# Deep Links

Deep links are URLs that point to a specific location inside an IDA database. They use the custom `ida://` scheme and can be:

* **copied to the clipboard** from any list or code view in IDA,
* **pasted into chat, tickets, mail, or browser** so a teammate can click through and land at the exact same place,
* **followed from anywhere on your system** — clicking an `ida://` link in a browser launches IDA (or jumps to an already-running instance) on the right database, at the right address, in the right view,
* **generated and consumed programmatically** from IDAPython or C/C++ plugins.

A deep link identifies:

* the **source** the database lives in (a named directory of IDBs, optional),
* the **database** the link refers to (by file name, optional),
* the **resource** to navigate to (a function, an address, a string, a type, …),
* the exact **target** within that resource (typically an RVA or an EA, or a name for types),
* and, optionally, the **view** in which to display it (disassembly, pseudocode, hex dump, graph, …).

## How it fits together

There are two halves to the system. They are useful independently, but they combine to make `ida://` links a first-class navigation mechanism across IDA, the operating system, and your team.

### Inside IDA

The IDA Pro GUI generates and consumes `ida://` URLs natively:

* [**Copy link**](/9.4/ida-actions/copylink.md) (action from contextual menu) on any list or code view produces a deep link to the current selection.
* **Jump →** [**Jump to link…**](/9.4/ida-actions/jumpidalink.md) asks for an `ida://` URL and navigates to it.
* The `open_ida_link()` API (C/C++ and IDAPython) lets plugins and scripts perform the same navigation programmatically.

Inside one IDA instance, this works without any extra setup.

### Across processes — HCLI

When you click an `ida://` link in a *different* application (a browser, a chat client, a ticket), the OS needs to know who handles the `ida` scheme. That role is filled by **HCLI**, the Hex-Rays command-line companion tool ([Learn more about HCLI](https://hcli.docs.hex-rays.com/)).

Once `hcli ida protocol register` has been run, every `ida://` link clicked anywhere on the system goes through `hcli`, which then:

1. Connects to a small **IPC server** that runs in every IDA 9.4+ instance (over Unix sockets on Linux/macOS and named pipes on Windows). Each instance advertises which IDB it has open.
2. **Discovers running instances** and finds one whose IDB matches the link. If it does, the link is forwarded into that instance via IPC and the navigation happens in place — no new window.
3. If no instance has the IDB, **launches IDA** with the right IDB file, then waits for auto-analysis and forwards the link.

This is the part that makes deep links shareable across machines, teams, and external tools — not just inside one IDA window.

## URL format

```
ida://<source>/<idb-name>/<resource>?<params>
```

| Component  | Meaning                                                                                   |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `source`   | Optional. A named source registered with `hcli` (see below). Empty for the local machine. |
| `idb-name` | The basename of the database file (e.g. `myfile.i64`). Optional in some forms.            |
| `resource` | One of the resource names from the table below.                                           |
| `params`   | A standard URL query string (`?key=value&key=value`).                                     |

The accepted forms are:

| Form                                                       | Meaning                                                                               |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `ida:///<resource>?…`                                      | "Whichever IDA is open." Routed to the only running instance with an IDB loaded.      |
| `ida:///<idb-name>/<resource>?…`                           | Specific IDB by name. `hcli` searches all configured sources (and running instances). |
| `ida://<source>/<idb-name>/<resource>?…`                   | Specific IDB inside a named source. `hcli` resolves the source to a directory.        |
| `ida://<host[:port]>/api/v1/buckets/<bucket>/assets/<key>` | A Knowledge Exchange link. `hcli` downloads the asset and opens it.                   |

`hcli` accepts the special source name **`localhost`** to mean "search the local machine, but write the URL in the absolute (non-relative) form" — useful when an embedding context dislikes the `ida:///` triple-slash.

When an `ida://` link is *handled inside a running IDA instance* and an `idb-name` is present that does not match the open database, IDA prints a warning to the *Output* window but still attempts the navigation.

