react-native/docs/linking.md

---
id: linking
title: Linking
layout: docs
category: APIs
permalink: docs/linking.html
next: netinfo
previous: layoutanimation
---

<div class="banner-crna-ejected">
  <h3>Projects with Native Code Only</h3>
  <p>
    This section only applies to projects made with <code>react-native init</code>
    or to those made with Create React Native App which have since ejected. For
    more information about ejecting, please see
    the <a href="https://github.com/react-community/create-react-native-app/blob/master/EJECTING.md" target="_blank">guide</a> on
    the Create React Native App repository.
  </p>
</div>

`Linking` gives you a general interface to interact with both incoming
and outgoing app links.

### Basic Usage

#### Handling deep links

If your app was launched from an external url registered to your app you can
access and handle it from any component you want with

```
componentDidMount() {
  Linking.getInitialURL().then((url) => {
    if (url) {
      console.log('Initial url is: ' + url);
    }
  }).catch(err => console.error('An error occurred', err));
}
```

NOTE: For instructions on how to add support for deep linking on Android,
refer to [Enabling Deep Links for App Content - Add Intent Filters for Your Deep Links](http://developer.android.com/training/app-indexing/deep-linking.html#adding-filters).

If you wish to receive the intent in an existing instance of MainActivity,
you may set the `launchMode` of MainActivity to `singleTask` in
`AndroidManifest.xml`. See [`<activity>`](http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/activity-element.html)
documentation for more information.

```
<activity
  android:name=".MainActivity"
  android:launchMode="singleTask">
```

NOTE: On iOS, you'll need to link `RCTLinking` to your project by following
the steps described [here](docs/linking-libraries-ios.html#manual-linking).
If you also want to listen to incoming app links during your app's
execution, you'll need to add the following lines to your `*AppDelegate.m`:

```
// iOS 9.x or newer
#import <React/RCTLinkingManager.h>

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application
   openURL:(NSURL *)url
   options:(NSDictionary<UIApplicationOpenURLOptionsKey,id> *)options
{
  return [RCTLinkingManager application:application openURL:url options:options];
}
```

If you're targeting iOS 8.x or older, you can use the following code instead:

```
// iOS 8.x or older
#import <React/RCTLinkingManager.h>

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application openURL:(NSURL *)url
  sourceApplication:(NSString *)sourceApplication annotation:(id)annotation
{
  return [RCTLinkingManager application:application openURL:url
                      sourceApplication:sourceApplication annotation:annotation];
}
```


// If your app is using [Universal Links](https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/ios/documentation/General/Conceptual/AppSearch/UniversalLinks.html),
you'll need to add the following code as well:

```
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application continueUserActivity:(NSUserActivity *)userActivity
 restorationHandler:(void (^)(NSArray * _Nullable))restorationHandler
{
 return [RCTLinkingManager application:application
                  continueUserActivity:userActivity
                    restorationHandler:restorationHandler];
}
```

And then on your React component you'll be able to listen to the events on
`Linking` as follows

```
componentDidMount() {
  Linking.addEventListener('url', this._handleOpenURL);
},
componentWillUnmount() {
  Linking.removeEventListener('url', this._handleOpenURL);
},
_handleOpenURL(event) {
  console.log(event.url);
}
```
#### Opening external links

To start the corresponding activity for a link (web URL, email, contact etc.), call

```
Linking.openURL(url).catch(err => console.error('An error occurred', err));
```

If you want to check if any installed app can handle a given URL beforehand you can call
```
Linking.canOpenURL(url).then(supported => {
  if (!supported) {
    console.log('Can\'t handle url: ' + url);
  } else {
    return Linking.openURL(url);
  }
}).catch(err => console.error('An error occurred', err));
```


### Methods

- [`constructor`](docs/linking.html#constructor)
- [`addEventListener`](docs/linking.html#addeventlistener)
- [`removeEventListener`](docs/linking.html#removeeventlistener)
- [`openURL`](docs/linking.html#openurl)
- [`canOpenURL`](docs/linking.html#canopenurl)
- [`getInitialURL`](docs/linking.html#getinitialurl)




---

# Reference

## Methods

### `constructor()`

```javascript
constructor()
```



---

### `addEventListener()`

```javascript
addEventListener(type, handler)
```


Add a handler to Linking changes by listening to the `url` event type
and providing the handler




---

### `removeEventListener()`

```javascript
removeEventListener(type, handler)
```


Remove a handler by passing the `url` event type and the handler




---

### `openURL()`

```javascript
openURL(url)
```


Try to open the given `url` with any of the installed apps.

You can use other URLs, like a location (e.g. "geo:37.484847,-122.148386" on Android
or "http://maps.apple.com/?ll=37.484847,-122.148386" on iOS), a contact,
or any other URL that can be opened with the installed apps.

The method returns a `Promise` object. If the user confirms the open dialog or the
url automatically opens, the promise is resolved.  If the user cancels the open dialog
or there are no registered applications for the url, the promise is rejected.

> This method will fail if the system doesn't know how to open the specified URL. If you're passing in a non-http(s) URL, it's best to check {@code canOpenURL} first.

> For web URLs, the protocol ("http://", "https://") must be set accordingly!




---

### `canOpenURL()`

```javascript
canOpenURL(url)
```


Determine whether or not an installed app can handle a given URL.

> For web URLs, the protocol ("http://", "https://") must be set accordingly!

> As of iOS 9, your app needs to provide the `LSApplicationQueriesSchemes` key
inside `Info.plist` or canOpenURL will always return false.

**Parameters:**

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| - | - | - | - |
| url | string | Yes | The URL to open | 



---

### `getInitialURL()`

```javascript
getInitialURL()
```


If the app launch was triggered by an app link,
it will give the link url, otherwise it will give `null`

> To support deep linking on Android, refer http://developer.android.com/training/app-indexing/deep-linking.html#handling-intents