Associated Domain Files

Serving

• Must be served over HTTPS (custom root certificates for signing are NOT supported)
• Must be served from the URL https://example.com/.well-known/apple-app-site-association
  • Other paths are deprecated
• Must be served with the MIME type application/json

AASA File Format

{
  "applinks": {
    "apps": [], // deprecated from iOS 13 onwards, can be removed unless supporting iOS 12 or earlier
    "details": [
      {
        "appID": "LD8BK6HF3P.com.themarket.cordova",
        "paths": []
      },
      { // the details array can hold multiple apps
        "appID": "LD8BK6HF3P.other.themarket.cordova",
        "paths": []
      },
			// If you are targetting iOS 13+, you can use 'appIDs' to skip duplication 
			// If you support iOS 12, keep using the duplicated format as shown above 
      { 
        "appIDs": ["LD8BK6HF3P.app.themarket.cordova", "LD8BK6HF3P.app-test.themarket.cordova"],
        "paths": []
      },
    ]
  }
}

When are they downloaded?

• When the app is installed, the OS checks the associated domains, and then downloads the app association file.

  • Starting with iOS 14, the OS will contact an Apple CDN which will deliver these files on behalf of the developer
  • They are also periodically downloaded (when? who knows)

• If there are multiple domains, the files will be downloaded in priority order (.com, .org, .net, and country level TLDs are downloaded before more obscure TLDs)

• To bypass the CDN in the case of needing to access an internal network, you can turn on developer mode

  

  An overview of the different modes that the OS can use when fetching AASA files

Associating domains with your app

• Apple Docs info on adding associated domain entitlements to the app
• Add the Associated Domains entitlement to the app in XCode