Instagram is rolling out a new feature for adding up to 5 ‘links in bio’ – a feature doomed to rival Linktree, Beacons, and other ‘linking’ apps.
Instagram built a reputation for not letting users share links on their profile or content. But this is changing.
Related | Facebook Probably Owes You Money
Instagram first let users share links via Stories via Swipe-ups and then Stories stickers, but for most of it, users had to use third-party apps to link to content outside of the app itself. But this now changing as the company announced on Tuesday it will now allow users to add up to five links to their Instagram profile bios.
Instagram explains it has been a top request among creators looking to link out to their online businesses, e-commerce platforms, brands they are promoting, causes they care about or simply to brand out to their other profiles on competing platforms. Instagram no doubt sees this new feature as a competitive advantage as its main rival, TikTok continues, for the moment at least, to restrict creators from having multiple links on their profiles, only allowing users to link out to their Instagram and YouTube profiles.
The move will certainly cause “link in bio” apps to reconsider their current strategies, probably focusing more on linking content to actual posts in feeds rather than profiles.
To add more links to your Instagram profile bio, tap “Edit profile,” then “Links,” then “Add eternal link.” You can then drag and drop the links in the order you want them to appear on your profile. It was very easy for me to add links and reorganize them in the order I wanted. But, note that the websites will not open in a separate window but inside the Instagram app.