How to Link an Article on Instagram Story

Sharing an article on your Instagram Story is one of the most direct ways to turn your followers into website visitors, and thankfully, it's easier than ever before. This guide will walk you through exactly how to add a link sticker to your Story, step-by-step, along with simple strategies to get more people to actually click on it.

The Instagram Link Sticker: A Quick Look

You might remember the old days of the "Swipe Up" feature on Instagram Stories. It was a useful tool, but frustratingly limited to accounts that were either verified or had over 10,000 followers. For most small businesses, coaches, and creators, it was an unreachable goal that kept traffic locked away behind an invisible wall.

Fortunately, Instagram retired the "Swipe Up" and replaced it with a much more democratic system: the Link Sticker. This simple sticker is now available to every single account on Instagram, regardless of follower count. It’s a complete game-changer, giving everyone the power to drive followers directly to their blog posts, product pages, new articles, or any other external webpage.

Why does this matter so much? Because it breaks down the barrier between your social media presence and your primary content hub. Instead of just hoping people will navigate to the “link in bio,” you can capture their attention in a visually dynamic Story and give them an on-the-spot call to action they can act on with a single tap.

How to Link an Article on Your Instagram Story (Step-by-Step)

Ready to get started? The process is surprisingly simple. Here’s a breakdown of how to add that powerful little sticker to your next Story.

1. Prepare Your Story Content

First things first, create the visual base for your Story. You can either:

• Take a photo or record a video directly in the Instagram Story camera.
• Upload an image or video from your phone's camera roll. This is perfect for custom graphics you’ve designed in apps like Canva to promote your article.

Think of this visual as the hook. It should be compelling enough to make someone stop scrolling and pay attention before they even see the link.

2. Open the Sticker Tray

Once your photo or video is on the Story-creation screen, look at the icons at the top of your screen. You'll see an icon that looks like a smiling, square-shaped sticky note. This is the sticker tray. Tap it to open up all of Instagram's interactive sticker options.

3. Find and Select the "Link" Sticker

Inside the sticker tray, you’ll see a variety of stickers like "Location," "Mention," "Poll," and "Quiz." Look for one that says “Link”. It's usually near the top with the most popular stickers. Once you find it, give it a tap.

4. Add Your URL and Customize the Sticker Text

This is where you connect your Story to your article. A new screen will appear with two main fields:

• URL: This is where you’ll paste the link to the article you want to share. It's best to copy the link from your browser beforehand so you can easily paste it right in.
• Sticker text (Optional but Recommended): By default, the sticker shows the domain of your website (e.g., yourblog.com). This is boring and not very effective! Tap on "Customize sticker text" and write a clear call to action.

Instead of the plain URL, try something specific and engaging like:

• "READ THE FULL ARTICLE"
• "GET THE 5 TIPS HERE"
• "SEE THE NEW POST"
• "TOUR THE PROJECT"

When you're happy with your URL and text, tap "Done."

5. Place and Customize Your Sticker

You’ll now be taken back to your Story design screen, and the link sticker will be floating over your content. You can treat it just like any other sticker:

• Move it: Tap and drag it to the best spot on your screen.
• Resize it: Use two fingers to pinch and zoom, making it smaller or larger.
• Rotate it: Twist with two fingers to change its angle.
• Change the color: Just tap the sticker once to cycle through the available color variations (usually blue, white, and black with transparency). Find one that stands out against your background.

6. Finish and Post Your Story

With your link sticker perfectly placed, you can now add any other final touches. Consider adding music, supplementary text, GIFs (like a pointing arrow!), or other stickers to make your Story more dynamic.

When it’s all set, simply hit the "Your Story" button in the bottom left corner to publish it for your followers to see and tap.

Getting People to Actually Click: Strategies to Boost Your Story Traffic

Just because you add a link doesn't mean people will click it. The real art is in creating a Story that encourages them to take action. Here are a few proven strategies to increase your link clicks and drive meaningful traffic.

Use Compelling Visuals

Your background image or video is the ad for your link. A grainy, poorly lit photo or a confusing graphic won't make anyone want to learn more. Use high-quality, eye-catching visuals. This could be:

• A stunning photo from your latest travel blog post.
• A bright, clean graphic with the headline of your article.
• A short, silent video showing a "before and after" related to your article's topic.
• A picture of the final product from a recipe you're sharing.

Provide a Crystal-Clear Call to Action (CTA)

Don't assume people know what you want them to do. You have to tell them! Combine the sticker with other elements that command attention:

• Use On-Screen Text: Add text that literally says, "Tap the link above to read more!"
• Add GIFs: Search for GIFs like "Tap Here," "Click," or arrows and point them directly at your link sticker. You can’t overdo this - subtlety doesn't work well in a busy Story feed.
• Talk to the Camera: If you're comfortable on video, there's nothing more effective than speaking directly to your audience. Briefly explain what your article is about and why they should read it, then finish with a simple, "I’ve linked it right here. Tap the sticker to check it out."

Tease the Content to Create Curiosity

Give your followers a reason to click by creating a "curiosity gap." Share just enough information to get them interested but leave them wanting more. Don't reveal the whole story in your... well, Story.

• Example (Recipe Blog): "This brownie recipe has a secret ingredient that makes it unforgettable. Find out what it is in the full post!"
• Example (Marketing Guide): "We analyzed 100 top-performing brands and found one common mistake they all avoid. See what it is in our new guide."
• Example (Listicle): Show a picture for #7 on your list of "10 Must-Visit Cafes" and ask, "Guess where this is? See the full list in our blog post linked here!"

By framing the content as a solution to a problem or an answer to a question, you give people a powerful incentive to click.

Remember Your Story Insights

Don’t just post and forget. Head into your professional dashboard (if you have a Business or Creator account) and look at your Story Insights. Instagram shows you exactly how many "Link Clicks" each Story frame received. Pay attention to what works! You might notice that videos get you 3x more clicks than static graphics, or that a certain CTA gets a better response. Use this data to refine your approach over time.

Link Sticker Not Showing Up? Here's What to Do

Sometimes tech just doesn't cooperate. If you’ve followed the steps above and still can’t find the link sticker, here are a few things to try.

Update Your Instagram App

This is the most common fix. Features often don’t appear if you’re running an old version of the app. Head to the App Store or Google Play Store and check for an Instagram update.

Log Out and Back In

The classic "turn it off and on again" solution works wonders. Try fully signing out of your Instagram account and then signing back in. This often clears up minor glitches and forces the app to refresh.

Check Your Account Status

In rare cases, accounts that have recently violated Instagram's Community Guidelines may temporarily lose access to certain features, including stickers. You can check your "Account Status" in your account settings.

Be Patient or Contact Support

When a new feature rolls out, it sometimes takes a while to reach every single account. If none of the above fixes work, your final option is to contact Instagram's help center for support.

Final Thoughts

The Instagram Link Sticker unlocks one of the platform's most valuable features for anyone looking to build a brand or business online. By consistently pairing great Story content with a clear call to action, you can create a reliable system for converting your casual Instagram followers into loyal readers, customers, and community members on your own website.

Of course, a powerful strategy relies on consistent execution. Many older social media tools weren’t built for a world dominated by Stories and Reels, and we often found ourselves fighting clunky interfaces or dealing with unreliable posting for video content. We built Postbase from the ground up for today's visual-first reality, with a focus on a simple planning calendar and scheduling that handles video formats natively - so you can visually plan and schedule your Story without it failing to post or losing connection.