Google Play link formats

Android's link formats are more flexible than Apple's, and the flexibility is what makes them survive in-app browsers.

6 August 2026 by PAD team

The web URL

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.example.app

The package name is the identifier. Everything else is optional. On a device with Play installed, this URL opens the Play app rather than the web page, because Play claims the domain as an App Link.

The market scheme

market://details?id=com.example.app

Opens Play directly, and does nothing at all on devices without it, which includes most desktop browsers and some regional Android builds. Useful as a second attempt, never as the only address.

The intent URL

The format worth knowing, because it names a target and carries its own fallback:

intent://details?id=com.example.app#Intent;scheme=market;
package=com.android.vending;
S.browser_fallback_url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.example.app;
end

If Play cannot handle it, the browser opens the fallback URL. This is the mechanism iOS lacks, and the reason store links rarely fail on Android even inside in-app browsers.

Attribution

The referrer parameter carries campaign data through the install and is delivered to your app on first launch. It must be URL encoded as a whole, since its value is itself a query string. Details in the install referrer write-up.

Regional notes

• Some devices ship without Play, where only the web URL is meaningful
• Huawei and other alternative stores need their own addresses entirely
• The hl parameter sets listing language and is worth setting for localized campaigns