL in your browser.

Step 4: Debug and Verify Like a Pro in 2025

Hoping for the best isn't a strategy. With Android Studio's evolving tools and powerful adb commands, you can and should test your App Links thoroughly.

Android Studio App Links Assistant

The built-in App Links Assistant (Tools > App Links Assistant) is your best friend. In its 2025 iteration, it's more powerful than ever:

• URL Mapping Editor: Visually add and edit your intent filters.
• Asset File Generation: It can generate the assetlinks.json content for you, including pulling the correct SHA-256 fingerprint.
• Live Validation: It will test your live assetlinks.json file, checking for common errors like incorrect content type, redirects, or HTTPS issues.

Manual Verification with ADB

Sometimes you need to force the system to re-evaluate your links, especially after making a change. You can do this directly from your terminal:

# For Android 12 and higher
adb shell pm verify-app-links --re-verify com.your.package.name

# Check the verification status for your app
adb shell pm get-app-links com.your.package.name

After running the re-verify command, check Logcat for messages from IntentFilterIntentSvc. You'll see logs indicating whether the verification for each host succeeded or failed, often with a reason for the failure.

Step 5: Gracefully Handle Incoming Links in Your App

Once verification is successful and a user clicks a link, your designated Activity will launch. The final step is to parse the incoming URL and direct the user to the correct content.

In your Activity's onCreate or onNewIntent method, you can retrieve the data from the intent:

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    // ... your regular setup
    handleIntent(intent)
}

override fun onNewIntent(intent: Intent?) {
    super.onNewIntent(intent)
    // Handle new link when activity is already open
    if (intent != null) {
        handleIntent(intent)
    }
}

private fun handleIntent(intent: Intent) {
    if (intent.action == Intent.ACTION_VIEW) {
        val appLinkData: Uri? = intent.data
        if (appLinkData != null) {
            // Example: for a URL like /products/super-widget-123
            val pathSegments = appLinkData.pathSegments
            if (pathSegments.size == 2 && pathSegments[0] == "products") {
                val productId = pathSegments[1] // "super-widget-123"
                // Now navigate to your product screen with this ID
                navigateToProduct(productId)
            }
        }
    }
}

Using uri.pathSegments is a clean way to break the URL path into a list of its components, making it easy to build routing logic. This completes the journey, taking the user from a web link to specific, relevant content within your app.

Key Takeaways for 2025

Implementing universal pattern links is a powerful way to enhance user engagement. Remember these key principles:

• autoVerify is Mandatory: Always use android:autoVerify="true" for a true App Link experience.
• Leverage pathPattern: Use pathPattern with .* for maximum flexibility in handling dynamic URL structures.
• Perfect Your assetlinks.json: Double-check your package name, SHA-256 fingerprint, and ensure the file is hosted correctly at the /.well-known/ path. This is the #1 source of failure.
• Test, Test, Test: Use the App Links Assistant and adb commands to validate your setup before releasing to production.