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What is Link Builder and How Do I Use It?

5 min read

Most fraud and risk teams begin assessing identities in their order management platform, fraud dashboard, CRM, or another system where flagged identities surface. Decision Console is designed to plug into those systems through deep linking, so reviewers can launch into the dashboard with input fields pre-populated instead of copy-pasting contact details between tabs.

A deep link is a URL that opens an application and pre-fills it with specific data. In Decision Console, a deep link opens the review workspace with the contact’s name, phone, email, address, and IP already entered. The reviewer skips straight to the Decision Overview without typing anything.

There are two ways to construct a deep link: use the Trestle Link Builder Chrome extension, or manually build the URL. This article covers both.

Trestle Link Builder (Chrome Extension) #

The Trestle Link Builder is a Chrome Extension that maps the data on any web page to Decision Console’s input fields. Once you set it up for a page, it generates a one-click link that opens Decision Console with every field pre-filled.  No URL construction required.

Install the Extension #

  1. Visit the Trestle Link Builder Chrome Extension on the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Click Add to Chrome and confirm the permissions.
  3. The Link Builder icon will appear in your Chrome toolbar. Pin it for easy access. 

Set up a Template #

The first time you use the Link Builder on a given page layout, you create a template that tells the extension where each field lives on the page. You only do this once per layout.

  1. Navigate to a page that displays contact information, such as an order details or flagged transaction page. The page should contain data like names, phone numbers, emails, addresses, or IP addresses.
  2. Click the Link Builder icon. A popup appears with a status indicator (gray if no template exists yet for this page) and an Open Link Builder button. Click Open Link Builder.
  1. A side panel slides in from the right in Edit Mode, showing the Template Editor with two groups of fields: Primary Name & Details (Full Name, Phone, Email, IP Address, Street, City, State, Postal Code) and Secondary Name & Address (Full Name, Street, City, State, Postal Code).
  1. Populate the fields using either method below.

Method 1: Auto-Extract (Recommended First Step)  #

Click AUTO-EXTRACT at the bottom of the panel. The extension scans the page for label-value pairs (such as “Phone: (555) 123-4567”) and matches them to the corresponding fields. 

Matched fields turn green with a checkmark, and the extracted value appears next to each one. If a phone, email, or IP isn’t found by label, the extension falls back to pattern matching on the page text.

Auto-extracting works best on pages with clear label-value structures. 

Method 2: Manual Mapping #

If you’d rather map fields yourself, or if auto-extract misses a field:

  1. Click the target icon next to the field you want to map. The icon will turn blue and pulse when it’s active. 
  2. Move your mouse over the page to view which elements are able to be mapped, indicated by a blue outline. Click on which element you’d like to map to the selected field.
  3. The icon will turn green with a checkmark next to it to indicate the field is mapped. The value will appear next to the icon in the panel. 
  4. Repeat for each field you want to map.

A few things the extension handles for you:

  • Click an element containing a full address (such as 123 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98101) and it parses Street, City, State, and Postal Code automatically.
  • State names convert to two-letter codes (Washington becomes WA).
  • Phone numbers normalize to E.164 format (300-555-0103 becomes +13005550103)
  • For Street fields, you can click multiple elements to combine them (the street line, then a suite or apartment line). Press Escape to cancel an active mapping without selecting anything.

Save and Generate the Link #

  1. Click Save Template. The template is stored in Chrome and tied to this page’s URL pattern. The panel switches to View Mode, showing your saved values.
  2. Click Review. Decision Console opens in a new tab with every mapped field pre-filled, and the verification runs automatically. 

Use a Saved Template #

Because templates are tied to the page’s structure rather than the specific record on screen, the same template works across every record with that layout. A template you build on Order #1001 also works on #1002, #1003, and so on.

When you return to a page that already has a template:

  1. Click the Link Builder icon The popup shows a green dot and “X field(s) mapped.”
  2. Click Open Link Builder. The panel opens in View Mode with live values pulled from the current record.
  3. Click Review to open Decision Console with that record’s data.

This is why the Link Builder stays low-effort over time. The setup happens once per page layout, and every review after that is just a couple of clicks. 

URL Parameters (Manual Deep Link) #

You can also build a Decision Console deep link by hand. This is the approach to use when Link Builder isn’t an option, for example on a non-Chrome browser like Safari or Firefox, or when you want your own systems to generate deep links automatically.

Decision Console accepts query string parameters on its base URL:

  • https://portal.trestleiq.com/console?

 Supported parameters include:

  • primary.name
  • primary.phone
  • primary.email
  • primary.ip
  • primary.address.street
  • primary.address.city
  • primary.address.state
  • primary.address.postal
  • secondary.name
  • secondary.address
  • secondary.city
  • secondary.state
  • secondary.postal

Here is a sample query, including a name and phone number only: 

https://portal.trestleiq.com/console?primary.name=Firstname%20Lastname&primary.phone=2065555555

If a deep link contains sufficient data (the minimum requirements are a name and phone or email), Decision Console runs the verification automatically and displays results on page load.

Because the parameters follow a fixed pattern, your engineering team can configure your fraud dashboard, order management platform, or CRM to build these links automatically on flagged transactions, so a ready-to-go Decision Console link sits alongside every flagged record.

When to Use Each Approach #

For most teams, the Link Builder is the right starting point and a solid long-term tool. There’s no setup required beyond installing the extension, and reviewers can begin pulling identities into Decision Console on day one. 

Manual URL configuration is the better fit in two situations:

  • You want deep links generated at the source. If your team configures your fraud dashboard or order management platform to build the links, every flagged transaction can surface a ready Decision Console link automatically.
  • You work in a non-Chrome browser. The Link Builder is a chrome extension and won’t run on browsers like Safari or Firefox. Manual URL configuration is the way to deep link there.

Both approaches open the same Decision Console workspace with the same pre-filled data, so you can mix and match based on your team’s browser and tooling.

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For more information on Decision Console, check out the articles below:

  1. How to Get Started with Decision Console
  2. What is the Decision Overview and How Do I Read It?
  3. What is an Attribute Card and How Do I Read It?
  4. Understanding Team and Account Management
  5. FAQ and Troubleshooting