How to Get Swipe Up on Instagram

Looking to drive traffic from your Instagram Stories? You’ve likely heard of the famous Swipe Up feature, a powerful tool once reserved for the platform's elite. Well, a lot has changed. The Swipe Up is gone, but it's been replaced with something even better: the Link Sticker, and it's available to everyone. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add a clickable link to your Story and offer actionable strategies to get your audience tapping through.

What Happened to the Swipe Up Feature on Instagram?

For years, the ability to add a direct link to an Instagram Story was a coveted feature, only granted to verified accounts or those with more than 10,000 followers. Brands, influencers, and creators worked tirelessly to hit that magic number to unlock this traffic-driving superpower. But in late 2021, Instagram retired the Swipe Up feature entirely.

They replaced it with the Link Sticker. While the functionality is similar - allowing you to send viewers to an external website - it came with one massive, game-changing update: the 10,000 follower requirement was completely removed.

This was huge news. A feature that was once exclusive became democratized, giving artists, small business owners, and up-and-coming creators access to the same powerful tool as major brands. The sticker format also offers more creative freedom, allowing you to place it anywhere on your Story, resize it, and customize the text - something the old Swipe Up function couldn't do.

How to Add a Link Sticker to Your Instagram Story: A Step-by-Step Guide

Putting a link in your Story is simple once you know where to look. Here’s a quick walkthrough to get you started.

1. Open Instagram and Create Your Story. Start by tapping the plus icon (+) on your homepage or swiping right to open the Story camera. You can take a new photo or video, or swipe up to select content from your camera roll. Get your visual ready first before adding any elements.
2. Tap the Sticker Icon. Once your photo or video is loaded into the Story editor, look at the row of icons at the top of your screen. Tap the one that looks like a smiling, square-shaped sticky note. This will open the sticker tray where you'll find GIFs, polls, quizzes, and more.
3. Select the "Link" Sticker. In the sticker tray, you should see an option labeled "LINK". If you don’t see it right away, you can use the search bar at the top of the tray and type in "link" to find it. Tap on it to proceed.
4. Enter Your URL and Customize the Text. A new screen will appear asking you to add your link.
   • In the "URL" field, paste the full web address you want your audience to visit (e.g., https://www.yourwebsite.com/blog/new-post). After you paste the link, a validation check often confirms it works.
   • Directly below that, you'll see a field for "Sticker text." This is your chance to create a clear call-to-action (CTA). Instead of displaying the clunky URL, you can write something engaging like "Shop the Collection," "Read the Full Article," or "Get Your Free Guide!"
5. Place and Style Your Sticker. After you tap "Done," the sticker will appear on your Story. Now you can place it anywhere on the screen! Use your fingers to pinch to resize it or rotate it. You can also tap the sticker to cycle through different color variations (usually white, black, or a subtle rainbow gradient) to make sure it stands out against your background.
6. Share Your Story. Add any other text, GIFs, or elements to finish your Story, and then post it for your followers to see. Now, when viewers see your Story, they can simply tap the sticker to be taken directly to your chosen link.

Strategies to Get More Clicks on Your Instagram Story Links

Simply adding a link isn't enough, you need to convince people to tap it. A bland sticker floating on a static image rarely performs well. Here are some proven strategies to make your Link Stickers more effective and boost your click-through rate.

1. Make Your Call-to-Action Impossible to Miss

Don't assume your audience will automatically notice the small sticker. You need to guide their attention. Think of the Link Sticker as the final destination and your creative elements as the map pointing to it.

• Use Visual Cues: Add animated GIFs of arrows pointing to the sticker or phrases like "Tap Here." You can search the GIF library for "tap" or "click" to find plenty of options.
• Add Text Overlays: Write a bold, clear message directly on the screen, such as "Link in this sticker!" or "Click below to learn more."
• Speak Directly to Your Audience: If you're creating a video Story, talk directly into the camera and tell people exactly what you want them to do. Saying "Tap the little link sticker right here to get the full recipe" is incredibly effective.

2. Build Curiosity and Offer Clear Value

People need a compelling reason to leave the comfort of the Instagram app. Your Story's job is to build a "curiosity gap" or a promise of value that only a click can fulfill.

• Tease Your Content: If you're linking to a blog post, don't summarize the whole article in your Story. Instead, share an interesting fact, a surprising statistic, or a controversial opinion and tell them the full context is "in the link." For example: "I tried the 3 top-rated moisturizers... and the one everyone loves was the worst for my skin. Full review linked."
• Create a Sense of Urgency: If you're promoting a sale or limited-time offer, make that clear. A sticker text like "24-Hour Flash Sale!" or "Last Chance to Sign Up" encourages immediate action.
• Promise a Solution: Frame your link as the answer to a problem. A nutritionist might share a Story about common bloating triggers and link to their article with the sticker "Foods that Beat the Bloat."

3. Be Strategic With Placement (Don't Hide It!)

Where you place the sticker on your screen matters more than you might think. Be mindful of Instagram's built-in user interface elements that might cover up your link.

• Avoid placement at the very top of the screen, where it might interfere with your username and profile picture.
• Avoid placement at the bottom of the screen, where the "Send Message" field can obscure it.
• Place it in a high-contrast area where it is easy to read. If your background is visually busy, consider adding a solid-colored block behind the sticker to make it pop.

4. Check and Optimize Your Destination Page

The user experience doesn't end with the tap. If you send followers to a slow, confusing, or non-mobile-friendly website, they'll bounce immediately, and you’ll lose their trust. Before you post, make sure your destination page is:

• Mobile-Friendly: Over 98% of Instagram users access the platform from a mobile device. Your landing page must look and function perfectly on a small screen.
• Fast-Loading: If your page takes more than a few seconds to load, you've already lost them.
• Relevant: The content on the landing page should directly match the promise you made in your Story. Don't promise a recipe and link to a generic homepage.

Troubleshooting: I Don't Have the Link Sticker!

Feeling left out because you can't find the Link Sticker in your sticker tray? In most cases, this is an easy fix. Here are a few things to try:

• Update Your Instagram App. This is the most common solution. Social media apps update constantly, and having an outdated version means you might be missing the latest features. Head to the App Store or Google Play Store and check for an Instagram update.
• Log Out and Log Back In. The classic "turn it off and on again" technique works wonders. Try completely logging out of your Instagram account and then logging back in to reset the connection.
• Check Your Account Status. In rare cases, accounts that have repeatedly violated Instagram's Community Guidelines might temporarily lose access to certain features. This usually applies to sharing spam, misinformation, or other prohibited content.

If you've tried all of the above and still can't see the sticker, give it another day or two. While the rollout is nearly complete globally, sometimes there are minor delays for certain accounts or regions.

Final Thoughts

The transition from the selective Swipe Up feature to the universally available Link Sticker was a major leap forward for creators and small businesses on Instagram. It provides a simple yet powerful way to connect your engaged audience with your website, products, and other valuable content. By creating compelling prompts and following a few simple best practices, you can finally turn your Story viewers into loyal subscribers, readers, and customers.

Of course, managing a great Story strategy involves more than just adding links now and then, it takes consistent planning and analysis to see what sticks. To keep our content from feeling chaotic, we use Postbase to plan everything in one visual calendar, from Reels and feed posts to the Stories that support them. This allows us to map out campaigns ahead of time and get a single, clear view of all our analytics, helping us turn what we learn into smarter content, faster.