The plain link and the deep link
Every bot has a plain link: t.me followed by the bot's username. Tapping it opens the chat, and the user sees the Start button. A deep link adds a parameter to that link. The bot receives the parameter, so it knows where the user came from or what they wanted.
The start parameter
A link ending in ?start= followed by a short code opens the chat with the bot. When the user presses Start, the bot receives the /start command together with that code. Bots use it for referral codes, for tracking which post brought a user, or for opening a specific product. The code can use letters, numbers, underscores and hyphens, and it is kept short.
The startapp parameter
A link ending in ?startapp= opens the bot's Mini App straight away, without the user pressing Start first. The Mini App receives the parameter and can open the right page. For a shop, this is the difference between "open the chat, then find the shop button" and "you are in the shop".
How shops use deep links
- Channel posts: a button under a product post that opens the shop on that product.
- Bio and profile links: one tap from a profile into the storefront.
- Campaign tracking: different codes for different posts, to see which one brings buyers.
- Referrals: a personal code for each customer who brings a friend.
A BotLaunch storefront opens inside Telegram from your bot, so the same link pattern applies: share a link that opens the Mini App and the buyer lands in the shop.
Related terms
/start: the first command a user sends to a bot, which a deep link can carry a parameter with. Mini App: a web app that opens inside Telegram. Bot username: the name after t.me that every link points to.