How to Copy a Facebook Story Link

Trying to share a link to a Facebook Story seems like it should be simple, but it can be surprisingly tricky. Whether you want to send your own masterpiece to a friend on WhatsApp or save a link for your content swipe file, getting that URL isn't always obvious. This guide breaks down exactly how to copy a Facebook Story link, clarifies what's possible (and what isn't), and provides practical workarounds for when a direct link isn't an option.

First Things First: Why Copy a Facebook Story Link?

Before getting into the steps, it helps to know why you might need a direct link. The ephemeral, 24-hour nature of Stories makes them powerful for in-the-moment connection, but sometimes you need to break them out of that cycle. Here are a few common reasons to grab that link:

• Cross-Platform Sharing: You want to send your Story to someone who isn't super active on Facebook, like in a text message, Slack channel, Discord server, or email newsletter.
• Content Repurposing: You want to save the link in your notes or a content planning tool to repurpose the idea or format later on for a Reel, TikTok, or other platform.
• Client Approvals and Team Collaboration: If you're a social media manager, you might need to send a direct link to a client or team member for review before the Story expires.
• Customer Support: A customer might have sent you a Story showing an issue with a product, and an internal support team might need the direct link to view it.
• Saving Your Favorites: You see a Story from a creator you admire and want to save the link for inspiration down the road (we'll cover the challenges with this later).

Understanding your goal will help you pick the right method, especially when dealing with privacy restrictions.

The Easiest Method: How to Copy a Link to Your Own Facebook Story

Facebook makes it incredibly straightforward to get a direct link to a Story that you have posted. The link will work as long as the Story is live (within its 24-hour window) and will respect your Story's privacy settings. For example, if your Story is set to "Friends," only your friends who are logged into Facebook will be able to view it through the link.

Here’s the step-by-step process for the Facebook mobile app (for both iOS and Android).

1. Open the Facebook app and find your Story. Your current Story will appear at the very beginning of the Stories tray at the top of your News Feed, labeled "Your Story." Tap it to open it.
2. Access the menu options. While your Story is playing, look for the three-dot menu icon (...). It's usually located in the top-right corner of the screen. Tap it to open a list of options.
3. Find the "Copy Link" option. In the menu that pops up from the bottom, you should see an option that says "Copy Link to Share This Story" or simply "Copy Link." Tap on it.
4. Your link is copied! The link is now copied to your device's clipboard. You can paste it anywhere you like - a text message, an email, a notes app, or your team's project management tool. A confirmation message, like a small "Link Copied" pop-up, will briefly appear on your screen.

That's all there is to it. The link will typically look something like this: https://www.facebook.com/stories/USER_ID/STORY_ID/. Anyone with the link who also has permission to see your Story can click it and be taken directly to it inside the Facebook app or website.

What About Stories in Your Archive?

Once a Story expires after 24 hours, it's saved to your private Story Archive (if you have this feature enabled in your settings). Unfortunately, you cannot get a shareable link for an archived Story. The "Copy Link" option disappears once a Story is no longer public. The archive is for your personal viewing only, although you can re-share it as a new Story, add it to your Highlights, or save the photo or video to your device.

The Big Question: Can You Copy Someone Else's Facebook Story Link?

This is where things get complicated, and for a good reason: privacy.

In short, you cannot directly copy a link to someone else’s Facebook Story using the same method described above. When you view another person's Story and tap the three-dot menu, the "Copy Link" option simply will not be there. This is an intentional design choice by Meta to protect user privacy and maintain the intimate, temporary feel of Stories. It prevents users from easily circulating links to private or friends-only content outside of its intended audience.

So, what can you do when you want to share a great Story made by another person or brand? You need to use a few workarounds.

3 Smart Workarounds for Sharing Someone Else's Story

While you can't grab a direct URL, you still have options for sharing or saving content from another user's Story. The best method depends on their privacy settings and what you're trying to accomplish.

1. Use the "Share" Button (for Public Stories)

If a person or Page has their account set to public and has enabled sharing permissions on their Story, Facebook provides a built-in sharing feature.

Here's how to use it:

• While viewing the Story, look for a paper airplane icon, usually at the bottom-right of the screen. This is the "Send" or "Share" button.
• If you see this icon, tap it. You'll be given options to share the story with your friends on Messenger or, in some cases, add it to your own story.
• If you share it to your Story, it will appear as an embedded mention, linking back to the original creator. This is a great way to give credit and drive traffic to their profile.

Keep in mind: If you don't see the paper airplane icon, the user has disabled sharing permissions for that Story, and this method won't work.

2. Copy the Link to Their Profile or Page

This is a clever and simple workaround when you just want to direct someone to a particular person's or brand's current Stories. Instead of linking to the specific Story, you link to their profile, and the person can tap on their profile picture to see their active Stories.

Here's the process:

1. Navigate to the person's profile or the business Page that posted the Story.
2. Find the three-dot menu icon (...). On a personal profile, it's usually below their profile picture. On a page, it's typically near the "Like" and "Follow" buttons.
3. Tap the menu icon, and at the bottom, you'll see a section with the profile/page URL and an option to "Copy Link."
4. Paste this link into your message and add a quick instruction like, "Check out their latest Story! Just click the link and tap their profile picture."

This is the most reliable way to guide someone to a series of Stories when direct sharing or linking isn't available.

3. Screenshot or Screen Record (Use With Caution)

For personal reference or inspiration gathering, the simplest method is often just to take a screenshot (for a static image) or a screen recording (for a video). This is perfect for your own swipe file.

• For images: Use your phone’s native screenshot function (e.g., press the Power + Volume Down button on many Androids, or Power + Volume Up on newer iPhones).
• For videos: Use your phone’s built-in screen recorder feature. Simply start the recording before the video Story plays and stop it once it's done.

A word of caution: Be mindful of privacy and copyright. Sharing someone's screenshot or recording publicly without their permission is generally bad form and can sometimes be a copyright violation, especially for professional content. Also, on some platforms (though less common on Facebook), the original poster might get a notification that you've screenshotted their content.

Troubleshooting: Common Questions and Issues

Why can't I find the 'Copy Link' option?

Remember, the "Copy Link" button only appears for your own active Stories. If you are viewing a Story from a friend, a Page, or one in your own archive, that option will not be available.

My friend says my Story link doesn't work. Why?

This is almost always a privacy settings issue. A Story link respects the audience you selected when you posted. If your Story is set to "Friends," anyone who isn't on your friends list will get an error message or a "Content Not Found" page. To make it publicly viewable, you would need to adjust your Story's privacy settings to "Public."

How long does a Facebook Story link work for?

The link is only valid for as long as the Story is live - which is 24 hours from when it was first posted. After that, the link will expire and will no longer direct to the content.

Final Thoughts

In the end, copying your own Facebook Story link is a simple task that you can find within the three-dot menu. However, sharing someone else's requires a bit more savvy due to Facebook’s privacy-first approach. By using built-in sharing features, linking to a profile, or taking a screenshot, you can almost always achieve your goal of sharing or saving compelling Story content.

Managing a consistent stream of content like Facebook Stories, especially video-heavy formats, is at the heart of any modern social media strategy. To take the chaos out of planning and scheduling all this for multiple platforms, we designed Postbase. Because we know firsthand how clunky older tools feel for creating Reels, TikToks, and Stories, we built a visual calendar and rock-solid scheduling system from the ground up that makes managing your video content feel effortless, not frustrating. It helps you stay organized across all your accounts so you can focus on creating more great content that people will want to share.