How to Share an Instagram Profile

Found an incredible Instagram profile you want to share with a friend, a client, or your own audience on another platform? Getting that profile link or QR code is easier than you think. This guide breaks down every way to share an Instagram profile, from sending it in a DM to using it strategically to grow your own following.

Why Share an Instagram Profile?

Sharing isn't just about showing a friend a cool account. It's a foundational part of networking and growth on social media. You might share a profile to:

• Recommend a creator or brand to a friend: The simplest and most common reason. You see something you like and want someone else to see it, too.
• Credit a collaborator or partner: When working with others, sharing their profile is a professional way to give credit and drive traffic their way.
• Cross-promote your own profile: To grow your Instagram account, you need to tell people about it! Sharing your own profile on other social networks, in your email signature, or on your website is a powerful strategy.
• Source User-Generated Content (UGC): Praising a customer's great post by sharing their profile is an excellent way to build community and show appreciation.

Whatever your reason, Instagram gives you multiple ways to get it done. Let's look at the methods, one by one.

Method 1: Using the Built-In QR Code

Instagram's QR code feature is one of the quickest and most versatile ways to share a profile, especially in person or on printed materials. Instead of spelling out a username, someone can just scan the code with their phone's camera to go directly to the profile.

How to Find and Share a Profile's QR Code:

1. Open the Instagram app and navigate to the profile you want to share (it can be yours or someone else's).
2. Tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. From the menu that appears, select QR Code.
4. Instagram will generate a custom QR code for that profile. You can even tap the button at the top of the screen to change its color or style to match your brand's aesthetic.

From this screen, you have two primary options:

• Let someone scan it in person: If you're with someone, they can open their phone's camera, point it at your screen, and a link to the profile will pop up.
• Save or share the image: Tap Save to Camera Roll or use the share icon at the top right to send the QR code image via text, email, AirDrop, or any other app.

When is this method most useful?

• Business cards and flyers: Add the QR code to your printed marketing materials for a direct digital link.
• In-person events and presentations: Put the QR code on a slide at the end of your talk so the audience can follow you instantly.
• Retail stores or cafes: Display a framed QR code at your checkout counter to encourage follows from happy customers.

Method 2: Sharing a Profile Directly Within Instagram

If you want to share an account with another Instagram user, the most direct way is through a Direct Message (DM) or by sharing it to your Story.

How to Share a Profile in a Direct Message (DM):

1. Go to the profile you wish to share.
2. Tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Share this profile from the menu.
4. A list of your followers will appear. You can select one or more people to send it to. Use the search bar to find someone quickly if you have a lot of followers.
5. Optionally, write a message to go along with the profile share.
6. Tap Send. The recipient will get a message with a clickable preview of the account.

Pro Tip: You can also quickly share a profile while directly inside a DM chat by typing @ followed by the username (e.g., @postbase). As you type, a list of users will appear. Tapping the correct one will create a permanent, clickable link to their profile within the chat.

How to Share a Profile to Your Instagram Story:

1. Navigate to the profile you want to feature.
2. Tap the three dots (...) and select Share this profile.
3. At the bottom of the sharing screen, you'll see an option: Add to story. Tap it.
4. This will generate a special Story sticker with a preview of the profile. You can resize it, move it, and add text, GIFs, or other stickers to give context.
5. When your followers view your Story, they can tap on the sticker to visit that profile directly. This is a very popular method for featuring partners, shouting out favorite accounts, or cross-promoting other brands you own.

Method 3: Getting the Profile Link to Share Anywhere

Sometimes you need the raw profile URL to paste into a website, an email, or another social media bio. This is where copying the link manually comes in handy.

Actionable Steps for Copying the Profile URL:

1. Head to the specific Instagram profile.
2. Again, tap the three dots (...) icon in the top right.
3. From the menu, choose Copy profile URL.
4. The link (which will look like https://www.instagram.com/username) is now copied to your clipboard. You can paste it anywhere you like by long-pressing on a text field and selecting "Paste."

Once you have the link, you can use it to:

• Add it to your other social media bios: Drop your Instagram link in your bio on X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, or Facebook to funnel your audience between platforms.
• Include it in your email signature: It's a professional, non-intrusive way to promote your social presence in every email you send.
• Hyperlink it on your blog or website: Add social media icons to your website's header or footer that link directly to your profiles.
• Share it directly with anyone: Paste it into a text message, a Slack channel, a WhatsApp chat - anywhere text can be shared.

Method 4: Using Your Phone's Native Share Sheet

This method is very similar to sharing in a DM, but it lets you send the profile to an external app without first copying the link.

How to Use the Universal Share Option:

1. Go to the profile page you want to share.
2. Tap the three-dot menu (...) in the top-right corner.
3. Tap Share this profile.
4. Instead of selecting an Instagram user, look below for the general "Share" option (it may also appear as Share to...).
5. Tapping this will open your phone's native share sheet. This is the menu provided by iOS or Android that lists all your compatible apps.
6. From here, select the app you want to share to, such as your messaging app, email client, WhatsApp, or Slack. Instagram will format a link automatically to be pasted into a new message in the app you select.

This approach saves you the step of manually copying and pasting, making it a slightly faster workflow if your destination is an app on your phone.

Putting It All Together: Strategic Ways to Share Your Own Account

Knowing how to share a profile is only half the battle. As a marketer or a brand builder, you should use these methods strategically to grow your own audience. Here are some actionable ideas:

Embed a Link in Your Email Signature

This is a "set it and forget it" tactic that works around the clock. Add a simple call-to-action like "Follow us on Instagram!" and link it directly to your profile URL. Every email you send becomes a mini-advertisement for your social presence.

Cross-Promote on Your Other Channels

Don't assume someone who follows you on X also follows you on Instagram. Periodically share your Instagram profile link (or QR code!) on your other social accounts. You can create a simple graphic with your QR code and ask your followers to connect with you there for exclusive content.

Add a QR Code to Physical Touchpoints

If you own a brick-and-mortar business, you have many opportunities to convert real-world customers into digital followers. Add your profile's QR code to:

• Receipts
• Packaging
• Menus
• Window displays or A-frame signs
• Business cards

Use It in Collaboration "Shoutouts"

When you partner with another creator or brand, agree to share each other's profiles in your Stories using the "Add to story" feature. It's an authentic endorsement that tells your audience, "This is an account I trust," which is far more effective than just running an ad.

Final Thoughts

Sharing an Instagram profile is a simple action with powerful applications for networking, collaboration, and audience growth. Whether you’re sending a QR code to a new contact, a link to a colleague, or a DM to a friend, you now know every available method to do it quickly and effectively.

Staying on top of your content strategy, which includes cross-promoting your profile across platforms, can feel like a full-time job. Instead of wrestling with spreadsheets to plan your content for Instagram, TikTok, and X, this is exactly why we built Postbase. With its beautiful and clean visual calendar, you can plan out your entire multi-platform strategy at a glance, dragging and dropping posts to schedule them in seconds. It brings order to the chaos and frees up time to focus on creating great content rather than just organizing it.