As you probably know, Instagram doesn’t let users add links to their content, which makes marketing on Instagram a challenge. But with an Instagram link in bio, you can work around this limitation and lead your audience to any website you choose.
This guide explains everything you need to know about adding and using the link in bio feature—plus expert tips to help you get the most out of it.
What does “link in bio” mean?
A link in bio on Instagram is a selectable link that appears in the user’s profile. Instagram users often add “link in bio” to a post as a call to action (CTA), directing people to go to their bio and tap on the link for more information.
Why use the link in bio feature on Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t allow people to add live links to posts. Instead, people can have up to five links in their bios. They use the links in bio as a gateway to share more information and additional links to promos, content, and more.
Many companies and influencers will direct you to their profile using the phrase “link in bio.”
Unlike other social media platforms that let you share links in posts, you can add only a single link to your profile page on Instagram, so think carefully about where you want it to go.
If you have a lot of products, services, or content that you want to promote, you’ll want that link to be a custom landing page with links to multiple online destinations for your business accounts. Many tools provide this type of functionality, such as Bitly Link-in-bio.
Locating the link in bio
On Instagram, your bio is on your profile page directly under your profile picture. A link in bio is the last line in the profile description. To view a bio on Instagram, tap the username—displayed above their post. This action will take you to their bio and the link in bio URL.
Benefits of an effective link in bio on Instagram
Adding a link in bio on Instagram isn’t optional for social media influencers and brands. It’s the only effective way to lead your audience back to your website so you can convert them.
With that said, here are the advantages of using a link in bio on Instagram:
Increased traffic to your website
Effective social media campaigns use compelling calls to action (CTAs) to lure prospects to landing pages. With an Instagram link in bio, you can drive more people to your website. And with increased website traffic, you can expand your online presence and achieve your marketing objectives.
Enhanced brand awareness and recognition
Using branded links on Instagram can help you create a cohesive brand image. This way, you can connect your Instagram followers to the rest of your digital marketing channels.
Using an Instagram link-in-bio tool allows businesses to showcase their brand assets in front of their social media audience and improve brand awareness and recognition.
Streamlined audience engagement
Adding an Instagram link in bio gives your audience a convenient way to interact with your brand. When you include a URL in your Instagram bio, your audience can easily visit without having to type the full website address into their browser.
How to put a link in your Instagram bio
Instagram users can add a link to their bios in just a few easy steps. Visit your account info on Instagram, edit your account, add a URL in the bio section, and save.
When you add the link to your bio and include the phrase, “link in bio” in a post, you’re directing your followers to an exact landing page. Make sure the page is easy to navigate and user-friendly.
Add up to five links to your Instagram bio by following this step-by-step guide:
1. Open your Instagram app on your mobile device.
2. Go straight to your profile page by tapping the profile icon on the bottom right.
3. Tap Edit Profile at the top of your screen.
4. Navigate to the Links section and tap the + to Add an external link or the Facebook icon to add a Facebook profile.
5. Enter the URL and website title into the appropriate fields.
6. Tap Done to save the changes to your bio and preview the link on your profile!
But don’t stop there. If you want to add a sleek link to your other social media profiles, we have guides on how to add links to Facebook profiles and how to add links to TikTok bios.
8 ways to use link in bio on Instagram
Some ways to use the link in bio feature on Instagram are to promote and invite followers to access more content. Promotional ideas include contests, sale details, and free trials. You can also use a link in your bio to direct people to videos and podcasts.
Try these ideas to get the most out of your Instagram link in bio:
1. Promote a product launch
Link in bio is a great tool for announcing a new product or service. When you share the product details in a post and add the “link in bio” phrase, make sure the link takes visitors to a page that provides information about the product or service.
2. Tell your story
Since Instagram limits the number of characters you can use to describe yourself in the bio, you can point the link in bio to your company’s “About” page. When followers follow this link, they’ll learn more about your offerings and brand.
3. Give away free samples
People like to get something for free, whether it’s something they have to sign up for or a contest. Use the link in bio to point followers to a page where they can add their email to enter a contest or get a free sample.
You can use those email addresses for future marketing efforts. Hosting contests on Instagram is an excellent way to find new followers and delight existing ones.
4. Create a central hub for what you promote
One way to make the most of the link in bio is to have it direct followers to a landing page with links to what you promote on Instagram. Jenn Herman, a social media consultant, speaker, and Instagram expert, suggests having your link in bio point to a dedicated landing page on your website.
“This page should be clean and simple, void of popups, sidebars, or distractions. It should have a list of options for what you normally promote on Instagram. They can be text buttons, images, or some other means to indicate options. If you normally promote your blog, your three product genres, and your Facebook group, then these are the five options on this landing page,” explains Herman. “This page works because you now retain all this traffic and can use Google Analytics to measure audience behavior and understand visitor behavior after landing on that page. Plus, now that you own all that traffic, if your pixel is loaded on your site or page, you can use that traffic for retargeting with Instagram ads! It’s a win-win!”
5. Add a link to your promotions
Instagram can be a powerful marketing tool, especially when you want to get the word out about upcoming or current promotions. Just make sure your link in bio points users to the sale. You can also share promo codes in posts to encourage people to visit the link in bio and ultimately boost sales.
