Instagram has finally launched one of its most requested features, giving users the ability to add up to five links in their profile bio, expanding its capacity to drive traffic. The update makes it easier for creators and other users to highlight their passions, bring awareness to causes they care about, promote brands they love, showcase their personal business, and more.
Previously, accounts were only able to add one link to their profile. This limitation drove usage for third-party link aggregator tools such as Linktree. Now, Instagram’s new native function means that fewer users will need to use such workarounds.
The new feature provides advertisers and brands with an opportunity to increase traffic to their websites, ecommerce stores, and other online platforms. With the ability to add multiple links, businesses can more effectively promote their brand, products and services to potential customers, and can potentially increase engagement and conversions.
To add multiple links to your IG profile, head to ‘Edit profile’ > ‘Links’ > ‘Add external link’. From there, you can drag and drop to order your links as you’d like them to appear in the app.
Your Instagram bio will now display how many links you have available, via profile linking. When tapped, users will then get a Linktree-like overview of the various link options that you’ve enabled. This update may hurt Linktree and other similar tools that enable branding options and more link display options.
However, some of these third-party tools enable branding options that could still act as an enticement, along with more link display options. It’s also become such a standard behavior now that users don’t find it jarring, so some businesses will stick with third-party link tools, even with this new capacity available.
The ability to add multiple links to a profile is available to all accounts, including business and creator accounts. In initial tests, there were no issues linking to competing platforms like TikTok or YouTube. Instagram also offers users the option to link their Facebook profiles using a dedicated linking option, which displays a professional-looking rounded Facebook icon and accompanying text. However, external links do not include any special customizations, such as small icons.
The links do not open in a separate browser window but within the Instagram app itself. Users who want to switch to their built-in browser, like Safari or Chrome, must tap the three-dot menu at the top of the page and select open in the system browser.
Instagram’s decision to finally address the demand for increased access to bio links may be a response to criticism of TikTok’s stricter limitations. TikTok currently only allows clickable links in bios for business accounts, making it difficult for regular users and creators to direct followers to other websites.
The increased link limit is one of the most requested features on Instagram, and the app has been testing it since 2021. The new feature is available now, and users can take advantage of it to promote their brand or showcase their work.
