diff --git a/src/components/displayLink.ts b/src/components/displayLink.ts
index c342905..cfa729d 100644
--- a/src/components/displayLink.ts
+++ b/src/components/displayLink.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export default function displayLink(
         url: string
       }
     | {
-        action: string
+        route: string
         params?: SerializableRecord
       }
   )
diff --git a/src/examples/app/index.ts b/src/examples/app/index.ts
index 0c975dc..e7903d4 100644
--- a/src/examples/app/index.ts
+++ b/src/examples/app/index.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const hello_app = new Page({
         },
         {
           label: 'Action link',
-          action: 'hello_app/hello_world',
+          route: 'hello_app/hello_world',
         },
         // {
         //   label: 'Inline action',
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ const hello_app = new Page({
           rowMenuItems: () => [
             {
               label: 'Hello',
-              action: 'hello_app/hello_world',
+              route: 'hello_app/hello_world',
             },
           ],
         }),
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ const hello_app = new Page({
           rowMenuItems: () => [
             {
               label: 'Hello',
-              action: 'hello_app/hello_world',
+              route: 'hello_app/hello_world',
             },
           ],
         }),
@@ -122,11 +122,11 @@ const users = new Page({
       menuItems: [
         {
           label: 'View funnel',
-          action: 'users/view_funnel',
+          route: 'users/view_funnel',
         },
         {
           label: 'Create user',
-          action: 'users/create',
+          route: 'users/create',
         },
       ],
       children: [
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ const users = new Page({
           rowMenuItems: row => [
             {
               label: 'Edit',
-              action: 'users/edit',
+              route: 'users/edit',
               params: { id: row.id },
             },
           ],
@@ -210,11 +210,11 @@ const interval = new Interval({
           menuItems: [
             {
               label: 'Reload',
-              action: 'info',
+              route: 'info',
             },
             {
               label: 'Add timestamp param',
-              action: 'info',
+              route: 'info',
               params: { timestamp: new Date().valueOf() },
             },
           ],
diff --git a/src/examples/basic/index.ts b/src/examples/basic/index.ts
index 3b8ad00..a5b2aeb 100644
--- a/src/examples/basic/index.ts
+++ b/src/examples/basic/index.ts
@@ -45,13 +45,13 @@ const actionLinks: IntervalActionHandler = async () => {
       url: 'https://example.com',
     }),
     io.display.link('Action link', {
-      action: 'helloCurrentUser',
+      route: 'helloCurrentUser',
       params: {
         message: 'From a button!',
       },
     }),
     io.display.link('This same action', {
-      action: 'actionLinks',
+      route: 'actionLinks',
       params: {
         prevActionAt: new Date().toISOString(),
       },
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ const prod = new Interval({
       const { workDone = false } = ctx.params
       if (!workDone) {
         await ctx.redirect({
-          action: 'perform_common_work',
+          route: 'perform_common_work',
         })
         startedWork = true
       }
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ const prod = new Interval({
       )
       await sleep(2000)
       await ctx.redirect({
-        action: 'perform_redirect_flow',
+        route: 'perform_redirect_flow',
         params: {
           workDone: true,
         },
@@ -405,6 +405,11 @@ const interval = new Interval({
           action: 'helloCurrentUser',
           params: { message: 'Hello from metadata!' },
         },
+        {
+          label: 'External link',
+          value: 'Click me',
+          url: 'https://interval.com',
+        },
         {
           label: 'Image',
           value: 'Optional caption',
@@ -1046,7 +1051,7 @@ const interval = new Interval({
       return { url: url.href }
     },
     redirect: async () => {
-      const [url, , action, paramsStr] = await io.group([
+      const [url, , route, paramsStr] = await io.group([
         io.input.url('Enter a URL').optional(),
         io.display.markdown('--- or ---'),
         io.input.text('Enter an action slug').optional(),
@@ -1060,7 +1065,7 @@ const interval = new Interval({
       let params = undefined
       if (url) {
         await ctx.redirect({ url: url.toString() })
-      } else if (action) {
+      } else if (route) {
         if (paramsStr) {
           try {
             params = JSON.parse(paramsStr)
@@ -1069,20 +1074,20 @@ const interval = new Interval({
           }
         }
 
