# About deep linking

Deep linking allows users to construct URLs that take them from an external site to a target page in the Discovery Framework. In effect, these URLs act as external bookmarks to the Discovery Framework.

Pages targeted by deep linking inbound portal URLs must already exist within the Discovery Framework, and contain zero or more Endeca components bound to one or more data sources. The URLs encode the data source filter state for any or all of the data sources defined in the application. Any query filter supported by the data source JSON files is supported in the URL. Navigation by dimension values is also supported.

Users construct these URLs based on a query URL template, which define filters for a number of data sources for that user request.

Note: Only attribute keys (not display names) will work in deep links. Any deep link created using display names will fail.