How to Share a Website on an Instagram Story

Driving traffic from Instagram Stories to your website is one of the most powerful tools in your social media toolkit, and it's easier than ever to do. Forget the old days of needing 10,000 followers - now, anyone can share a direct link to a blog post, product page, or portfolio using the native link sticker. This guide will walk you through the simple step-by-step process and then give you the creative strategies you need to actually get people to tap that link.

How to Share a Website Using the Instagram Link Sticker

In 2021, Instagram replaced the "swipe-up" feature with the much more accessible and versatile link sticker. This feature is available to all accounts, regardless of follower count. It’s an interactive element you can add to your Story, just like a poll or a GIF, and it’s become the primary method for sharing external links within the app.

Here’s the straightforward, step-by-step process to add a clickable link to your Story.

Step 1: Open Instagram Stories and Add Your Content

First, get your Story ready. You can do this in a few ways:

• Tap the plus icon (+) at the top of your home feed or on your profile picture, then select "Story."
• Simply swipe right from your main Instagram feed to open the Story camera.

From here, you can either take a new photo or video on the spot or swipe up to access your camera roll and choose existing content. This image or video will be the background for your link sticker, so choose something that’s relevant, eye-catching, and hints at what the link is about.

Step 2: Access the Sticker Tray and Select the "Link" Sticker

Once your photo or video is in the Story editor, tap the sticker icon (smiley-face square) at the top of your screen. This will open the sticker tray where you find polls, questions, GIFs, music, and more.

Look for the sticker labeled “Link.” It’s usually pretty prominent. Tap on it to proceed.

Step 3: Add Your URL and Customize the Sticker Text

After tapping the "Link" sticker, you'll see two fields:

1. URL: This is where you paste the full web address you want to share. Make sure you copy and paste it accurately. It’s a good idea to double-check for any typos before moving on.
2. Sticker text: This is the clickable text people will see on your Story. By default, it will just show the domain of your website (e.g., yourwebsite.com), but you should absolutely customize this. A strong call-to-action (CTA) here can make a huge difference in your click-through rate.

For example, instead of "yourwebsite.com," use "READ THE FULL POST," "SHOP THE NEW COLLECTION," or "GET YOUR FREE GUIDE." This tells your audience exactly what to expect when they tap.

Step 4: Place and Style Your Sticker on the Story

Once you’ve entered the URL and customized the text, tap "Done." The sticker will now appear on your Story content. You can move, resize, and rotate it just like any other sticker.

• Place it strategically: Make sure it’s in a spot that’s easy to see and tap. Avoid placing it too close to the very top or bottom of the screen, as that’s where interface elements can interfere.
• Pinch to resize: You can make it bigger or smaller to match your Story's design.
• Tap to change color: Tapping the sticker will cycle through a few different color styles (usually blue, white, black, or semi-transparent), allowing you to pick one that has enough contrast to stand out against your background.

Step 5: Finish Editing and Share Your Story

With your link sticker perfectly placed, you can now add any other creative elements you want - text, music, GIFs, or other stickers. When you're happy with how it looks, tap the "Your Story" button at the bottom left to publish it to your followers. That’s it! Your followers can now tap the sticker to go directly to your website.

5 Creative Strategies to Get More Clicks on Your Link Sticker

Just because you can add a link doesn't mean people will click it. The real success of driving website traffic comes from how you frame the link. Dropping a lone sticker on a blank background won’t get you very far. Here are five pro strategies to encourage your audience to tap through.

1. Create Intrigue and Tease Your Content

Don’t give everything away in the story. Your goal is to make people so curious that they have to click to find out more. Think of your story as the trailer and your website as the main movie.