-        await ctx.redirect({ action, params })
+        await ctx.redirect({ route, params })
       } else {
         throw new Error('Must enter either a URL or an action slug')
       }
 
       console.log({
         url,
-        action,
+        route,
         params,
       })
 
       return {
         url: url?.toString(),
-        action,
+        route,
         paramsStr,
       }
     },
diff --git a/src/examples/basic/selectFromTable.ts b/src/examples/basic/selectFromTable.ts
index 3787a4f..9b1f2e4 100644
--- a/src/examples/basic/selectFromTable.ts
+++ b/src/examples/basic/selectFromTable.ts
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export const table_actions: IntervalActionHandler = async io => {
     rowMenuItems: row => [
       {
         label: 'Edit',
-        action: 'edit_user',
+        route: 'edit_user',
         params: { email: row.email },
       },
     ],
diff --git a/src/examples/basic/table.ts b/src/examples/basic/table.ts
index 46df738..ab987ef 100644
--- a/src/examples/basic/table.ts
+++ b/src/examples/basic/table.ts
@@ -98,24 +98,24 @@ export const display_table: IntervalActionHandler = async io => {
     rowMenuItems: row => [
       {
         label: 'Edit',
-        action: 'edit_user',
+        route: 'edit_user',
         params: { email: row.email },
       },
       {
         label: 'Edit',
-        action: 'edit_user',
+        route: 'edit_user',
         params: { email: row.email },
         disabled: true,
       },
       {
         label: 'Delete',
-        action: 'delete_user',
+        route: 'delete_user',
         params: { email: row.email },
         theme: 'danger',
       },
       {
         label: 'Delete',
-        action: 'delete_user',
+        route: 'delete_user',
         params: { email: row.email },
         theme: 'danger',
         disabled: true,
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ export const async_table: IntervalActionHandler = async io => {
     rowMenuItems: row => [
       {
         label: 'Edit',
-        action: 'edit_user',
+        route: 'edit_user',
         params: { email: row.email },
       },
     ],
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ export const select_table: IntervalActionHandler = async io => {
     rowMenuItems: row => [
       {
         label: 'Edit',
-        action: 'edit_user',
+        route: 'edit_user',
         params: { email: row.email },
       },
     ],
diff --git a/src/examples/structure/index.ts b/src/examples/structure/index.ts
index 4a4842b..d9c30a7 100644
--- a/src/examples/structure/index.ts
+++ b/src/examples/structure/index.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ const routes: IntervalRouteDefinitions = {
         menuItems: [
           {
             label: 'Create user',
-            action: 'users/create',
+            route: 'users/create',
           },
         ],
         children: [
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ const routes: IntervalRouteDefinitions = {
             rowMenuItems: row => [
               {
                 label: 'Edit',
-                action: 'users/edit',
+                route: 'users/edit',
                 params: { id: row.id },
               },
             ],
@@ -99,12 +99,12 @@ const routes: IntervalRouteDefinitions = {
                 rowMenuItems: row => [
                   {
                     label: 'Edit',
-                    action: 'users/subscriptions/edit',
+                    route: 'users/subscriptions/edit',
                     params: { id: row.id },
                   },
                   {
                     label: 'Cancel',
-                    action: 'users/subscriptions/cancel',
+                    route: 'users/subscriptions/cancel',
                     theme: 'danger',
                     params: { id: row.id },
                   },
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ const routes: IntervalRouteDefinitions = {
             menuItems: [
               {
                 label: 'Create comment',
-                action: 'users/comments/create',
+                route: 'users/comments/create',
               },
             ],
             children: [
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ const routes: IntervalRouteDefinitions = {
                 rowMenuItems: row => [
                   {
                     label: 'Edit',
-                    action: 'users/comments/edit',
+                    route: 'users/comments/edit',
                     params: { id: row.id },
                   },
                 ],
diff --git a/src/internalRpcSchema.ts b/src/internalRpcSchema.ts
index 864938b..9421543 100644
--- a/src/internalRpcSchema.ts
+++ b/src/internalRpcSchema.ts
@@ -257,7 +257,14 @@ export const wsServerSchema = {
       z.object({
         transactionId: z.string(),
       }),
-      linkSchema
+      z.union([
+        linkSchema,
+        // deprecated in favor of `route` from linkSchema
+        z.object({
+          action: z.string(),
+          params: serializableRecord.optional(),
+        }),
+      ])
     ),
     returns: z.boolean(),
   },
diff --git a/src/ioSchema.ts b/src/ioSchema.ts
index 8d55d7a..bc87779 100644
--- a/src/ioSchema.ts
+++ b/src/ioSchema.ts
@@ -191,7 +191,9 @@ export const tableRowValue = z.union([
         url: z.string(),
       })
       .optional(),
+    // Deprecated in favor of route
     action: z.string().optional(),
+    route: z.string().optional(),
     params: serializableRecord.optional(),
   }),
 ])
@@ -209,11 +211,21 @@ export const menuItem = z.intersection(
     theme: z.enum(['default', 'danger']).optional(),
   }),
   z.union([
-    z.object({
-      action: z.string(),
-      params: serializableRecord.optional(),
-      disabled: z.boolean().optional(),
-    }),
+    z.intersection(
+      z.object({
+        params: serializableRecord.optional(),
+        disabled: z.boolean().optional(),
+      }),
+      z.union([
+        z.object({
+          route: z.string(),
+        }),
+        z.object({
+          // deprecated in favor of `route`
+          action: z.string(),
+        }),
+      ])
+    ),
     z.object({
       url: z.string(),
       disabled: z.boolean().optional(),
@@ -230,11 +242,21 @@ export const buttonItem = z.intersection(
     theme: buttonTheme.optional(),
   }),
   z.union([
-    z.object({
-      action: z.string(),
-      params: serializableRecord.optional(),
-      disabled: z.boolean().optional(),
-    }),
+    z.intersection(
+      z.object({
+        params: serializableRecord.optional(),
+        disabled: z.boolean().optional(),
+      }),
+      z.union([
+        z.object({
+          route: z.string(),
+        }),
+        z.object({
+          // deprecated in favor of `route`
+          action: z.string(),
+        }),
+      ])
+    ),
     z.object({
       url: z.string(),
       disabled: z.boolean().optional(),
@@ -250,7 +272,7 @@ export const linkSchema = z.union([
     url: z.string(),
   }),
   z.object({
-    action: z.string(),
+    route: z.string(),
     params: serializableRecord.optional(),
   }),
 ])
@@ -318,6 +340,8 @@ export const metaItemSchema = z.object({
       url: z.string(),
     })
     .optional(),
+  route: z.string().optional(),
+  // Deprecated in favor of `route` above
   action: z.string().optional(),
   params: serializableRecord.optional(),
   error: z.string().nullish(),
@@ -373,6 +397,11 @@ const DISPLAY_SCHEMA = {
         z.object({
           href: z.string(),
         }),
+        // deprecated in favor of `route` in linkSchema
+        z.object({
+          action: z.string(),
+          params: serializableRecord.optional(),
+        }),
         linkSchema,
       ])
     ),
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index bce8a2a..41b8a2a 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import type {
   ButtonTheme,
   serializableRecord,
   ImageSize,
+  SerializableRecord,
 } from './ioSchema'
 import type { HostSchema } from './internalRpcSchema'
 import type { IOClient, IOClientRenderValidator } from './classes/IOClient'
@@ -293,25 +294,32 @@ export type IOComponentDefinition<
   ) => Promise<T_IO_PROPS<MethodName>>
 }
 
