Mobile Extensions Overview - Wildfire Support Center

Mobile Extensions Overview

Connect with your users directly where they are shopping on the device they use the most. Mobile Safari and now Edge are both available on mobile. Mobile Safari is packaged directly into your existing app in the iOS App Store.

Edge extensions are now available. They are not packaged inside an app. They are made available automatically with the development of a Desktop Edge application.

Working with Mobile Safari Extensions:

  1. Wildfire Delivery & Client Integration
    Wildfire builds the branded extension and delivers it to our partners as a complete, working Xcode project.

    • Target Creation: The partner opens their existing iOS app in Xcode and creates a new "Safari Extension" target.
    • File Transfer: The partner deletes Apple's default template files and copies Wildfire's core resource files (e.g., manifest.json, JavaScript source files, locales) into their new extension target.
    • The Native Bridge: The partner integrates the SafariWebExtensionHandler.swift file, which acts as the communication bridge between the native app and the Safari browser context.

  2. Authentication Setup (Shared Resources)
    Because Apple's iOS architecture restricts Safari extensions from accessing a host app's internal memory or APIs, authentication relies entirely on a shared data layer.

    • App Groups: The partner must enable the "App Groups" entitlement in Xcode, allowing the native app and the extension to securely share UserDefaults.
    • The Auth Flow: The user logs into the partner's native iOS app just as they normally would. The app then writes the user's unique identifier (UUID) into the shared App Group.
    • Passing the ID: When Safari activates the extension, the extension requests the user ID from the SafariWebExtensionHandler. The Swift handler reads the ID from the shared resource and passes it to the extension via the GET_USER_ID configuration setting. This ID is appended to affiliate links to correctly track the user's purchases.

Read more in Implementing Authentication for the Mobile Safari Extension.

  1. User Onboarding & Success
    • No Store Download: Users do not download the extension from the App Store. Because it is bundled into the partner's existing iOS app, users receive the extension automatically the next time they update the app.
    • The Activation Hurdle: Even though the extension is installed, it remains dormant by default. Users must manually enable it by exiting the app, navigating to their iOS Settings > Safari > Extensions, and toggling the extension on.
    • Best Practices: Because of this Apple-mandated friction, onboarding success relies heavily on the partner. Partners must build clear in-app education, tutorials, or launch campaigns to guide users through the manual steps required to turn the extension on in their settings.

Quick Links:
Implementing Authentication for the Mobile Safari Extension
How to implement the Mobile Safari Extension
Extensions: Lost Affiliation (Cashback Comeback Alert)

Updated 17 Jun 2026