- Implementing Routing and Deep Linking
- Contents
- Core Concepts
- Workflow: Initializing the Application and Router
- Workflow: Configuring Platform Deep Linking
- Workflow: Implementing Nested Navigation
- Examples
- Core Concepts
- Use the
- go_router
- package for declarative routing in Flutter. It provides a robust API for complex routing scenarios, deep linking, and nested navigation.
- GoRouter
-
- The central configuration object defining the application's route tree.
- GoRoute
-
- A standard route mapping a URL path to a Flutter screen.
- ShellRoute / StatefulShellRoute
-
- Wraps child routes in a persistent UI shell (e.g., a
- BottomNavigationBar
- ).
- StatefulShellRoute
- maintains the state of parallel navigation branches.
- Path URL Strategy
- Removes the default
- fragment from web URLs, essential for clean deep linking across platforms.
- Workflow: Initializing the Application and Router
- Follow this workflow to bootstrap a new Flutter application with
- go_router
- and configure the root routing mechanism.
- Task Progress
- Create the Flutter application.
- Add the
- go_router
- dependency.
- Configure the URL strategy for web/deep linking.
- Implement the
- GoRouter
- configuration.
- Bind the router to
- MaterialApp.router
- .
- 1. Scaffold the Application
- Run the following commands to create the app and add the required routing package:
- flutter create
- <
- app-name
- >
- cd
- <
- app-name
- >
- flutter pub
- add
- go_router
- 2. Configure the Router
- Define a top-level
- GoRouter
- instance. Handle authentication or state-based routing using the
- redirect
- parameter.
- import
- 'package:flutter/material.dart'
- ;
- import
- 'package:go_router/go_router.dart'
- ;
- import
- 'package:flutter_web_plugins/url_strategy.dart'
- ;
- void
- main
- (
- )
- {
- // Use path URL strategy to remove the '#' from web URLs
- usePathUrlStrategy
- (
- )
- ;
- runApp
- (
- const
- MyApp
- (
- )
- )
- ;
- }
- final
- GoRouter
- _router
- =
- GoRouter
- (
- initialLocation
- :
- '/'
- ,
- routes
- :
- [
- GoRoute
- (
- path
- :
- '/'
- ,
- builder
- :
- (
- context
- ,
- state
- )
- =
- >
- const
- HomeScreen
- (
- )
- ,
- routes
- :
- [
- GoRoute
- (
- path
- :
- 'details/:id'
- ,
- builder
- :
- (
- context
- ,
- state
- )
- =
- >
- DetailsScreen
- (
- id
- :
- state
- .
- pathParameters
- [
- 'id'
- ]
- !
- )
- ,
- )
- ,
- ]
- ,
- )
- ,
- ]
- ,
- errorBuilder
- :
- (
- context
- ,
- state
- )
- =
- >
- ErrorScreen
- (
- error
- :
- state
- .
- error
- )
- ,
- )
- ;
- class
- MyApp
- extends
- StatelessWidget
- {
- const
- MyApp
- (
- {
- super
- .
- key
- }
- )
- ;
- @override
- Widget
- build
- (
- BuildContext
- context
- )
- {
- return
- MaterialApp
- .
- router
- (
- routerConfig
- :
- _router
- ,
- title
- :
- 'Routing App'
- ,
- )
- ;
- }
- }
- Workflow: Configuring Platform Deep Linking
- Configure the native platforms to intercept specific URLs and route them into the Flutter application.
- Task Progress
- Determine target platforms (iOS, Android, or both).
- Apply conditional configuration for Android (Manifest + Asset Links).
- Apply conditional configuration for iOS (Plist + Entitlements + AASA).
- Run validator -> review errors -> fix.
- If configuring for Android:
- Modify
- AndroidManifest.xml
-
- Add the intent filter inside the
- tag for
- .MainActivity
- .
- <
- intent-filter
- android:
- autoVerify
- =
- "
- true
- "
- >
- <
- action
- android:
- name
- =
- "
- android.intent.action.VIEW
- "
- />
- <
- category
- android:
- name
- =
- "
- android.intent.category.DEFAULT
- "
- />
- <
- category
- android:
- name
- =
- "
- android.intent.category.BROWSABLE
- "
- />
- <
- data
- android:
- scheme
- =
- "
- http
- "
- android:
- host
- =
- "
- yourdomain.com
- "
- />
- <
- data
- android:
- scheme
- =
- "
- https
- "
- />
- </
- intent-filter
- >
- Host
- assetlinks.json
-
- Serve the following JSON at
- https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/assetlinks.json
- .
