Create Action Links in Apple Business Connect
Using the Apple Business Connect API, you can add standard Actions and Action Links for your customers.
As a Third-Party Partner or Enterprise company that has an app, if you would like to deliver action button experiences to Maps, you must follow these guidelines:
Customer experience
Customers must be able to take the specified Action—for example, an order—from the initial landing page.
If possible, don’t require the user to sign in to complete a task. If signing in reduces the number of necessary steps to complete a task or avoids filling out information, offer an option to signing in.
Location and Action information should be prepopulated.
Customers should be able to complete the Action without leaving the app, App Clip, or website.
Show at least one direct support option in the experience—like a phone number, email address, or Apple Messages for Business—so that customers can contact you.
Make it easy for customers to find, modify, or cancel a transaction.
Overall design
Experiences should provide real value and help customers accomplish tasks and must not be designed for marketing purposes.
Avoid using web views in your App Clip. Instead, use native components and frameworks to offer an app-quality experience. For more information, see App Clips on the Apple Developer website.
If you create experiences on behalf of businesses, make the branding of these businesses clearly visible. Third-party platforms should clearly state their name and brand and must never attempt to represent themselves as the local business. For more information, see Creating App Clips for businesses on the Apple Developer website.
Inclusive design gives more customers the opportunity to enjoy your experience by ensuring that everyone can use and understand it. Support the accessibility features, such as VoiceOver or Large Text Size. This allows customers to personalize the ways they interact with their devices. For more information, see Accessibility on the Apple Developer website.
Data quality
If an Action becomes unavailable for a particular business—for example, when a business leaves your platform—remove the link as soon as possible and no later than within 3 business days.
If you display dynamic data—for example, availability or pricing information—make sure it’s always accurate and up to date.
If you display inventory information that a merchant makes available elsewhere—for example, open appointments, menu items, or goods—make sure the information you display is complete and offers no less than is available on other platforms.
Use URLs that match your domain or that of the business you represent. Don’t use URL redirects.
Privacy
Personal data, such as contact information, should be collected only after a customer has completed an Action (added items to cart, selected an appointment time).
Only request and use the minimum amount of customer or device data for the minimum amount of time needed to accomplish a given task, and provide complete information to customers about how their data may be used. Don’t seek access to—or collect—data for unnecessary or nonobvious reasons, or because you think it might be useful later.
Individual customers shouldn’t be tagged as having originated from Apple Maps.
Don’t send marketing information to—or retarget—customers who fail to complete an Action, even if they provided contact information.
Select the most relevant options to drive the intended interactions with customers, including, but not limited to, those in the table below.
Action | Description | Link | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Add Photos | This button appears and, when tapped, adds the photo a customer selected to their Photos app. | ||||||||||
Add to Favorites | This button appears and, when tapped, adds the specified location to the customer’s Favorites. | ||||||||||
Add to Guide | This button appears and, when tapped, adds the specified location to the customer’s My Guides. | ||||||||||
Book Now | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Buy Gift Card | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Call Now | A Call button appears for the specified location and prompts the customer to call it. | ||||||||||
Check Availability | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Check in Now | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Find Parking | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Get Directions | A Directions button appears and, when tapped, provides driving, walking, transit, cycle, and rideshare directions to the specified location’s address. | Use Siri, Maps, and the Maps widget to get directions on iPhone | |||||||||
Get Tickets | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Join Waitlist | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Make an Appointment | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Message Us | This button opens the Apple Messages app to start a business conversation. Note: Requires that your company use the Apple Messages for Business service. | ||||||||||
Order Now | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Order Delivery | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Order Pickup | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Rate Us | The Rate this Place button appears and, when tapped, the customer can rate the following for the specified location: Overall rating, Food & Drink, Customer Service, and Atmosphere. | ||||||||||
Reserve Now | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Reserve a Room | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Save as Contact | Saves the specified location in the Contacts app on the customer’s device. | ||||||||||
See our Menu | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
See Pricing | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
See Showtimes | This button opens the Universal Link registered for the specified location. | ||||||||||
Share this Place | A Share button appears and, when tapped, opens the share sheet so the customer can share the specified location information through the standard share methods, such as AirDrop, Messages, Mail, and more. | ||||||||||
Website | A Website button appears and, when tapped, opens the website of the business or the specified location in the customer’s preferred web browser. |