Absolutely, this is totally doable with iOS Universal Links! Let me walk you through exactly how to configure everything to match your needs:

1. Configure the apple-app-site-association File #

This is the backbone of Universal Links. You'll need to define path rules that exclude the root domain but include all other paths. Here's what the file should look like:

{
  "applinks": {
    "apps": [],
    "details": [
      {
        "appID": "YOUR_TEAM_ID.YOUR_BUNDLE_ID",
        "paths": [ "NOT /", "/*" ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

• NOT /: This rule tells iOS that the root URL (mydomain.com/) should not trigger your app—so it'll always open in Safari instead.
• /*: This catches all other paths (like mydomain.com/sometext, mydomain.com/anotherpath, etc.) and tells iOS to attempt to open your app if it's installed.

2. iOS App Configuration #

• Open your Xcode project, go to your target's Signing & Capabilities tab.
• Add the Associated Domains capability, then add a domain entry in the format: applinks:mydomain.com (replace with your actual domain).
• Double-check that your Team ID and Bundle ID in the apple-app-site-association file match exactly what's in Xcode.

3. Web Server & Fallback Handling #

• Host the apple-app-site-association file at either https://mydomain.com/apple-app-site-association or https://mydomain.com/.well-known/apple-app-site-association. Make sure the file has no file extension and that your server returns it with a Content-Type: application/json header.
• For paths that should open the app (if installed), set up a fallback on your web server: if iOS doesn't launch the app (meaning it's not installed), the link should load the corresponding web page content instead. Most server-side frameworks or static site hosts let you handle this easily.

Quick Testing Tips #

• Test on a real iOS device (simulators can have inconsistent Universal Links behavior).
• Avoid tapping links directly in Messages or Mail during initial testing—use a Notes app link or a web page link instead, since some apps override link handling.
• You can use Apple's built-in validation tool to verify your apple-app-site-association file is set up correctly.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Baldoph