How does the system resolve App Clips links?

How does iOS know that given URL is an App Clip URL?

Developing a Great App Clip lists a number of ways app clip can be launched:

Scanning an NFC tag or visual code at a physical location
Tapping a location-based suggestion from Siri Suggestions
Tapping a link in the Maps app
Tapping a Smart App Banner on a website
Tapping a link that someone has shared in the Messages app

Some of these – like scanning a QR code – are interactive. Which means there is no way to pre-process the URL to understand if it is an App Clip URL (which can be done for links in Maps for example).

Does this mean that for each QR code scanned the system will first need to make a request to the App Store to understand if the link should be presented as App Clip?
I imagine the OS does in the background yes. The implementation isn't something which is exposed to us.
How does the system resolve App Clips links?
 
 
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