Protocol handler?
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@tchambers @julian @silverpill I put together a prototype, using web+ap.
Here’s a video demo - https://peertube.wtf/w/r8M4KpS6yLd9H2r2oPAs9M
The workflow is a wee bit clunky, with the browser popping up things more than I'd like, but it works.
[rimu@mastodon.nzoss.nz](https://community.nodebb.org/user/rimu%40mastodon.nzoss.nz) what happens if a browser that doesn't understand protocol handlers encounters this scheme? -
@julian I write about this here: near zero mobile browser support but strong desktop browser support- and I suggest a JavaScript fallback for the others …. https://www.timothychambers.net/2025/06/24/the-seven-deadly-fediverse-ux.html
@tchambers@indieweb.social @julian@community.nodebb.org You're absolutely right about the mobile browsers sadly, but support on mobile apps is good. The UX there is better than it is on desktop browsers too, because it can be registered in the app manifest and doesn't require complicated approval and handler selection flows. People are also more familiar with links that look a certain way opening in their related app, it's just that they expect the behavior at the host level instead of the protocol level.
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@tchambers @julian @silverpill I put together a prototype, using web+ap.
Here’s a video demo - https://peertube.wtf/w/r8M4KpS6yLd9H2r2oPAs9M
The workflow is a wee bit clunky, with the browser popping up things more than I'd like, but it works.
This is so great, I feel like whenever this idea comes up it's just so difficult to explain to people what it would feel like to use. (and why it's helpful!)
You talked about changing the address yourself in the browser bar which is already easier than loading up your home server and going through the step to lookup. For me what excited me about this idea was that people could be displaying the links in pages. You often see it with a socials section at the bottom of someone's blog, they link to their profile on their server when what I want them to link to is their profile with the web+ap protocol.
But this leads to another big UX problem, the links are useless if you don't have a handler registered. There is no fallback mechanism your browser will just ask you what you want to open it with and have an empty list of suggestions. So I think it would need to have a recognizable way to be communicated to the user, a consistent icon for the link and a memorable name because only people who knew they set up a handler would want them.
@rimu@mastodon.nzoss.nz @tchambers@indieweb.social @julian@community.nodebb.org @silverpill@mitra.social -
This is so great, I feel like whenever this idea comes up it's just so difficult to explain to people what it would feel like to use. (and why it's helpful!)
You talked about changing the address yourself in the browser bar which is already easier than loading up your home server and going through the step to lookup. For me what excited me about this idea was that people could be displaying the links in pages. You often see it with a socials section at the bottom of someone's blog, they link to their profile on their server when what I want them to link to is their profile with the web+ap protocol.
But this leads to another big UX problem, the links are useless if you don't have a handler registered. There is no fallback mechanism your browser will just ask you what you want to open it with and have an empty list of suggestions. So I think it would need to have a recognizable way to be communicated to the user, a consistent icon for the link and a memorable name because only people who knew they set up a handler would want them.
@rimu@mastodon.nzoss.nz @tchambers@indieweb.social @julian@community.nodebb.org @silverpill@mitra.social[smitten_@key.portend.place](https://community.nodebb.org/user/smitten_%40key.portend.place) might I suggest appropriating the ActivityPub logo? For lack of a better option. There's the "networked nodes" fediverse logo but it really loses its effect when made small. -
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@tchambers @julian @silverpill I put together a prototype, using web+ap.
Here’s a video demo - https://peertube.wtf/w/r8M4KpS6yLd9H2r2oPAs9M
The workflow is a wee bit clunky, with the browser popping up things more than I'd like, but it works.
There are quite a few dialogues, yes... but once the initial setup is done it looks alright. Curious... because when I open magnet:// links, there's no confirmation on subsequent links once I've done the initial handler assignment. It looks to be something reserved for `web+` handlers, which is a little annoying, isn't it. -
@tchambers @julian Yep I will be keen on that if the feature gains any traction. I recall seeing some JS on your blog which looks like it'd do the trick.
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I'm going to register a protocol handler, so links to anywhere on the fedi will be opened in the user's home instance. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Navigator/registerProtocolHandler Has anyone already done this and if so what was the prefix you used? We might as well all use the same thing. I'm thinking `web+fedi`.
