Google and Notion do not want you to use custom links even though they are common in macOS and iOS. This might be because Google and Notion want to keep you in their walled gardens. A custom link is a link to data in another app, which would take you out of their walled garden. So when you paste a custom link in Google Docs, Gmail or Notion web apps, the link is neutered: only the name of the link is preserved 
. That means you can’t click on the link to get to the target.
In contrast, you can paste and use custom links in Apple’s iCloud — as long as your browser is safari.
Great Mac apps all generate custom links or have an API from which Hookmark can generate custom links for them.
Here are some examples
- DEVONthink:
x-devonthink-item:/// - Agenda:
agenda:///, and - Craft:
craft:/// - Hookmark:
hook:// - Obsidian,
- OmniFocus:
omnifocus:/// - Things:
things://,
Hookmark to the rescue: Copy As Universal Link
We at CogSci Apps have engineered a very user-friendly solution to this problem 
. Instead of using the Copy Link command, which returns custom links, use Hookmark’s Copy As Universal Link (⌥⌘C) command. It generates a universal link, which is a special kind of web link, that looks like this: https://hookmark.net/hm/….
These web links are respected by Google Docs, Gmail and Discourse and other web apps. So you can paste them in web apps.
When you click on one of Hookmark’s universal links in Safari, Hookmark converts the link to a custom link and activates the link.
Here’s an example universal link to the document I am writing in BBEdit:
[md- 2024-04-07 How to paste links into web apps.txt](https://hookmark.net/hm/hook/file/eKWatVlYp?p=MjAyNCBIb29rbWFyayBCbG9nLSBEcm9wYm94LzIwMjQtMDQtMDcgSXNzdWUgODAyMiAtIEhvdyB0byBwYXN0ZSBsaW5rcyBpbnRvIHdlYiBhcHBz&n=md%2D%202024%2D04%2D07%20How%20to%20paste%20links%20into%20web%20apps%2Etxt)
Hookmark converts that to
[md- 2024-04-07 How to paste links into web apps.txt](hook://file/eKWatVlYp?p=MjAyNCBIb29rbWFyayBCbG9nLSBEcm9wYm94LzIwMjQtMDQtMDcgSXNzdWUgODAyMiAtIEhvdyB0byBwYXN0ZSBsaW5rcyBpbnRvIHdlYiBhcHBz&n=md%2D%202024%2D04%2D07%20How%20to%20paste%20links%20into%20web%20apps%2Etxt).
The Copy As Universal Link command can easily be accessed by
- invoking the Hookmark window (⌃H)
- clicking on the Action ☰ button
- hold down the option key (for this advanced command)
Custom links, which are not web links, are common in macOS and iOS. However, Google and Notion do not want you to use them. Why? Probably because they want to keep you in their walled garden. A custom link is a link to data in another app, which would take you out of their walled garden. So when you paste a custom link in Google Docs, Gmail or Notion web apps, the link is neutered (destroyed); only the name of the link is preserved . That means you can’t click on the link to get to the target.
Here are some examples of custom links.
- DEVONthink:
x-devonthink-item:/// - Agenda:
agenda:///, and - Craft:
craft:/// - Hookmark:
hook:// - Obsidian,
- OmniFocus:
omnifocus:/// - Things:
things:///,
Hookmark to the rescue: Copy As Universal Link
We at CogSci Apps have engineered a very user-friendly solution to this problem . Instead of using the Copy Link command, which returns custom links, use Hookmark’s Copy As Universal Link (⌥⌘C) command. It generates a universal link, which is a special kind of web link, that looks like this: https://hookmark.net/hm/….
These web links are respected by Google Docs, Gmail and Discourse and other web apps. So you can paste them in web apps.
When you click on one of Hookmark’s universal links in Safari, Hookmark converts the link to a custom link and activates the link.
Here’s an example universal link to the document I am writing in BBEdit:
[md- 2024-04-07 How to paste links into web apps.txt](https://hookmark.net/hm/hook/file/eKWatVlYp?p=MjAyNCBIb29rbWFyayBCbG9nLSBEcm9wYm94LzIwMjQtMDQtMDcgSXNzdWUgODAyMiAtIEhvdyB0byBwYXN0ZSBsaW5rcyBpbnRvIHdlYiBhcHBz&n=md%2D%202024%2D04%2D07%20How%20to%20paste%20links%20into%20web%20apps%2Etxt)
Hookmark converts that to
[md- 2024-04-07 How to paste links into web apps.txt](hook://file/eKWatVlYp?p=MjAyNCBIb29rbWFyayBCbG9nLSBEcm9wYm94LzIwMjQtMDQtMDcgSXNzdWUgODAyMiAtIEhvdyB0byBwYXN0ZSBsaW5rcyBpbnRvIHdlYiBhcHBz&n=md%2D%202024%2D04%2D07%20How%20to%20paste%20links%20into%20web%20apps%2Etxt).
The Copy As Universal Link command does not only work with hook:// links. Hookmark can translate any app’s links into a universal link — including those listed above and others (e.g., x-devonthink-item:///, agenda:///, craft:///, omnifocus:/// and things:///).
How can you get a universal link in any linkable app?
The Copy As Universal Link command can easily be accessed by
- invoking the Hookmark window (⌃H)
- clicking on the Action ☰ button
- hold down the option key (for this advanced command)
Universal Link Safari Subtlety
Currently, Safari is the only web browser in which Universal Links will work (remember, since Steve Jobs said Apple is “going thermonuclear against Google”, Google and Apple are non-friends).
You can paste universal links in other apps with the following tip. First, temporarily make Safari your default browser. Second, open one of Hookmark’s universal links. This will teach macOS that https://hookmark.net links are to be opened by Hookmark. Thereafter, you can revert Safari to be your default browser if you like. Another approach is to configure an app like OpenIn to ensure hookmark.net links open in Safari (at least once).
Another solution to the web link problem: Hook to Copied Link
Another way to get around the limitation that Google, Notion and some other web apps impose on Mac users is to copy a link as you normally would , using Hookmark’s Copy Link command. And then “hook” the web app page to the copied link, using the Hook to Copied Link command. In other words,
- In the source document, invoke Hookmark (⌃H) and choose
Copy Link. - In the web app document,invoke Hookmark (⌃H) and choose
Hook to Copied Link.
Help page
For more information, see Universal Links
Upshot
Hookmark provides two powerful ways for you to win the war that Google, Notion and others have taken against custom links which are so common nowadays in Mac apps.
Universal Link Safari Subtlety
Currently, Safari is the only web browser in which Universal Links will work (remember, since Steve Jobs said Apple is “going thermonuclear against Google”, Google and Apple are non-friends).
You can paste universal links in other apps with the following tip. First, temporarily make Safari your default browser. Second, open one of Hookmark’s universal links. This will teach macOS that https://hookmark.net links are to be opened by Hookmark. Thereafter, you can revert Safari to be your default browser if you like. Another approach is to configure an app like OpenIn to ensure hookmark.net links open in Safari (at least once).
Another solution to the web link problem: Hook to Copied Link
Another way to get around the limitation that Google, Notion and some other web apps impose on Mac users is to copy a link as you normally would , using Hookmark’s Copy Link command. And then “hook” the web app page to the copied link, using the Hook to Copied Link command. In other words,
- In the source document, invoke Hookmark (⌃H) and choose
Copy Link. - In the web app document,invoke Hookmark (⌃H) and choose
Hook to Copied Link.
Upshot
Hookmark provides two powerful ways for you to win the war that Google, Notion and others have taken against custom links which are so common nowadays in Mac apps.