## Query parameters

| Parameter | Used by                      | Description                                                       |
| --------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `rva`     | All resources except `types` | Target address as relative virtual address (image-base relative). |
| `ea`      | All resources except `types` | Target address as absolute effective address.                     |
| `name`    | `types`                      | Type name.                                                        |
| `view`    | All resources                | Selects which view to open (see [Views](#views)).                 |

`ea` and `rva` are mutually exclusive. **`rva` is the recommended form for shareable links** because it is independent of ASLR and rebasing — the same RVA resolves correctly on a teammate's machine even if the binary loaded at a different base address.

Numbers may be written in decimal or hexadecimal (`0x` prefix).

## Resources

| Resource    | Refers to                                 | Required key |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------- | ------------ |
| `functions` | A function (resolved by start address).   | `rva`/`ea`   |
| `addresses` | Any mapped address.                       | `rva`/`ea`   |
| `strings`   | A string literal at the given address.    | `rva`/`ea`   |
| `segments`  | The segment containing the given address. | `rva`/`ea`   |
| `names`     | A named location.                         | `rva`/`ea`   |
| `imports`   | An import entry.                          | `rva`/`ea`   |
| `exports`   | An export entry point.                    | `rva`/`ea`   |
| `types`     | A local type by name.                     | `name`       |
| `bookmarks` | A bookmarked address.                     | `rva`/`ea`   |

If the resource cannot be resolved (e.g. `functions?rva=…` pointing outside any function, or `types?name=…` referring to an unknown type), the link is reported as invalid in the *Output* window and no navigation happens.

## Views

The optional `view` parameter chooses which window IDA should open or focus when navigating. Each resource has a default view, listed below.

| View name    | Target window               |
| ------------ | --------------------------- |
| `disasm`     | Disassembly (flat listing). |
| `graph`      | Disassembly (graph mode).   |
| `pseudocode` | Decompiler pseudocode.      |
| `hexdump`    | Hex dump.                   |
| `functions`  | Functions list.             |
| `segments`   | Segments list.              |
| `names`      | Names list.                 |
| `imports`    | Imports list.               |
| `exports`    | Exports list.               |
| `strings`    | Strings list.               |
| `types`      | Local Types.                |
| `bookmarks`  | Bookmarks list.             |

Not every view is meaningful for every resource. The compatibility table below reflects the validation IDA performs:

| Resource    | Default view | Allowed views                                           |
| ----------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| `functions` | `functions`  | `disasm`, `graph`, `hexdump`, `pseudocode`, `functions` |
| `addresses` | `disasm`     | `disasm`, `hexdump`                                     |
| `strings`   | `strings`    | `disasm`, `hexdump`, `strings`                          |
| `segments`  | `segments`   | `disasm`, `hexdump`, `segments`                         |
| `names`     | `names`      | `disasm`, `hexdump`, `names`                            |
| `imports`   | `imports`    | `disasm`, `hexdump`, `imports`                          |
| `exports`   | `exports`    | `disasm`, `hexdump`, `exports`                          |
| `types`     | `types`      | `types`                                                 |
| `bookmarks` | `disasm`     | `disasm`, `graph`, `hexdump`, `pseudocode`, `bookmarks` |

If `view` is omitted, IDA uses the default view for the resource. If `view` is incompatible with the resource, the link is rejected with an error message that lists the allowed views.

## Examples

```
# Inside one IDA instance: jump from script or "Jump to link…"
ida:///functions?rva=0x1240
ida:///functions?rva=0x1240&view=pseudocode
ida:///addresses?ea=0x401000
ida:///myfile.i64/strings?rva=0x21a0
ida:///types?name=MyStruct
ida:///bookmarks?rva=0x1240&view=graph

# Routed through hcli — uses a named source registered on the recipient's machine
ida://malware-samples/trojan1.i64/functions?rva=0x1000
ida://malware-samples/trojan1.i64/functions?rva=0x1000&view=pseudocode

# Knowledge Exchange — hcli downloads the asset before opening it
ida://ke.example.com/api/v1/buckets/mybucket/assets/mykey
```

## What's next?

For a practical tutorial covering typical use cases, such as copying your links, configuring HCLI for system-wide handling, or generating links from a script — see [Using Deep Links](/9.4/core/user-interface/how-tos/using-deep-links.md).


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