How do I troubleshoot deep links in push notifications that aren't navigating correctly?

Troubleshooting deep link issues often involves checking both the configuration in Pushwoosh and the handling logic within your application, especially if you have custom navigation or data processing.

Here’s a checklist to help diagnose the problem:

1. Verify Deep Link Format: Ensure the link you are sending follows a standard URL structure that your app is configured to handle (e.g., yourappscheme://path/to/content?param=value). Complex structures or non-standard formats might cause issues.

2. Check Payload Configuration:

   • When sending a deep link, ensure you are placing the URL string in the correct field, typically associated with the 'l' key in the underlying payload.
   • If you are sending navigation instructions or parameters as structured data, use the Custom Data field, which corresponds to the 'u' key in the payload (typically containing a JSON string).

3. Verify App-Side Data Retrieval: Confirm that your application code correctly listens for push notification events (like when a push is opened) and successfully retrieves the payload, including the deep link ('l') or custom data ('u').

4. Debug Application Logic (Crucial Step):

   • Custom Handlers: If your app intercepts the standard push open behavior to perform custom actions (like checking login status, injecting data, modifying app state before navigation), this custom logic is the most common source of issues. Debug this code thoroughly.
   • App State: Test the deep link behavior when the app is in different states: foreground, background, and closed (killed). Custom logic needs to handle all these scenarios correctly.
   • Login Flow: If the deep link destination requires login, ensure your app's logic correctly handles the redirection after login, using the originally intended deep link information.
   • Parsing: Double-check that your app correctly parses the data received from the 'l' (link string) or 'u' (custom data JSON string) fields.

5. Consider Using Custom Data for Navigation: If you have complex pre-navigation logic, consider sending all necessary navigation parameters and instructions within the Custom Data field ('u') as a JSON object. Your app can then parse this object and execute the navigation based on your custom rules. This might be simpler to manage within your app than parsing complex URL strings.

6. Consult Documentation: Review the Pushwoosh Deep Linking documentation for standard implementation details.

Note: Pushwoosh delivers the payload containing the link or custom data to the device. How your application interprets and acts upon that payload, especially with custom logic involved, needs to be verified and debugged within your application's codebase.