• For a blog post: Show a beautiful photo related to the post and add text like, "I'm sharing my top 5 secrets for [Topic]... full list at the link!" Or, use the quiz sticker to test their knowledge on a topic before directing them to an article that has the answers.
• For a product launch: Post a short, aesthetically pleasing video of your new product in action. The caption? "It's Finally Here. See all the details and be the first to shop."
• For a portfolio: Show a quick time-lapse of you creating something, with the final reveal hidden. Use a CTA like, "See the full project reveal" on the link sticker.

By creating a "to be continued..." feeling, you give people a powerful reason to visit your website.

2. Design a Clear Visual Path to the Link

Don’t let your link sticker get lost in a busy design. Use visual cues to quite literally point your audience in the right direction. Simple design choices can make a huge difference in your click-through rate.

• Use pointing GIFs: Search “tap here,” “click,” or “arrow” in the GIF library. Animated stickers are excellent at catching the eye and directing attention right where you want it.
• Incorporate pointing in your photo/video: Film yourself pointing or looking towards the spot where you plan to place the link sticker. This creates a natural focal point.
• Frame the sticker with text or design elements: Add lines, circles, or blocks of color around the sticker to make it the clear centerpiece of the Story slide. Keep your background simple so the sticker stands out.

3. Use Video to Add a Personal Touch

A static image is good, but a short video is often better. Talking directly to your audience allows you to explain why they should click the link. This personal connection builds trust and increases the likelihood they’ll take your recommendation seriously.

Try recording a 15-second "talking head" video:

"Hey everyone! I just published a brand new blog post breaking down exactly how I planned my recent trip to London. If you're looking for tips on saving money and finding hidden gems, you’re going to love this. The link to read it is right here!"

This approach feels authentic and gives your audience a clear value proposition. It’s far more compelling than a silent image with a sticker on it.

4. Combine the Link Sticker with Other Interactive Elements

Instagram story engagement is a powerful metric. When people interact with your stories, the algorithm is more likely to show your content to them again. You can use this to your advantage by "warming up" your audience with another sticker before you present them with a link.

Try creating a two-part story sequence:

• Story Slide 1: Use a poll or quiz sticker. For example, "Are you planning a trip this year?" with "Yes!" and "Not Yet" as poll options. Or a quiz: "True or False: The best time to book flights is Tuesday."
• Story Slide 2: In the very next slide, address their answers and present your link. "For everyone planning a trip, my new guide has the 10 travel hacks you need to know. Read them all now at the link below!"

By getting them to tap once, you make them more likely to tap again. It also frames your linked content as a direct solution or resource based on their interests.

5. Track Your Clicks with UTM Parameters

Wondering if your efforts are actually working? While Instagram Stories insights will show link taps, you can get much richer data on what users do after they click by using UTM parameters.

UTM parameters are short text codes that you add to a URL to track the performance of campaigns and content. They won’t change the destination of the page, but they will give you detailed information in a tool like Google Analytics.

You can create these for free using Google's Campaign URL Builder. Here's an example:

• Original URL: www.mycoolblog.com/new-post
• UTM-tagged URL: www.mycoolblog.com/new-post?utm_source=instagram&,utm_medium=social&,utm_campaign=blog_launch_promo

Pasting this longer URL into your link sticker will let you see exactly how many people came to your site from that specific Story, allowing you to identify which styles of stories are most effective at driving traffic.

Final Thoughts

Sharing a website on your Instagram Story is a simple, technical process made easy with the link sticker. But turning that shared link into meaningful website traffic requires a bit more thought and creativity. By teasing your content, using strong visual cues, and making your call-to-action irresistible, you can transform your Stories from a passive brand-building tool into a massive traffic driver.

Over here at Postbase, we believe that a great social media strategy depends on being able to plan campaigns seamlessly. We designed our visual calendar so you can map out not just your posts but your entire Story sequences - planning which poll will lead to which link and seeing how it all fits into your content for the week. Since so much traffic now comes from formats like Stories and Reels, our tools were built from the ground up to handle today's video-first reality, making it easy to create, schedule, and analyze the content that matters most to your audience.