[$250] iOS - Onboarding task deeplinks used within the app redirect users to the web

[lanitochka17]

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Version Number: 9.0.14
Reproducible in staging?: Y
Reproducible in production?: N
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from TestRail: N/A
Issue reported by: Applause - Internal Team

Issue found when executing PR #46082

Action Performed:

1. Open the iOS app
2. Create a new account (please use a public domain)
3. In the onboarding modal, select "manage my team's expenses"
4. Go to Expensify chat to view the task checklist
5. Open a task that contains a deeplink (e.g., meet your setup specialist or set up categories)
6. Open the desired task and tap on the hyperlink present within the steps (e.g., #admins room if meeting your setup specialist, or Workspaces if setting up categories)

Expected Result:

Onboarding task deeplinks used within the app should redirect users to the correct screen within the app

Actual Result:

Onboarding task deeplinks used within the app redirect users to the web

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

Which of our officially supported platforms is this issue occurring on?

• Android: Native
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: Native
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari
• MacOS: Desktop

Screenshots/Videos

Add any screenshot/video evidence

Bug6556810_1722294279029.QA-build-web-redirection-9.0.14.mp4

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• nkdengineer | Contributor | 103652377

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @JmillsExpensify

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @arosiclair (DeployBlockerCash), see https://stackoverflowteams.com/c/expensify/questions/9980/ for more details.

[github-actions]

👋 Friendly reminder that deploy blockers are time-sensitive ⏱ issues! Check out the open `StagingDeployCash` deploy checklist to see the list of PRs included in this release, then work quickly to do one of the following:

1. Identify the pull request that introduced this issue and revert it.
2. Find someone who can quickly fix the issue.
3. Fix the issue yourself.

[nyomanjyotisa]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

Onboarding task deeplinks used within the app redirect users to the web

What is the root cause of that problem?

The links on onboarding tasks created here

App/src/libs/actions/Report.ts

Lines 3272 to 3273 in e81223b

	adminsRoomLink: `${CONFIG.EXPENSIFY.NEW_EXPENSIFY_URL}${ROUTES.REPORT_WITH_ID.getRoute(adminsChatReportID ?? '-1')}`,
	workspaceLink: `${CONFIG.EXPENSIFY.NEW_EXPENSIFY_URL}${ROUTES.WORKSPACE_INITIAL.getRoute(onboardingPolicyID ?? '-1')}`,

So if onboarding completed in production the links become https://new.expensify.com/...
if onboarding completed in staging the links become https://staging.new.expensify.com/...

If onboarding completed in production and link opened in staging we will encounter this issue

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Remove hasSameOrigin has origin from this condition

App/src/libs/actions/Link.ts

Line 145 in e81223b

if (internalNewExpensifyPath && hasSameOrigin) {

if (internalNewExpensifyPath) {

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

[arosiclair]

I reproduced on staging and not on production. It seems like there might be something wrong with our staging ENV for iOS since the link is generated in NewDot and it is using the prod URL. I'll try reproducing on Android to verify.

[arosiclair]

Not reproducible on Android staging v9.0.14.-3. I'm almost certain there's something going on with our staging .env

[arosiclair]

In these logs you can see we're sending Meet your setup specialist... text as a param with the prod link.

[arosiclair]

Okay this .env issue also affects Android so I no longer think that's the root problem.

From what I can see debugging on web, we render the link with the AnchorRenderer and we attempt to parse the link as an internal path here. The link should get parsed regardless of whether it's a prod/staging/dev link. However, Link.getInternalNewExpensifyPath is returning an empty string for the link https://new.expensify.com/r/7732527507011683 which is incorrect.

Fixing Link.getInternalNewExpensifyPath should fix the issue. This code hasn't been modified in many months, so this seems like an old problem that we're only noticing now. I'd say we should fix this but not continue blocking the deploy on it.

