diff --git a/apps/x/apps/main/forge.config.cjs b/apps/x/apps/main/forge.config.cjs
index 178cb7e1..ad639a86 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/main/forge.config.cjs
+++ b/apps/x/apps/main/forge.config.cjs
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ module.exports = {
         icon: './icons/icon',  // .icns extension added automatically
         appBundleId: 'com.rowboat.app',
         appCategoryType: 'public.app-category.productivity',
+        protocols: [
+            { name: 'Rowboat', schemes: ['rowboat'] },
+        ],
         extendInfo: {
             NSAudioCaptureUsageDescription: 'Rowboat needs access to system audio to transcribe meetings from other apps (Zoom, Meet, etc.)',
         },
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/main/src/deeplink.ts b/apps/x/apps/main/src/deeplink.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..96717409
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/x/apps/main/src/deeplink.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { BrowserWindow } from "electron";
+
+export const DEEP_LINK_SCHEME = "rowboat";
+const URL_PREFIX = `${DEEP_LINK_SCHEME}://`;
+
+let pendingUrl: string | null = null;
+let mainWindowRef: BrowserWindow | null = null;
+
+export function setMainWindowForDeepLinks(win: BrowserWindow | null): void {
+    mainWindowRef = win;
+}
+
+export function consumePendingDeepLink(): string | null {
+    const url = pendingUrl;
+    pendingUrl = null;
+    return url;
+}
+
+export function extractDeepLinkFromArgv(argv: readonly string[]): string | null {
+    for (const arg of argv) {
+        if (typeof arg === "string" && arg.startsWith(URL_PREFIX)) return arg;
+    }
+    return null;
+}
+
+export function dispatchDeepLink(url: string): void {
+    if (!url.startsWith(URL_PREFIX)) return;
+
+    pendingUrl = url;
+
+    const win = mainWindowRef;
+    if (!win || win.isDestroyed()) return;
+
+    if (win.isMinimized()) win.restore();
+    win.show();
+    win.focus();
+
+    if (win.webContents.isLoading()) return;
+
+    win.webContents.send("app:openUrl", { url });
+    pendingUrl = null;
+}
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/main/src/ipc.ts b/apps/x/apps/main/src/ipc.ts
index a9de9572..87795dde 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/main/src/ipc.ts
+++ b/apps/x/apps/main/src/ipc.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import { triggerSync as triggerGranolaSync } from '@x/core/dist/knowledge/granol
 import { ISlackConfigRepo } from '@x/core/dist/slack/repo.js';
 import { isOnboardingComplete, markOnboardingComplete } from '@x/core/dist/config/note_creation_config.js';
 import * as composioHandler from './composio-handler.js';
+import { consumePendingDeepLink } from './deeplink.js';
 import { IAgentScheduleRepo } from '@x/core/dist/agent-schedule/repo.js';
 import { IAgentScheduleStateRepo } from '@x/core/dist/agent-schedule/state-repo.js';
 import { triggerRun as triggerAgentScheduleRun } from '@x/core/dist/agent-schedule/runner.js';
@@ -415,6 +416,9 @@ export function setupIpcHandlers() {
       // args is null for this channel (no request payload)
       return getVersions();
     },
+    'app:consumePendingDeepLink': async () => {
+      return { url: consumePendingDeepLink() };
+    },
     'workspace:getRoot': async () => {
       return workspace.getRoot();
     },
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/main/src/main.ts b/apps/x/apps/main/src/main.ts
index 7d701400..284cfdfa 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/main/src/main.ts
+++ b/apps/x/apps/main/src/main.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ import { browserViewManager, BROWSER_PARTITION } from "./browser/view.js";
 import { setupBrowserEventForwarding } from "./browser/ipc.js";
 import { ElectronBrowserControlService } from "./browser/control-service.js";
 import { ElectronNotificationService } from "./notification/electron-notification-service.js";
+import {
+  DEEP_LINK_SCHEME,
+  dispatchDeepLink,
+  extractDeepLinkFromArgv,
+  setMainWindowForDeepLinks,
+} from "./deeplink.js";
 
 const execAsync = promisify(exec);
 
@@ -46,6 +52,43 @@ const __dirname = dirname(__filename);
 // run this as early in the main process as possible
 if (started) app.quit();
 