- [
- {
- "relation"
- :
- [
- "delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls"
- ]
- ,
- "target"
- :
- {
- "namespace"
- :
- "android_app"
- ,
- "package_name"
- :
- "com.yourcompany.yourapp"
- ,
- "sha256_cert_fingerprints"
- :
- [
- "YOUR_SHA256_FINGERPRINT"
- ]
- }
- }
- ]
- If configuring for iOS:
- Modify
- Info.plist
-
- Opt-in to Flutter's default deep link handler.
- Note: If using a third-party deep linking plugin (e.g.,
- app_links
- ), set this to
- NO
- to prevent conflicts.
- <
- key
- >
- FlutterDeepLinkingEnabled
- </
- key
- >
- <
- true
- />
- Modify
- Runner.entitlements
-
- Add the associated domain.
- <
- key
- >
- com.apple.developer.associated-domains
- </
- key
- >
- <
- array
- >
- <
- string
- >
- applinks:yourdomain.com
- </
- string
- >
- </
- array
- >
- Host
- apple-app-site-association
-
- Serve the following JSON (without a
- .json
- extension) at
- https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/apple-app-site-association
- .
- {
- "applinks"
- :
- {
- "apps"
- :
- [
- ]
- ,
- "details"
- :
- [
- {
- "appIDs"
- :
- [
- "TEAM_ID.com.yourcompany.yourapp"
- ]
- ,
- "paths"
- :
- [
- "*"
- ]
- ,
- "components"
- :
- [
- {
- "/"
- :
- "/*"
- }
- ]
- }
- ]
- }
- }
- Validation Loop
- Run validator -> review errors -> fix.
- Android
-
- Test using ADB.
- adb shell
- 'am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -c android.intent.category.BROWSABLE -d "https://yourdomain.com/details/123"'
- com.yourcompany.yourapp
- iOS
- Test using
xcrun
on a booted simulator.
xcrun simctl openurl booted https://yourdomain.com/details/123
Workflow: Implementing Nested Navigation
Use
StatefulShellRoute
to implement persistent UI shells (like a bottom navigation bar) that maintain the state of their child routes.
Task Progress
Define
StatefulShellRoute.indexedStack
in the
GoRouter
configuration.
Create
StatefulShellBranch
instances for each navigation tab.
Implement the shell widget using
StatefulNavigationShell
.
final
GoRouter
_router
=
GoRouter
(
initialLocation
:
'/home'
,
routes
:
[
StatefulShellRoute
.
indexedStack
(
builder
:
(
context
,
state
,
navigationShell
)
{
return
ScaffoldWithNavBar
(
navigationShell
:
navigationShell
)
;
}
,
branches
:
[
StatefulShellBranch
(
routes
:
[
GoRoute
(
path
:
'/home'
,
builder
:
(
context
,
state
)
=
const HomeScreen ( ) , ) , ] , ) , StatefulShellBranch ( routes : [ GoRoute ( path : '/settings' , builder : ( context , state ) =
const SettingsScreen ( ) , ) , ] , ) , ] , ) , ] , ) ; Examples High-Fidelity Shell Widget Implementation Implement the UI shell that consumes the StatefulNavigationShell to handle branch switching. class ScaffoldWithNavBar extends StatelessWidget { const ScaffoldWithNavBar ( { required this . navigationShell , super . key , } ) ; final StatefulNavigationShell navigationShell ; void _goBranch ( int index ) { navigationShell . goBranch ( index , // Support navigating to the initial location when tapping the active tab. initialLocation : index == navigationShell . currentIndex , ) ; } @override Widget build ( BuildContext context ) { return Scaffold ( body : navigationShell , bottomNavigationBar : NavigationBar ( selectedIndex : navigationShell . currentIndex , onDestinationSelected : _goBranch , destinations : const [ NavigationDestination ( icon : Icon ( Icons . home ) , label : 'Home' ) , NavigationDestination ( icon : Icon ( Icons . settings ) , label : 'Settings' ) , ] , ) , ) ; } } Programmatic Navigation Use the context.go() and context.push() extension methods provided by go_router . // Replaces the current route stack with the target route (Declarative) context . go ( '/details/123' ) ; // Pushes the target route onto the existing stack (Imperative) context . push ( '/details/123' ) ; // Navigates using a named route and path parameters context . goNamed ( 'details' , pathParameters : { 'id' : '123' } ) ; // Pops the current route context . pop ( ) ;