The Easiest Way to Add Multiple Links to Your Instagram Bio
/Since its inception, Instagram has not allowed users to include clickable links in captions. The result is the infamous ‘link in bio’ culture, where individuals and businesses alike encourage their audience to visit their bio and click the one link there to follow through on the desired call to action. Because Instagram only permitted one link in a user’s bio, a few different workarounds arose so users could drive their followers to multiple different calls to action. Some people optimized their Instagram bio by using third-party tools like Linktree; others (myself included) advocated for creating a hidden landing page on your own website.
Now, neither of those options is necessary, because in spring 2023, Instagram added the ability for users to include up to 5 links in their bio. It’s quick, easy, and effective! Here’s how to set it up:
Go to your profile and tap the ‘Edit profile’ button.
Tap ‘Links,’ then ‘Add external link’ and add your desired URL.
Add a title for the URL so it doesn’t just display the ugly URL.
Tap Done, then the back arrow, then Done again to save your changes.
What if I want to remove a link?
To remove a link, tap the link and tap ‘Remove link.’ Simple and easy! Remember to always keep your links up to date. If you have a time-sensitive campaign, make sure to remove that link as soon as the campaign ends. You don’t want a cluttered mess of links or followers getting confused by an outdated call to action.
How do I reorder links?
Instagram has made it straightforward to reorder your links! On the links screen, tap the ‘...’ in the upper right corner, then tap ‘Reorder links’ at the bottom. From there, you can tap and hold on any link, then drag it up or down and drop it into the preferred position. When you’re all set, hit ‘Done.’ I’d recommend putting your most important link at the top of the list–anything urgent or time sensitive. Something evergreen and easy to find, like your website, can live at the bottom of the list.
Is this really better than using Linktree?
It’s hard to say if this provides a genuine advantage in terms of Instagram’s fickle algorithms. I can’t guarantee that your content will perform better because you’re using Instagram’s 5 link-feature instead of a third-party site like Linktree, but Instagram has been known to favor folks for doing things their way.
Overall, I think Instagram’s built-in option is better because:
Linktree is rented real estate. They could crash or go out of business at any time. Plus, I’ve seen so many outdated Linktrees–updating them is just one more step in social media content creation. Updating things right in Instagram is simpler, and Instagram probably likes it too.
I’ve always preferred having a links landing page right on my own website, but that’s a pain to keep updated, too. For example, every time I wrote a new blog post, I would update the hidden links page accordingly–yet another step in a long process of creating content for this blog. Now, I have a link on my Instagram bio that goes right to this blog, so when I promote a new blog post, it’s easy to access without making changes on the back end of my site.
Some of this will boil down to personal preference. I’m sure a handful of folks will want to cling to Linktree because it’s what they know…but at the same time, I think many people don’t know that Instagram has made this change. But now you know! I hope you find it useful in optimizing your own Instagram.
Keep learning about Instagram through these past posts:
For more strategic guidance on all things Instagram, book a consultation with me.