How to Embed a Link in an Instagram Story

Adding a clickable link to your Instagram Story is one of the most powerful tools you have for driving traffic off the platform. Whether you want to send followers to a new blog post, a product page, or your latest YouTube video, the link sticker transforms your Story from a passive piece of content into a direct conversion driver. This guide will walk you through exactly how to embed a link, along with strategies to encourage your community to actually click it.

The Instagram Link Sticker: A Welcome Change for Everyone

For years, the ability to add links to Instagram Stories was a privilege reserved for verified accounts or those with more than 10,000 followers. They used the exclusive "Swipe Up" feature, a coveted tool that smaller creators and businesses couldn't access. However, in late 2021, Instagram retired the "Swipe Up" and replaced it with something far better: the Link Sticker.

The best part? The Link Sticker is available to every single account on Instagram. It doesn't matter if you have ten followers or ten million. This change democratized the flow of traffic, giving everyone the ability to connect their audience with content off the app. It's no longer a feature for the elite, it's a fundamental tool for anyone looking to build a brand, share their work, or grow their business on Instagram.

How to Add a Link to Your Instagram Story (Step-by-Step)

Embedding a link is a straightforward process built right into the sticker functionality you already use for polls, quizzes, and GIFs. Here’s how to do it in just a few taps.

Step 1: Create Your Story

Open the Instagram app and swipe right from your feed or tap your profile picture with the blue plus icon to access the Story editor. You can either take a new photo or video right at that moment, or you can swipe up to choose an existing piece of content from your phone's camera roll. Put some thought into the background image or video - it should be visually engaging and relevant to the link you're about to share.

Step 2: Access the Sticker Tray

Once your photo or video is loaded into the Story editor, look at the icons at the top of your screen. Tap the sticker icon (it looks like a square smiley face). This will open up the sticker tray, which houses all of Instagram’s interactive features like location tags, mentions, questions, music, and more.

Step 3: Select the "Link" Sticker

Scroll through the options until you find the sticker labeled "LINK." You can also use the search bar at the top of the sticker tray and simply type "link" to find it immediately. Tap on it to proceed.

Step 4: Add Your URL and Customize the Text

This is the most important part. A new screen will appear with two fields:

• URL: This is where you'll paste the full web address you want to send people to. Be sure to copy the link from your browser beforehand and paste it here accurately.
• Sticker text: By default, the sticker will just display the website's domain (e.g., yourwebsite.com). However, you can and absolutely should customize this. Instead of the raw URL, make the text a direct call-to-action.

For example, instead of "mycoolblog.com/new-post," you should change the sticker text to something like "READ THE NEW POST" or "GET THE RECIPE HERE." This custom text makes it much clearer what the user will get by tapping the link. Once you've added your URL and custom text, tap "Done."

Step 5: Place, Resize, and Style Your Sticker

The link sticker will now appear on your Story, ready to be manipulated like any other element. You can:

• Move it: Drag and drop it anywhere on the screen.
• Resize it: Use two fingers to pinch and zoom to make it bigger or smaller.
• Change its color: Simply tap the sticker to cycle through the available color options (typically a variation of blue, white, black, and rainbow). Choose a color that stands out against your background.

Place it in a spot that’s easy to see and tap. Avoid putting it too close to the very top or bottom of the Story, as parts of the Instagram interface can sometimes overlap there, making it difficult to tap.

Step 6: Finish and Post Your Story

With your link sticker perfectly placed, you can now add any other creative elements you want - text, GIFs, music, or mentions. When you're happy with how it looks, tap "Your Story" in the bottom-left corner to publish it.

Best Practices: Getting People to Actually Click Your Link

Just adding a link sticker isn't enough, you have to entice your audience to tap it. The goal is to make clicking an easy and obvious next step. Here are some proven strategies to boost your click-through rate.

Don't Hide the Link: Use Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Your followers aren't mind-readers. You need to explicitly tell them what to do. Use other Story features to draw attention directly to your link sticker.

• Create guiding text: Add text with an arrow pointing to the link sticker, saying something like, "Tap here to shop the collection!" or "The full video is just one click away."
• Use GIFs: Search the GIF library for terms like "tap here," "click," or "link in story." Animated GIFs are excellent at catching the eye and reinforcing your call-to-action.
• Speak directly: If your Story includes a video of you talking to the camera, physically point to where the sticker will be on the screen and say, "You can sign up using the link right here." This direct guidance is incredibly effective.

Create Curiosity: Tease the Value Behind the Link

Why should someone leave the comfort of the Instagram app to visit your link? You have to give them a reason. Don't just post a product photo and a link, tell a story first.

• For a blog post: On the Story slide before the link, use the Q&A sticker to ask, "What are you struggling with when it comes to X?" Then, on the next slide, say, "I answer all of this in my new blog post!" and add the link.
• For a product: Share a video of the product in use, show customer testimonials, or explain the problem it solves. Build up desire before presenting the opportunity to "Shop Now."
• For a video: Share a 15-second "trailer" or a compelling clip from the full video. Hook them with a great moment, then direct them to your YouTube channel or website via the link to see the rest.

Design Matters: Make Your Sticker Stand Out

Visual friction can kill your click-through rate. If your link sticker is small, poorly placed, or camouflaged against a busy background, people will just tap past it. Think about the design of your Story with the link in mind.

• Use contrast: Place the sticker against a solid, contrasting background so it's easy to read. If your background image is busy, you can use the drawing tool to create a semi-transparent colored box behind the sticker to make it pop.
• Think about placement: Don't place the link where people usually tap to advance to the next Story (the right side of the screen) or go back (the left side). A central location is often best. Also, keep it away from the bottom of the screen where the "send message" bar appears.
• Keep it simple: Don't crowd the link sticker with too many other GIFs and interactive elements. Let the link and its CTA be the primary focus of the Story frame.

5 Creative Ways to Use the Link Sticker

Looking for some inspiration? Here are a few practical ways you can leverage the link sticker to meet your goals.

1. Promote Your Latest Content: The most common and effective use. Finished a new blog post? Recorded a podcast episode? Published a YouTube video? Use a Story link to send your Instagram audience directly to it moments after it goes live.
2. Drive E-commerce Sales: Launching a new product or collection? Announcing a sale? Link directly to the relevant product page or sales category on your website. This removes friction and makes it much easier for people to buy from you.
3. Build Your Email List: Direct users to a landing page where they can sign up for your newsletter. You can entice them by offering a freebie, like a downloadable guide, a checklist, or a discount code in exchange for their email.
4. Sell Event Tickets: If you're hosting a webinar, a workshop, or a live event, use the link sticker to take people directly to the registration or ticket purchasing page on platforms like Eventbrite or your own site.
5. Get Feedback or Gather Data: Need input from your audience? Link out to a Google Form or a Typeform survey to collect feedback, testimonials, or applications.

Final Thoughts

The Instagram link sticker is an indispensable tool for connecting your Story viewers to the rest of your brand's ecosystem. By pairing a clear call-to-action with compelling content that makes people want to click, you can efficiently drive traffic, sales, and signups directly from your Stories.

As your social media strategy evolves, planning and scheduling your Stories in advance becomes a huge time-saver. We built Postbase with a video-first approach, recognizing that Stories and Reels are the core of modern social engagement. Our platform allows you to visually plan your content calendar and schedule Instagram Stories ahead of time, ensuring your campaigns, links, and CTAs go live exactly when they need to - without the daily stress of manual posting.