Does Smart Links require an underline Application Links connection set up?

Question

I'm exploring the App Link connection and came across Smart Links in Confluence, and I'm trying to connect the dots between App Links and Smart Links. It seems both are related, but I can't find any Atlassian documentation to confirm. Any pointers will be much appreciated.

Arkadiusz Wroblewski · Answer

@Kate Stryhunivska

Yes, a user may need to sign in the first time for a non-Atlassian source

Sometimes, the external provider also needs a one-time admin approval first, depending on the source

after that, other users would usually still need to authenticate themselves, but not necessarily trigger a fresh admin approval each time

Kate Stryhunivska · Answer

@Arkadiusz Wroblewski I can see now, because I was trying to link non-Atlassian sources it has required me to sign in the app and that's where I've been asked to get an approval (on the recipient app side), that what prompted me to mix up Smart Links with App Links. Just to clarify, each time a new user adds a smart link for non-Atlassian source it would require an approval? Even thought approval has been granted in the past for the other users? Does it make sence

Arkadiusz Wroblewski · Answer

@Kate Stryhunivska

No there´s no extra Switch "On" for that.

Smart Links are part of the editor experience, and most pasted links automatically convert into Smart Links.

Regular users can use them when editing pages. What usually matters is whether the link type is supported and whether the user is authenticated and has access to the linked content. For some non-Atlassian sources, users may need to sign in once before the Smart Link can resolve properly.