The DEVONtechnologies Blog
Understanding URL Schemes
We are all familiar with links to our favorite websites. Also known as a URL (uniform resource locators), they point to a specific site, e.g., devontechnologies.com. But URLs are not only used for web pages in a web browser. There are other specialized links that can be used with other applications.
The first part of the URL, the “scheme”, defines which app handles the URL. Links to websites begin with https: and your web browser handles them. But there are many more. For example, mailto: followed by an email address will create a new email in your default email application, e.g., mailto:happypuppy@dogs.com. You can also start a FaceTime audio call using the facetime-audio: URL scheme followed by the phone number. An online search for macos url schemes will yield some interesting and surprising results.
Some applications also have their own URL schemes, including ours. For example, our URLs for item links begin with x-devonthink-item:. DEVONthink and DEVONthink To Go use it to, e.g., link to specific items in our ecosystem. Select an item in DEVONthink or DEVONthink To Go, then choose Edit > Copy Item Link or choose the command from the context menu. Paste that link into an application that accepts URLs, including Safari’s address bar or perhaps a task in your task manager.
When you now click or tap that link, the system activates our application which in turn selects the linked item. The link can also be used in launcher applications, e.g., Raycast, and documents supporting hyperlinks, like Word, rich text, or Markdown. Imagine using an item link for the Today global smart group or an often-used database or document.
Our item links also understand several additional parameters, e.g., to reveal the linked item instead of open it. You can read more about these in the Automation > Item Links and Automation > URL Commands section of DEVONthink’s help or user handbook. And check your other apps to see if they support custom URL schemes too!