How to Include Links in Instagram Posts

Driving your followers from an Instagram post to a specific webpage might be the single biggest challenge on the platform. Since you can't just drop clickable links into your post captions, getting people to your blog, product page, or signup form requires a little strategy. This guide breaks down every effective method for including links in your Instagram posts, from the tried-and-true link in bio to direct shopping tags and Story stickers that convert.

Master the Classic "Link in Bio" Method

The "link in bio" is the original and most common way to direct traffic from Instagram. Your profile bio is one of the few places on the platform where Instagram allows a clickable external link. For this reason, it has become prime real estate for marketers and creators. You'll often see captions end with a call-to-action (CTA) like "Click the link in our bio to read more!" or a simple emoji pointing upwards, 👆, guiding users to your profile page.

This method turns your profile page into home base - a central hub that followers can always visit to find your most important link, whether it's your website homepage, your latest YouTube video, or a new product collection.

How to Add a Link to Your Instagram Bio

Placing a link in your bio is straightforward. Just follow these steps:

1. Navigate to your Instagram profile page.
2. Tap the "Edit Profile" button located below your profile picture and bio text.
3. Find the "Website" field. This is the only field that will make a URL clickable.
4. Paste your desired URL into the "Website" field.
5. Tap "Done" (on iOS) or the checkmark (on Android) in the top-right corner to save your changes.
6. Your link will now appear below your bio. It’s always smart to click it once to make sure it works correctly!

Go Beyond a Single Link with a Landing Page

The main limitation of the bio is that you only get one link. What if you want to promote your latest blog post, a new product, and your newsletter? This is where "link in bio" tools come in. These services provide you with a single, dedicated link that leads to a simple, mobile-friendly landing page where you can host multiple links, buttons, and even embedded media.

Instead of constantly changing your bio link for every new post, you use one permanent link from a service like this. Then, you can just update the landing page with new links as needed. It's a clean solution for directing followers to a variety of content without the hassle of editing your profile every day.

• For Bloggers: You could list links to your five most recent articles.
• For Businesses: You could link to your top-selling products, sale items, and contact page.
• For Creators: You could link to your YouTube channel, Patreon page, and brand collaboration portfolio.

Use Instagram Story Links for Immediate Clicks

Instagram Stories are a powerful, direct path for sending your followers to an external site. In the past, this feature (known as the "swipe up") was only available to accounts with over 10,000 followers. Luckily, Instagram has since replaced it with the "Link Sticker," making it accessible to everyone, regardless of follower count. This was a massive change that unlocked a serious traffic-driving tool for small businesses and creators.

The link sticker is highly visible and incredibly easy for users to interact with. A simple tap is all it takes to open your link, reducing friction and boosting click-through rates significantly compared to the "link in bio" method.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Link Sticker

1. Open the Instagram app and swipe right or tap your profile picture to create a new Story.
2. Upload a photo or video, or create content with the Story camera.
3. Tap the Sticker icon (the square smiley face) at the top of the screen.
4. Select the "Link" sticker from the options.
5. In the "Add link" field, paste your URL and finish by tapping "Done".
6. You can then position the link sticker anywhere on your Story and tap it to change its color scheme to better match your aesthetic.
7. Publish your Story, and you're done!

Pro-Tip: Customize the sticker text! After adding your URL, you can tap on "Customize sticker text" to change what it says. Instead of just showing the URL, you could use a compelling CTA like "Read the Full Post," "Shop the Collection," or "Download Now."

Drive Sales Directly with Instagram Shopping

For e-commerce brands, Instagram Shopping is the most seamless way to create clickable links that lead directly to your product pages. If you've ever seen a post with a small shopping bag icon, you've seen this feature in action. It allows you to tag products in your feed posts, Reels, and Stories just like you would tag a person.

When a user taps on a product tag, a small pop-up appears with the product's name and price. If they tap again, they are taken to the product detail page right inside the Instagram app, where they can see more photos, read the description, and click a button to "View on Website" to complete the purchase.

Getting Started with Instagram Shopping

Setting this up requires a few more steps upfront, but it’s well worth the effort for product-based businesses:

• Have a Business or Creator account: You can't use Shopping features with a personal account.
• A connected Facebook Page: Your Instagram account must be connected to a Facebook Page.
• A product catalog: You'll need to set up a product catalog through Facebook's Commerce Manager or through a supported platform like Shopify or BigCommerce.
• Sell physical goods: Your business must sell eligible physical goods that comply with Instagram's commerce policies.

Once you are approved, you can start tagging products in your content, effectively adding direct, clickable shopping links across the platform.

Get Creative with Alternative Linking Strategies

While the bio, Stories, and Shopping tags are the most common methods, there are other creative strategies you can use to guide followers to your links, especially ones that boost engagement at the same time.

The Power of Conversation: Let Them DM You

You may have seen posts with a call-to-action like, "DM me 'GUIDE' and I'll send you the link!" This strategy is incredibly effective for two reasons:

1. It bypasses a public link: It allows you to send followers unique, time-sensitive, or specific links that you might not want living permanently in your bio.
2. It boosts your engagement: Every direct message is a positive signal to the Instagram algorithm. By encouraging DMs, you're not just providing a service, you're letting the algorithm know that your content sparks conversation, which can lead to higher reach for your posts.

To make this manageable, set up Quick Replies. This feature allows you to create saved responses to common questions. You can save your link in a quick reply and send it instantly whenever someone DMs you the keyword.

Add Action Buttons to Your Profile

These aren't exactly "links" in the traditional sense, but Profile Action Buttons accomplish the same goal: they get users off Instagram and onto a platform where they can take action. These buttons appear prominently on your profile, underneath your bio, for things like:

• Order Food
• Book Now
• Reserve

These buttons connect with third-party services like DoorDash, Grubhub, StyleSeat, or OpenTable. If you run a restaurant, salon, or any service-based business that uses one of Insta's partners, adding an action button is a simple way to convert profile visitors into paying customers.

What About Links in Post Captions?

This is a common point of confusion for newcomers. To put it simply: URLs typed into an Instagram feed post caption are not clickable. Instagram has chosen not to make them hyperlinks. A user would have to manually memorize the link, go to their web browser, and type it in - a process that has a very low success rate.

So why do you still see brands putting plain text URLs in captions? Sometimes it’s to build brand recognition for their main website, like "Find this and more recipes at tastysnacks.com." In other, more rare cases, they might use a shortened, easy-to-remember URL, like bit.ly/SummerSale24, hoping users - especially those on desktop - will make the effort to type it out. However, for getting reliable traffic, always point users toward a path with a clickable link, like your bio, Stories, or DMs.

Final Thoughts

While Instagram limits where you can place clickable links, there are plenty of effective strategies to guide your audience to your website. By using your bio, Story link stickers, product tags, and even your DMs, you can create multiple clear pathways for your followers to connect with your brand off the platform.

We know that managing all these moving parts - planning which content points to which link, getting Stories scheduled consistently, and tracking audience engagement in the DMs - can get complicated. Seeing your entire social strategy at a glance becomes really important. That’s why we built Postbase with a clear visual calendar, so you can map out and schedule your content across all platforms without having to piece it all together in spreadsheets. It lets you step back and see the big picture, making your linking strategy intentional instead of reactive.