In the world of application development, creating seamless and intuitive user experiences is paramount. Model-Driven Apps within Microsoft’s Power Platform provide a rich, customizable interface built on data models, giving organizations the ability to manage and interact with their business data efficiently. However, navigating through complex applications can sometimes become cumbersome, especially when there are multiple layers of information, forms, or views involved. Deep linking offers a solution by enabling users to directly access specific pages, records, or views within an app, bypassing the need for unnecessary clicks or navigation steps.
In this article, we’ll explore deep linking in Model-Driven Apps, how it enhances user experience, how to create deep links, and best practices for implementing this feature effectively within your applications.
1. What is Deep Linking?
A. Definition of Deep Linking
Deep linking refers to the ability to link directly to a specific page, view, or record within an application rather than just the homepage or entry point. In web-based applications, deep links point to specific content or functionality, allowing users to skip over introductory or navigational steps.
In the context of Model-Driven Apps in Microsoft Power Platform, deep linking allows users to access:
- A specific record, such as a customer or order, directly.
- A particular view of a dataset, such as a list of accounts filtered by a specific criterion.
- A form with pre-filled data, streamlining the user experience.
For instance, instead of directing a user to a general account page, a deep link can take the user directly to an Account record with all the necessary details displayed, saving time and reducing complexity.
B. Why Deep Linking Matters
Deep linking enhances user experience and increases productivity by:
- Streamlining navigation: By skipping intermediary steps, users can directly access the most relevant information or tasks, increasing efficiency.
- Simplifying workflows: Deep links help automate navigation in business processes. For instance, a deep link can automatically direct an employee to a case record with necessary details, so they can focus on resolution.
- Improving usability: For business users, deep links make it easier to find and interact with specific data, minimizing frustration and enhancing adoption.
- Sharing precise data: Deep links enable sharing of specific records with others, without requiring them to search for the data.
2. Deep Linking in Model-Driven Apps
A. How Deep Linking Works in Model-Driven Apps
Model-Driven Apps, built on Microsoft Dataverse (formerly known as the Common Data Service), offer a variety of entities, views, and forms that users interact with. Deep linking in these apps uses URLs that include parameters pointing directly to specific locations within the app. This allows users to land on specific records, forms, or views without needing to navigate through the app manually.
For example, in a Model-Driven App for a sales department, a user might receive a link that takes them directly to an Opportunity record, bypassing the list view and reducing navigation time.
The general structure of a deep link URL in Model-Driven Apps follows this pattern:
https://<environment>.crm.dynamics.com/main.aspx?appid=<app_id>&pagetype=entityrecord&etn=<entity_name>&id=<record_id>
appid: The app ID of the Model-Driven App.pagetype: Specifies the page type, in this case, it points to an entity record.etn: Specifies the entity name, such as “account”, “contact”, or “opportunity”.id: The unique identifier (GUID) of the record to be displayed.
This structure can be customized and extended to target different views, forms, or other data-specific pages.
B. Key Components of Deep Links in Model-Driven Apps
- Entity Name (
etn): The entity represents the type of data you want to access (for example,contact,account,case, etc.). Each entity has its own unique name that is used in the link. - Record ID (
id): This is the unique identifier (GUID) of a specific record. Every record in a Model-Driven App has a unique ID that can be used to access it directly. - App ID (
appid): The app ID links to the specific Model-Driven App. This ensures that the deep link targets the correct app and not just the general environment. - Page Type (
pagetype): Defines the type of page being opened. The most common page types includeentityrecordfor specific records andviewfor lists or views of records.
3. Creating Deep Links in Model-Driven Apps
Creating deep links within Model-Driven Apps is a simple but powerful process. Below are some of the ways you can create and customize deep links for specific scenarios.
A. Directly Linking to Entity Records
To create a deep link to a specific entity record, you need to know the entity name and the record ID. For example, to link directly to a specific Account record:
- Identify the App ID for the Model-Driven App.
- Retrieve the Record ID (GUID) of the entity record (e.g., an account).
- Use the following URL format:
https://<environment>.crm.dynamics.com/main.aspx?appid=<app_id>&pagetype=entityrecord&etn=account&id=<record_id>
In this example, account is the entity name, and <record_id> is the GUID of the account record you want to link to.
B. Linking to Specific Views
To link directly to a specific view of records, you need to know the view ID in addition to the app ID. This can be particularly useful when you want to direct users to a filtered list of records, such as “Open Opportunities” or “Active Accounts”.
- Identify the View ID for the specific view.
- Use the following URL format:
https://<environment>.crm.dynamics.com/main.aspx?appid=<app_id>&pagetype=entitylist&etn=opportunity&viewid=<view_id>
In this example, opportunity is the entity name, and <view_id> is the GUID of the view you want to show.
C. Linking to Forms with Pre-Filled Data
You can also create deep links to open a form with pre-filled data, which can be useful when a record needs to be created or edited. This involves appending parameters to the URL to pre-populate specific fields in a form.
For instance, if you want to open a new Opportunity form with a specific field (like a customer or contact) pre-filled:
https://<environment>.crm.dynamics.com/main.aspx?appid=<app_id>&pagetype=entityrecord&etn=opportunity&formid=<form_id>&etc=<entity_type_code>&id=<record_id>
You can use the etc parameter to specify the entity type, and pass the id parameter for pre-filling specific data.
4. Use Cases for Deep Linking
A. Automating Business Processes
Deep linking can be extremely helpful for automating business processes. For instance, a sales manager can receive a notification with a deep link to an Opportunity record that needs attention, helping them focus on high-priority tasks. Additionally, automated workflows or notifications could use deep links to drive users directly to specific actions, such as approving a request or resolving an issue.
B. Simplifying Customer Support
For customer support teams, deep linking can streamline how support tickets are handled. Support agents can be sent a link directly to a Case record with all the details pre-populated, saving time and avoiding the need to search for relevant tickets.
C. Streamlined Reporting
Deep links can also simplify the reporting process. Managers or executives can receive deep links to pre-filtered views of data, such as sales performance reports, making it easier for them to access and review the information they need without navigating through the entire application.
D. Directing Users to Important Actions
Deep links can guide users directly to specific forms, such as when a new lead needs to be added or when an opportunity needs updating. This improves data quality and consistency, as users are directed to the exact location where they need to perform tasks.
5. Best Practices for Implementing Deep Links
While deep linking provides significant benefits, it’s important to implement it carefully to ensure a smooth user experience.
A. User Permissions
Ensure that users have the appropriate permissions to access the records or views targeted by the deep link. If a user clicks on a deep link for a record they don’t have access to, they should receive a clear error message, rather than a frustrating empty page.
B. Maintain Context
When deep linking to records or views, maintain the user’s context. For example, if a user is navigating through a customer support case, ensure that clicking a deep link to a related record doesn’t disrupt the flow, causing them to lose track of their current task.
C. Use Descriptive URLs
While the deep link URLs can be long and complex, try to structure them in a way that is clear and descriptive. This not only helps with navigation but also aids in troubleshooting if there are any issues.
D. Document Deep Links for End Users
Provide clear instructions for end users about how to use and share deep links. For instance, help them understand how they can bookmark links or send them via email for quick access to specific records or views.