How to Add a Link to Your Instagram Story

Instagram Stories have become one of the most powerful tools for engaging your followers and driving traffic to your website, blog, or online store. Whether you’re a content creator, influencer, or business owner, knowing how to add a link to your Instagram Story can significantly boost your marketing efforts .

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about adding a link to an Instagram Story, why it’s important, and how to maximize the impact of your links. By the end, you’ll be an expert at using links in Instagram Stories to drive traffic and engagement to your content !

Why Adding a Link to Instagram Stories is Important

Instagram Stories are temporary by nature — they disappear after 24 hours — but the engagement they generate can have a lasting effect. One of the biggest advantages of Instagram Stories is the ability to direct your audience to external links, such as your website, product pages, blog posts, or other social media platforms .

If you’re not taking advantage of the ability to add a link to your Instagram Story, you’re missing out on a significant opportunity to :

• Increase traffic to your website or online store.

• Drive conversions, whether it’s a sale, newsletter signup or app download.

• Engage your audience in a more meaningful way by offering direct access to your content .

How to Add a Link to Your Instagram Story: Step-by-Step Guide

Adding a link to your Instagram Story is pretty straightforward once you know the process. Instagram has implemented different ways to do this, depending on your account type and region. We’ll cover the most common methods, as well as some requirements and tips for success .

Method 1: Using Link Sticker (For All Users)

Instagram has replaced the old “Swipe Up” feature with the new Link Sticker. This is available to all Instagram users, including personal, business, and creator accounts. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open Instagram : Launch the Instagram app on your mobile device.

2. Create a Story : Tap the camera icon or swipe right to open the Story creation screen. Capture your photo or video, or upload media from your gallery.

3. Tap the Sticker Icon : With your content ready, tap the sticker icon (the square smiley face) at the top of the screen.

4. Select Link Sticker : Scroll through the list of stickers and select the Link sticker.

5. Enter Your URL : Enter the URL you want to add to your Story. This can be a website, blog post, landing page, or any other link.

6. Customize the Sticker : You can customize the text on your link sticker. Choose something eye-catching, like “Shop Now” or “Learn More,” depending on your goal.

7. Position and Share : Position the link sticker wherever you want on the screen and share the Story with your followers.

With this method, your followers can simply tap the link sticker to visit the destination you provided .

Method 2: Using the Shopping Feature (For E-Commerce Accounts)

If you run an e-commerce business, Instagram’s shopping feature allows you to tag products directly in your Stories. While this isn’t exactly the same as adding a generic link, it’s a powerful tool for driving purchases directly from your Instagram Stories .

Here’s how to tag products:

1. Connect Your Instagram to Your Store : Make sure your Instagram account is connected to your Facebook Store or an e-commerce platform like Shopify.

2. Create Your Story : Upload your media and tap the sticker icon.

3. Select Product Sticker : Choose the Product Sticker option.

4. Tag Your Product : Search and select the product you want to link.

5. Place and Share : Place the product sticker on your image or video and share it on your Story .

Followers can then tap on the product tag and go directly to the product page to make a purchase .

How to Maximize the Impact of Links in Your Instagram Stories

It’s not just about adding a link; it’s about how you present it. Below are some tips to make your links more effective:

1. Use Strong Calls to Action (CTA)

A great link is nothing without a compelling reason to click on it. Use CTAs like:

• “Tap to Buy”

• “Learn More”

• “Swipe to Discover”

• “See More” ​EmbedSocial

Clear CTAs encourage users to take action instead of just passively viewing your Story. ​Tecnoblog

2. Make the Link Relevant

Only add links that are relevant to your content. If you’re posting a Story about a recent blog post, link directly to that post, not your homepage. Relevance increases engagement and reduces frustration for your audience .

3. Use the Link to Create Urgency

Instagram Stories only last 24 hours, so use this to your advantage. Create a sense of urgency to encourage immediate clicks. Example sentences:

• “Today only!”

• “Offer valid until tomorrow!”

• “Last spots!”

• “Exclusive limited time discount!”

This sense of limited time often significantly increases the number of hits on the link sticker.

4. Combine with Polls and Question Boxes

Before posting the link, warm up your audience with polls or question boxes related to the content you are going to suggest. This generates engagement and prepares the audience to click. Example:

• Make a poll: “Do you want to know how to gain more followers on Instagram?“ with the options Yes and Of course !

• In the next Story, put the link to the article or video that teaches this.

This type of interaction greatly increases your click-through rate because your audience has already engaged with your content.

Extra Tips for Links in Instagram Stories

• Avoid links that are too long or confusing — use short URLs or link shorteners like Bitly.

• Track performance — Instagram provides metrics on how many clicks your link sticker received. Use this information to understand what works best.

• Make it look great — pair your link with an eye-catching image or video, using vibrant colors, animations, or bold text to grab attention.

• Keep it frequent — Stories with links don’t have to be rare. Make it part of your weekly strategy to keep your audience engaged and familiar with your links.

Knowing how to add a link to your Instagram Story is essential for anyone who wants to use the social network as a marketing and engagement tool. With the link sticker , available for all profiles, it’s even easier to drive traffic, increase sales, or promote important content.

Make sure you use a call to action, use interactive resources to prepare your audience, and create a sense of urgency to optimize your results. The more natural and creative your use of links, the better your results will be.

If you want, I can create a ready-made Story template for you to use with a link sticker and CTA. Want it? 🚀

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1️⃣ Can anyone add links to Instagram Stories?
Previously, only verified accounts or those with over 10,000 followers could add links via the Swipe Up feature . But Instagram has now rolled out the link sticker to all users — including personal, creator, and business accounts. Now, anyone can add links to their Stories.

2️⃣ Why can’t I see the link sticker option?
Make sure your Instagram app is updated to the latest version. If the feature still doesn’t appear, it could be due to regional restrictions or some temporary instability with your account. It’s worth logging out and back in or reinstalling the app.

3️⃣ Can I add more than one link to a single Story?
No. Instagram only allows you to add one link per Story . However, you can share different links in different Stories, within the limit of 100 Stories per day.

4️⃣ Is there a daily limit for sharing links in Stories?
Instagram doesn’t impose an official limit on how many links you can share per day. However, it’s always a good idea to use them in moderation so as not to tire your followers and maintain the quality of your content.

5️⃣ Do people get notified if I add a link to their Story?
No. If you repost a Story you’re tagged in or mention someone else in a Story with a link sticker, they’ll only be notified if they’re tagged or mentioned directly again. Adding a link doesn’t trigger any additional notifications for the user.