Google Play link formats

Google Play URLs and Android intents serve different purposes. Choose the format for your destination and test it inside the apps where you share it.

19 October 2026 · 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