6. Invite people to access more of your content
Social media and marketing strategies include multiple types of media assets, such as blog posts, videos, and podcasts. Use the link in bio to direct people to all of your content and create a page that pulls and lists the most recent assets from your blog, articles, podcast, and videos.
Be sure to highlight content that you’ve mentioned in Instagram posts, so people can easily find what they want to read. This is also a great strategy to adopt for your other social media profiles, such as your Pinterest bio.
7. Direct Instagram users to your top-selling goods
Use the link in bio to direct people to a custom landing page that includes links to your best-selling items. When followers see something they want on Instagram, they want to get to it quickly by tapping the link in bio. They don’t want to open up a browser and search to find the product they want to buy.
Be sure to highlight an interesting or especially useful product that will excite people, so they will be inclined to browse your site and look at other things you sell. Remember, browsing through products on your site should be intuitive and seamless.
8. Garner support for a cause
Businesses often have causes or nonprofits they work with and like to support. You can use the link in bio to take people to a page where they can make a donation or learn more about the cause and why you support it.
Essential link in bio best practices
Now that you know the importance of adding a link to your Instagram bio, here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Incorporate your brand in the link
Website links don’t have to be long phrases with random letters and characters. You can use a link management tool to create an Instagram short URL and even customize it with your brand name. This way, your audience can easily recognize your links and use them whenever they want to engage your brand.
Track traffic source
Understanding where the traffic to your site comes from is key to knowing if your marketing efforts are working. So, if you’re creating a link in bio to drive traffic from Instagram, think about how you’re going to track that traffic.
Instagram expert Herman advises, “You should ideally use a unique link for your Instagram profile: a link that you only use on Instagram and isn’t shared anywhere else. It’s difficult to track traffic from Instagram. You want a unique link that shows you know if someone clicked on it came from Instagram.”
Use a single branded link
When you create an Instagram link in bio, you’ll want to use a single branded link and keep it simple. If you have a long URL, you can use a link management tool to shorten it or create a vanity URL. There are many other benefits to using a link management tool as well, like gaining the ability to track performance.
Use a link management tool
Link management tools like Bitly allow social media teams to quickly shorten website URLs and create branded links. Whether you need to create one or one hundred branded links for your social media campaigns, investing in a powerful link management tool like Bitly can help.
Implement a trackable link
In addition to creating branded links for Instagram, you also need a way to track their performance.
Herman has some advice here as well: “Use a trackable link like bit.ly to ensure you have accurate data on the link performance. Although Instagram tells you how many clicks you get on your links, the data isn’t always up to the minute accurate and may not capture all the details.”
Consider a branded landing page
There are times when you’ll want to change your link in bio destination, especially if you’re launching seasonal campaigns throughout the year.
Instead of constantly changing your branded links, you can create a branded landing page with multiple links that can lead your audience to their desired destinations. For example, your branded landing page can include links to different product and category pages.
This approach leads to a cleaner, more efficient user experience for your Instagram followers.
Link in bio FAQs
Here are a few other commonly asked questions and troubleshooting tips to use when working with a link in bio.
Can anyone add a link in bio on Instagram?
Yes, if you have an Instagram account, you can add a website as a link in bio. You need access to the account page to add/change a URL. You don’t need to have a verified account or have a certain number of followers anymore.
How to share a link in bio on Instagram
Once you add a URL, you can add the phrase “link in bio” to a post. This phrase directs people to go to your bio page to get more information about what you’re sharing.
Are links in Instagram bios safe?
Instagram has tight restrictions on the types of links you can add to a bio. This tactic helps ensure that they are safe. You can add links to a website, blog, contest or sales pages, coupons, and videos (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.).
Do links in your Instagram bio drive traffic?
A link in bio can drive traffic, but there’s no guarantee that it will. That’s why it’s important to use a link management tool to monitor performance.
Why is there only one link in the Instagram bio?
Instagram allows users to add only a single link to their bio. They can, however, also add other Instagram users to follow in their bio. Instagram does allow users to add links to Instagram stories.
How do I see who clicked on my link in bio on Instagram?
You can’t see who clicked on your link in bio. If you have a professional Instagram account, you can see how many people clicked on the link using Instagram Insights. If you use a social media analytics tool like Bitly, you can view data by city or country.
Here’s how to see who clicks on a link in bio using Instagram Insights:
- Go to your account page, and select the three lines (hamburger menu) in the top right corner.
- Select Insights from the drop-down menu.
- Navigate to the Activity tab to see website clicks.
Why can’t I tap the link in bio on Instagram?
There could be a few reasons why you can’t tap the link in bio. You’ll need to do some troubleshooting. First, check that you have the latest version of Instagram. Next, check that the URL you added to the website section in your bio is correct.
If those steps don’t work, you’ll need to verify that you’re linking to an approved URL. Instagram has strict rules about the types of links it will support on its site.
Easily create a branded link in bio for your Instagram account
The Bitly Link-in-bio tool helps you make the most of your Instagram bio link. Just create your link using a custom URL, add links to all the content your customers want, and Bitly will turn those links into a streamlined microsite.
Best of all, you can track all your links in one place with Bitly’s analytics Dashboard. With a custom URL and Link-in-bio from Bitly, you can extend the reach of your social media links and drive more traffic to your website.
Turn your links into powerful marketing tools—discover what Bitly can do for you.
