Managing Link Component

Modified on Mon, 27 Oct at 5:34 AM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Appearance Settings
Configuration Settings
Browser Notes
Examples

The Link Component provides a way to display clickable links within an App. It can be used to navigate to web pages, open files, or trigger file downloads.

Appearance Settings

The Link Component includes standard appearance settings, such as size and position, visibility, background, text, padding, and others. For details on standard appearance settings, check the Altering the appearance of an App Studio Component article.

Configuration Settings

The following settings are available for the Link Component:

Setting	Description
Text	Define the text displayed as the link label. Can be a static value or an expression.
URL	Specify the target location for the link. Can be a direct URL (e.g., https://example.com), or a data expression that resolves to a URL or Base64-encoded file content. When used with the File content toggle, this value is converted into a Blob URL before rendering.
File content	Enable this toggle if the URL contains Base64-encoded file content. Enabled: The component processes the Base64 data and converts it into a Blob URL so that the browser can open or download it. Disabled: The link behaves as a regular hyperlink.
Download	Enable this toggle if you want the browser to download the file instead of opening it. Adds the download attribute to the link. Works for same-domain URLs or Blob URLs but may not apply to cross-domain links. Can be used independently of File content.
File name	Specify the name used when saving the file (available when Download is enabled). Accepts a static value (e.g., report.pdf), an expression (e.g., {{response.fileName}}), or can be left blank. If blank, the browser determines the name automatically. File extension handling may differ between browsers. For details, check the Browser Notes section.
Tooltip text	Provide a tooltip that appears when users hover over the link. Useful for adding context, file information, or usage notes. Supports static text or expressions.
Event handlers	Add new event handlers to execute specific logic when the link is clicked. For example, trigger a workflow, update a dataset, or log an event.

Browser Notes

Browser behavior for file handling and downloads can differ. The table below summarizes known variations between Chrome and Firefox when using the File content and Download options.

Behavior area	Chrome	Firefox
File extension handling	Accepts any file extension entered by the user, regardless of the actual file content.	Ignores the extension if it doesn’t match the file content.
File content behavior	Requires the File content toggle to be enabled to process Base64-encoded data. Otherwise, it opens a blank tab.	Automatically converts Base64 file content, even when File content is disabled.
File type behavior (open vs. download)	Generally consistent across file types.	Varies depending on file type. For example, PNG files download directly, while WEBP files may open in a new tab.

Examples

The examples below illustrate how the Link Component behaves under different configurations.

Browser-specific behavior is noted where applicable.

Example	Configuration	Expected Result
1. Open a static web link	URL: https://example.com/help File content: Off Download: Off	The link opens the specified web page in a new browser tab. This is standard behavior and works the same in all major browsers.
2. Open a Base64 file returned from an API	URL: {{response.fileData}} (Base64-encoded data) File content: On Download: Off	The Base64 data is converted into a Blob URL and opened in a new tab. Chrome: requires File content enabled. Firefox: may open Base64 files even if the toggle is off.
3. Download Base64 file content with a custom file name	URL: {{response.fileData}} File content: On Download: On File name: {{response.fileName}}	The file downloads using the provided name. Chrome: accepts any extension. Firefox: may override incorrect extensions or open some file types (e.g., .webp) in a tab.
4. Download a hosted file from the same domain	URL: /assets/files/report.pdf File content: Off Download: On File name: report.pdf	The file is downloaded instead of opened. Works consistently across browsers for same-domain assets.
5. Attempt to download a cross-domain file	URL: https://external-site.com/file.pdf File content: Off Download: On	The browser ignores the download instruction for cross-domain URLs and opens the file in a new tab instead.