-type DistributiveOmit<T, K extends keyof any> = T extends any
-  ? Omit<T, K>
-  : never
-
 export type InternalMenuItem = z.input<typeof menuItem>
-export type MenuItem = DistributiveOmit<InternalMenuItem, 'theme'> & {
+export type MenuItem = {
+  label: string
   theme?: 'danger'
-}
+} & (
+  | {
+      route: string
+      params?: SerializableRecord
+      disabled?: boolean
+    }
+  | {
+      url: string
+      disabled?: boolean
+    }
+  | { disabled: true }
+)
 
 export type InternalButtonItem = z.input<typeof buttonItem>
-export type ButtonItem = DistributiveOmit<InternalButtonItem, 'theme'> & {
+export type ButtonItem = {
+  label: string
   theme?: 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'danger'
-}
-// | {
-//     label: InternalMenuItem['label']
-//     theme?: InternalMenuItem['theme']
-//     action: IntervalActionHandler
-//     disabled?: boolean
-//   }
+} & (
+  | { route: string; params?: SerializableRecord; disabled?: boolean }
+  | { url: string; disabled?: boolean }
+  | { disabled: true }
+)
 
 export type ButtonConfig = {
   label?: string
@@ -335,7 +343,7 @@ export type TableColumnResult =
         height?: ImageSize
       } & ({ url: string } | { buffer: Buffer })
       url?: string
-      action?: string
+      route?: string
       params?: z.infer<typeof serializableRecord>
     }
   | TableCellValue