Adding a link to your Instagram story requires a business or creator account

You can add a clickable link to your Instagram story, but only if your account is set up as a business or creator account — personal accounts cannot use this feature. The link appears as a "Link" sticker that viewers tap to open a web address. If you currently have a personal account, you will need to switch to a business or creator account first, which takes about two minutes and does not change how your profile looks to other people.

Once your account type is correct, the process is straightforward: you create a story as usual, tap the sticker icon, select "Link", paste or type the URL you want to share, and post. The link can point anywhere — your website, a product page, a blog post, or any other web address.

Key Takeaways

  • Personal Instagram accounts cannot add links to stories; you must switch to a business or creator account first.
  • Switching account types takes about two minutes and does not change your profile appearance or follower count.
  • The link sticker appears in your story as a tappable element that opens the URL when viewers click it.
  • You can only add one link per story, but you can add the same link to multiple stories.
  • The person viewing your story must be able to see your profile to tap the link — private accounts can only share links with followers.

Switch your account to business or creator type

Open Instagram and go to your profile by tapping the person icon at the bottom right. Tap the three horizontal lines (menu) at the top right, then tap "Settings and privacy". Scroll down and tap "Account type and tools". You will see two options: "Switch to professional account" and "Switch to creator account". Business accounts are better if you run a company or sell products; creator accounts are better if you make content like videos or photos. Either one lets you add links to stories. Tap whichever you prefer.

Instagram will ask you to choose a category that describes what your account is about — this is required but does not restrict what you can post. Pick the closest match and tap "Next". You will then see a confirmation screen. Tap "Switch" to finish. Your account is now a business or creator account and you can add links to stories when ready.

Create a story and add the link sticker

Open Instagram and tap your profile picture at the bottom left, or swipe right from your feed, to start creating a story. Take a photo, record a video, or select an existing image from your phone — whichever you prefer. Once you have your content on screen, look at the top of the editing window. You will see several icons: a smiley face, a text box, and others. Tap the square icon with a sticker symbol (it usually looks like a square with a smiley or star inside). This opens the sticker menu.

Scroll through the sticker options until you see "Link" — it appears as a chain link icon or the word "Link" depending on your Instagram version. Tap it. A text field will appear asking you to paste or type the URL. Type or paste the full web address, including "https://" at the start. For example: "https://www.example.com" or "https://www.example.com/product-page". Tap "Done" or the checkmark. The link sticker will now appear on your story as a tappable element.

Position and customize the link sticker

After you add the link sticker, it will appear somewhere on your story — usually in the center or bottom. You can move it by pressing and dragging it to any position you want. You can also resize it by pinching the corners. Make sure the sticker is positioned where viewers will notice it and where it does not cover important parts of your image or video.

The link sticker itself cannot be customized in color or style the way text or other stickers can — Instagram controls its appearance. However, you can add other stickers, text, or drawings around it to draw attention to it. Many people add text like "Tap here" or "Link in story" near the link sticker so viewers know it is clickable.

Post your story and check the link works

Once you are happy with the position and content of your story, tap "Your story" at the bottom left to post it. Your story will now be live and visible to your followers (or to everyone, depending on your privacy settings). The link sticker will appear as a tappable element in your story.

After posting, view your own story to make sure the link works. Tap your story from the top of your feed and tap the link sticker. It should open the web address in Instagram's built-in browser. If the link does not work, the URL you entered may have a typo. You can delete the story and create a new one with the correct link, or you can edit the story by tapping it, selecting "Edit story", and tapping the link sticker to change the URL.

Understand what viewers see and limitations

When someone views your story, they will see the link sticker as a tappable element. They tap it and the URL opens in a browser window within Instagram — they do not leave the app. If your account is private, only your followers can see your story and tap the link. If your account is public, anyone can see your story and tap the link, even people who do not follow you.

You can only add one link per story, but you can add the same link to multiple stories. If you want to share different links, you will need to create separate stories for each one. The link sticker is available to all business and creator accounts, regardless of follower count — you do not need a minimum number of followers to use it.

Troubleshoot common problems

If you do not see the "Link" option in your sticker menu, your account is still set to personal type. Go back to Settings and privacy, tap Account type and tools, and switch to business or creator account. Wait a few minutes for the change to take effect, then try again.

If the link sticker appears but the link does not work when you tap it, check that you typed the URL correctly. Make sure it starts with "https://" or "http://". If you pasted the link, check that no extra spaces were included at the beginning or end. If the website itself is down or blocked, the link will not open — this is not an Instagram problem. If you want to change the link after posting, you cannot edit it directly. Delete the story and create a new one with the correct link, or create a new story with the updated link and let the old one expire (stories disappear after 24 hours).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a certain number of followers to add links to stories?

No. Any business or creator account can add links to stories, regardless of follower count. You only need to have switched your account type from personal to business or creator.

Can I add a link to a story I already posted?

No. You cannot edit a story to add a link after posting. You can delete the story and create a new one with the link, or create a new story with the link and let the old one expire after 24 hours.

What happens if the website I link to goes down?

The link sticker will still appear in your story, but when viewers tap it, they will see an error message instead of the website. You can delete the story or wait for it to expire, then create a new story with a working link.

Can people on private accounts add links to stories?

Yes, as long as the account is switched to business or creator type. Only your followers will be able to see the story and tap the link, since private accounts restrict story visibility to followers only.

Can I add multiple links to one story?

No. Instagram allows only one link sticker per story. If you want to share multiple links, create separate stories for each one.