+// Single-instance lock: route a second launch (e.g. clicking a rowboat:// link)
+// back into the existing process via the 'second-instance' event.
+if (!app.requestSingleInstanceLock()) {
+  app.quit();
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+// Register as the OS handler for rowboat:// URLs.
+// In dev, point at the right argv so the OS can re-invoke us correctly.
+if (process.defaultApp) {
+  if (process.argv.length >= 2) {
+    app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient(DEEP_LINK_SCHEME, process.execPath, [
+      path.resolve(process.argv[1]),
+    ]);
+  }
+} else {
+  app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient(DEEP_LINK_SCHEME);
+}
+
+// First-launch URL on Windows/Linux comes through argv.
+{
+  const initialUrl = extractDeepLinkFromArgv(process.argv);
+  if (initialUrl) dispatchDeepLink(initialUrl);
+}
+
+// macOS sends URLs via 'open-url' (both first launch and while running).
+app.on("open-url", (event, url) => {
+  event.preventDefault();
+  dispatchDeepLink(url);
+});
+
+// Subsequent launches on Windows/Linux land here via the single-instance lock.
+app.on("second-instance", (_event, argv) => {
+  const url = extractDeepLinkFromArgv(argv);
+  if (url) dispatchDeepLink(url);
+});
+
 // Fix PATH for packaged Electron apps on macOS/Linux.
 // Packaged apps inherit a minimal environment that doesn't include paths from
 // the user's shell profile (such as those provided by nvm, Homebrew, etc.).
@@ -164,6 +207,9 @@ function createWindow() {
   configureSessionPermissions(session.defaultSession);
   configureSessionPermissions(session.fromPartition(BROWSER_PARTITION));
 
+  setMainWindowForDeepLinks(win);
+  win.on("closed", () => setMainWindowForDeepLinks(null));
+
   // Show window when content is ready to prevent blank screen
   win.once("ready-to-show", () => {
     win.maximize();
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx
index 67f3f06a..413ae4ae 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx
@@ -513,6 +513,45 @@ function viewStatesEqual(a: ViewState, b: ViewState): boolean {
   return true // both graph
 }
 
+/**
+ * Parse a rowboat:// deep link into a ViewState. Returns null if the URL is
+ * malformed or names an unknown target.
+ *
+ * Shape: rowboat://open?type=<file|chat|graph|task|suggested-topics>&...
+ *   file:             ?type=file&path=knowledge/foo.md
+ *   chat:             ?type=chat&runId=abc123        (runId optional)
+ *   graph:            ?type=graph
+ *   task:             ?type=task&name=daily-brief
+ *   suggested-topics: ?type=suggested-topics
+ */
+function parseDeepLink(input: string): ViewState | null {
+  const SCHEME = 'rowboat://'
+  if (!input.startsWith(SCHEME)) return null
+  const rest = input.slice(SCHEME.length)
+  const queryIdx = rest.indexOf('?')
+  const host = (queryIdx >= 0 ? rest.slice(0, queryIdx) : rest).replace(/\/$/, '')
+  if (host !== 'open') return null
+  const params = new URLSearchParams(queryIdx >= 0 ? rest.slice(queryIdx + 1) : '')
+  switch (params.get('type')) {
+    case 'file': {
+      const path = params.get('path')
+      return path ? { type: 'file', path } : null
+    }
+    case 'chat':
+      return { type: 'chat', runId: params.get('runId') || null }
+    case 'graph':
+      return { type: 'graph' }
+    case 'task': {
+      const name = params.get('name')
+      return name ? { type: 'task', name } : null
+    }
+    case 'suggested-topics':
+      return { type: 'suggested-topics' }
+    default:
+      return null
+  }
+}
+
 /** Sidebar toggle (fixed position, top-left) */
 function FixedSidebarToggle({
   leftInsetPx,
@@ -3048,6 +3087,20 @@ function App() {
     void navigateToView({ type: 'file', path })
   }, [navigateToView])
 
+  const handleDeepLinkUrl = useCallback((url: string) => {
+    const view = parseDeepLink(url)
+    if (view) void navigateToView(view)
+  }, [navigateToView])
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    void window.ipc.invoke('app:consumePendingDeepLink', null).then(({ url }) => {
+      if (url) handleDeepLinkUrl(url)
+    })
+    return window.ipc.on('app:openUrl', ({ url }) => {
+      handleDeepLinkUrl(url)
+    })
+  }, [handleDeepLinkUrl])
+
   const handleBaseConfigChange = useCallback((path: string, config: BaseConfig) => {
     setBaseConfigByPath((prev) => ({ ...prev, [path]: config }))
   }, [])
diff --git a/apps/x/packages/shared/src/ipc.ts b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/ipc.ts
index cc98f4f1..769de949 100644
--- a/apps/x/packages/shared/src/ipc.ts
+++ b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/ipc.ts
@@ -292,6 +292,18 @@ const ipcSchemas = {
     }),
     res: z.null(),
   },
+  'app:openUrl': {
+    req: z.object({
+      url: z.string(),
+    }),
+    res: z.null(),
+  },
+  'app:consumePendingDeepLink': {
+    req: z.null(),
+    res: z.object({
+      url: z.string().nullable(),
+    }),
+  },
   'granola:getConfig': {
     req: z.null(),
     res: z.object({