Apple Action Links | Yext Hitchhikers Platform
On an Apple Maps listing, there is a row of call-to-action buttons at the top called the Action Row. Each CTA in this row is an Action Link. Some of these links can be managed via Apple Business Connect, and thus through Yext. In this article we’ll review how these links work and what customization options are available.
Types of Action Links
Within the Action Row, there are three types of Action Links that are controllable:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Quick Link | Customizable button with a CTA type and app icon that links to a custom URL |
| App Clip | Customizable button that links to an Apple App Clip , a small part of an app |
| App Extension | Customizable button that links to an Apple App Extension , an extended piece of custom functionality that lives beyond an app |
App Clips and App Extensions are managed separately through Apple’s App SDK — this article will focus on Quick Links.
Action Link Schema and Display
An Action Link is made up of four components:
- CTA
- App Store URL
- Quick Link URL
- App Name (not displayed on Action Links)
CTA
Each Action Link has a CTA displayed on the button. For example, Turtlehead Tacos uses the Menu CTA:
Below is the list of CTA options available:
- Activities
- Amenities
- Availability
- Book
- Book (Hotel)
- Book Ride
- Book Tour
- Book Travel
- Careers
- Charge
- Check in
- Coupons
- Delivery (Restaurant)
- Delivery (Retail)
- Donate
- Events
- Flight Status
- Gift Card
- Menu
- Order (Restaurant)
- Order (Retail)
- Parking
- Pickup (Restaurant)
- Pickup (Retail)
- Pricing
- Quote
- Reserve (Restaurant)
- Reserve (Parking)
- Schedule
- Services
- Shows
- Showtimes
- Sports
- Support
- Tee Time
- Tickets
- Waitlist
App Store URL
Each Action Link will also have an App Store URL. This URL is not where the user will be taken if they click the Action Link. Instead, this URL is used to fetch the app icon to display next to the CTA. For example, Turtlehead Tacos also uses the Order CTA and includes a link to the Yelp App Store URL. This allows Apple to display the Yelp logo on the Action Link next to Order.
Note: This field is optional for all delegated/linked accounts. Non-delegated accounts will need to fill out this field for their listings or the action link will not be sent to the publisher.
Quick Link URL
Each Action Link will also have a Quick Link URL. This URL is where the user will be taken if they click the Action Link. For example, the Eiffel Tower has a Quick Link URL of getyourguide.com where you can buy tickets:
Users can only provide one unique Quick Link URL per (App Store URL, CTA) combination. For example, it is not allowed to support two action links for an Order CTA that both lead to the business’ app.
App Name
The App Name sub-field is not displayed on Apple Listings and is only used to distinguish the call-to-action type when utilizing action links in Apple Showcase posts.
Action Links and Showcase Posting
For full details on how to leverage Call-To-Actions in Apple Showcase posts, visit the Apple Showcase posting reference documentataion.