[arosiclair]

Easier repro steps:

1. Log into staging Android/iOS
2. Copy URL for any report
3. Paste the URL into the self DM (it should be a staging link)
4. Paste the URL again but remove staging.
5. Verify the staging link opens in-app
6. Verify the production link opens in-app
   • This works on Android but not on iOS. I'm guessing Android is just doing a better job redirecting the link at an OS level here

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @JmillsExpensify (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details. Please add this bug to a GH project, as outlined in the SO.

[arosiclair]

Alright the verdict is to continue opening new expensify links in their respective environment (eg: staging link should open in staging even if you're in prod).

After creating an optimistic task report, we will update the task description by replacing the CONFIG.EXPENSIFY.NEW_EXPENSIFY_URL with %baseURL/. We need to replace it after we create the optimistic task report because it's used to parse the markdown to link here

This feels hacky. We shouldn't create the report with the wrong link and then fix it later. Can we just create the task with the correct dev/staging/prod link to begin with? It's fine if it doesn't work in a different environment.

[nkdengineer]

Can we just create the task with the correct dev/staging/prod link to begin with? It's fine if it doesn't work in a different environment.

@arosiclair Yes, we can do this. Updated alternative solution with this expected

[arosiclair]

Thank you let's go with your alternative solution.

[melvin-bot]

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[abdulrahuman5196]

Expected Result:

Onboarding task deeplinks used within the app should redirect users to the correct screen within the app
Actual Result:

Onboarding task deeplinks used within the app redirect users to the web

@arosiclair
Just to confirm on decision. The current issue OP is not correct. We don't consider current issue OP as issue but that is the expected behaviour.

So during task creation itself we will use current environment and generate the link. If that link is opened in a different environment mobile app/platform, it would be redirect to web(if particular environment app is not present).
So current expectation is to update the task creation link to have the current environment URL.

[arosiclair]

So current expectation is to update the task creation link to have the current environment URL.

That's correct. If we create an account on staging, the onboarding task should generate a link with a staging URL. On production, it should be a production URL.

[melvin-bot]

This issue has not been updated in over 15 days. @JmillsExpensify, @arosiclair, @abdulrahuman5196, @nkdengineer eroding to Monthly issue.

P.S. Is everyone reading this sure this is really a near-term priority? Be brave: if you disagree, go ahead and close it out. If someone disagrees, they'll reopen it, and if they don't: one less thing to do!

[arosiclair]

This hit prod 3 weeks ago so we should be good for payment and closing.

[JmillsExpensify]

Payment summary:

• Contributor: @nkdengineer $250
• Reviewer: @abdulrahuman5196 $250

[JmillsExpensify]

@abdulrahuman5196 can you complete the BZ checklist please?

[abdulrahuman5196]

The PR that introduced the bug has been identified. Link to the PR:
The offending PR has been commented on, pointing out the bug it caused and why, so the author and reviewers can learn from the mistake. Link to comment:
A discussion in #expensify-bugs has been started about whether any other steps should be taken (e.g. updating the PR review checklist) in order to catch this type of bug sooner. Link to discussion:

Doesn't seem to be a regression.

Determine if we should create a regression test for this bug.

Yes.

If we decide to create a regression test for the bug, please propose the regression test steps to ensure the same bug will not reach production again.

1. Create a new account (please use a public domain)
2. In the onboarding modal, select "manage my team's expenses"
3. Go to Expensify chat to view the task checklist
4. Open a task that contains a deeplink (e.g., meet your setup specialist or set up categories)
5. Open the desired task and tap on the hyperlink present within the steps (e.g., #admins room if meeting your setup specialist, or Workspaces if setting up categories)
6. Onboarding task deeplinks used within the app should redirect users to the correct screen within the app

@JmillsExpensify Added the BZ checklist. Sorry for missing it previously.

[trjExpensify]

Confirming payment summary as follows:

• $250 to @abdulrahuman5196 for the C+ review
• $250 to @nkdengineer for the fix

[JmillsExpensify]

$250 approved for @abdulrahuman5196

[JmillsExpensify]

All contributors paid and regression test created. Closing.