Deep Linking and Mobile SEO Glossary
Plain definitions of the 25 terms used across the guides and notes, each linked to the page that explains it in full.
- AdAttributionKit
- Apple's framework for measuring ad-driven installs and re-engagement with signed postbacks that carry no user or device-specific data. See Privacy-Aware Web-to-App Measurement
- Alternate mode
- A query string on an associated domain entitlement, such as ?mode=developer, that lets a development build fetch the association file directly instead of through Apple's content delivery network. See Apple App Site Association (AASA) File: Hosting and Components
- Android App Links
- HTTP or HTTPS links that Android has verified as belonging to an app, so the system opens the app directly instead of showing a chooser. Verification depends on a Digital Asset Links file on each host. See A Practical Guide to Android App Links for Casino Brands
- AO (Adult Only) rating
- The content rating Google Play requires for real-money gambling apps, or the equivalent rating from the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC). See Google Play and App Store Rules for Gambling Apps
- App Tracking Transparency (ATT)
- Apple's framework for asking permission to access app-related data that can track a user or device. The system remembers the answer and does not ask again unless the app is reinstalled. See Privacy-Aware Web-to-App Measurement
- apple-app-site-association (AASA)
- The JSON file, without a file extension, served at /.well-known/apple-app-site-association over HTTPS with no redirects. It lists the app identifiers and URL components an app may handle. See Apple App Site Association (AASA) File: Hosting and Components
- assetlinks.json
- The Digital Asset Links file served at /.well-known/assetlinks.json. It names the Android package and the SHA-256 fingerprints of the signing certificates allowed to handle links for that host. See Digital Asset Links File: Hosting and Fields
- Associated Domains
- The Apple entitlement and capability that pairs an app with domains, for services such as applinks, webcredentials and appclips. Each subdomain needs its own entry and its own association file. See Apple App Site Association (AASA) File: Hosting and Components
- autoVerify
- The android:autoVerify="true" attribute on an intent filter. It asks Android to verify the hosts in the app's web intent filters when the app is installed. See A Practical Guide to Android App Links for Casino Brands
- Custom URL scheme
- A link such as example:// that opens an app registered for that scheme. Any app can register the same scheme, so it cannot prove which app should receive the link. See Deep Link Security and Safe Redirects
- Deferred deep link
- A route that tries to carry the original destination through an app install so the app opens the intended screen on first launch. It depends on extra data, such as an install referrer, and is never guaranteed. See Routing Is Not Attribution
- Disambiguation dialog
- The Android chooser that asks which app should open a link. Unverified web links usually lead to it or to the default browser; verified App Links skip it. See Why a Link Opens the Browser Instead of the App
- Dynamic App Link rules
- Path, query and fragment rules placed in assetlinks.json under relation_extensions. Android 15 and later, on devices with Google services, read them; earlier versions ignore them. See Digital Asset Links File: Hosting and Fields
- Fallback URL
- The web address a visitor reaches when the app route cannot complete, for example because the app is not installed or the link was opened in a context that keeps it in the browser. See Web-to-App Fallbacks When the App Is Not Installed
- Geo-restriction
- Blocking access from places where an operator is not licensed. Both Google Play and Apple require real-money gambling apps to restrict use to licensed locations. See Google Play and App Store Rules for Gambling Apps
- Intent filter
- A manifest element that tells Android which links or actions an activity can handle. A web link filter needs the VIEW action, the DEFAULT and BROWSABLE categories and a data element with a scheme and host. See A Practical Guide to Android App Links for Casino Brands
- Intent URL
- A Chrome on Android link in the form intent://...#Intent;...;end that names a package and scheme and can carry an S.browser_fallback_url to use when no app handles it. See Web-to-App Fallbacks When the App Is Not Installed
- Intrusive interstitial
- An overlay that blocks the page content, usually for promotion. Google's guidance covers app install prompts and exempts mandatory interstitials such as an age gate. See App Install Banners Without Intrusive Interstitials
- Mobile-first indexing
- Google's use of the mobile version of a page, crawled with its smartphone agent, for indexing and ranking. See Mobile-First Indexing Explained for Casino Websites
- Open redirect
- A flaw where an application sends people to a destination taken from untrusted input, which attackers can use to forward visitors to harmful sites. See Deep Link Security and Safe Redirects
- Play App Signing
- The Google Play service that signs releases with a key Google manages. When it is used, assetlinks.json must carry the fingerprint of that Play signing key, not only the upload key. See Digital Asset Links File: Hosting and Fields
- Play Install Referrer
- A Google Play API that returns the referrer URL of an installed package and the click and install timestamps, for apps distributed through Play. See Privacy-Aware Web-to-App Measurement
- SHA-256 certificate fingerprint
- The colon-separated hash of an app signing certificate. Android's troubleshooting guide asks for it in upper case in assetlinks.json. See Digital Asset Links File: Hosting and Fields
- Universal Links
- Apple's name for standard HTTP or HTTPS links that open an installed app in a specific context. If the app is not installed, the same URL opens in the default browser. See iOS Universal Links Setup Guide