.. _deep_linking:

Adding Activities (Deep Linking)
================================

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**Deep Linking** is how an instructor chooses and configures a Blocks activity from inside the
LMS. The result is a **tool instance** — a single configured activity that the LMS links to and
that learners launch.

When Deep Linking happens
-------------------------

Deep Linking runs when you *add or configure* an external tool in a course and the LMS opens
Blocks' **content selection** screen. The exact trigger depends on the LMS:

* **Open edX** — the content-selection action on the LTI Consumer component.
* **Moodle** — the **Select content** button when adding an External tool activity.
* **Canvas / Blackboard / D2L** — the tool/content selection step when adding an LTI link.

The selection flow
------------------

#. From the LMS, launch the content-selection (Deep Linking) action for Blocks.
#. Blocks presents the available **tool types** — for example **AI Tutor**, **AI Expert Chat**,
   **Multiple Choice**, and **Free Text**. See :ref:`tools_overview`.
#. Choose a tool type and set its initial **bootstrap settings** and content.
#. Confirm. Blocks creates a **tool instance** and returns a deep-link response to the LMS, which
   stores a link back to it.

What gets created
-----------------

Each confirmed selection persists a **tool instance** that holds the activity's configuration and
content. The LMS link (its *resource link*) is bound to that instance, so every future launch of
that LMS activity resolves to the same instance.

For tools that support localization, Blocks stores two versions of the learner-facing content:

* a **draft** version that authors edit, and
* a **live** version that learners actually see.

Publishing copies the draft into the live version. See :ref:`runtime_authoring`.

After Deep Linking
------------------

Once the activity exists, you do not need to repeat Deep Linking to change it. Instructors edit
an activity in place from a normal launch — see :ref:`runtime_authoring`.

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