Enhanced Cross-Platform Functionality

[biowilli]

Is there a method for an application to dynamically embed/manipulate user input into the URL, or are there limitations due to the sandboxing constraints enforced by web browsers?

Imagine the convenience of having an app installed on your Android or iOS device that actively monitors your browser activity. Whenever you navigate to a website with affiliate programm, this app would automatically insert the affiliate link. From a user's standpoint, this would indeed be a valuable feature.

[simwai]

One possible method is to create a browser extension that runs in the background and listens to the browser’s tab events. The extension can access the current URL of the active tab and modify it according to some logic. For example, the extension can append a query parameter or a path parameter to the URL, or replace some parts of the URL with other values. The extension can also have a user interface that allows the user to turn on or off the URL manipulation feature, and customize the rules for modifying the URL.

Another possible method is to create a proxy server that intercepts and modifies the HTTP requests and responses between the browser and the web server. The proxy server can change the URL of the request before sending it to the web server, or change the URL of the response before sending it back to the browser. The proxy server can also have a user interface that allows the user to turn on or off the URL manipulation feature, and customize the rules for modifying the URL. However, this method would require the user to configure their browser settings to use the proxy server, and trust that the proxy server does not compromise their privacy or security.

There are some examples of apps that use these methods for different purposes, such as monitoring URL availability1, monitoring web traffic2, or monitoring network services3. You can check them out for more details and inspiration.