ICYMI: you can now add multiple links to your Instagram bio. Where users were once limited to only one link per profile—forcing most creators and entrepreneurs to use apps like Linktree or Milkshake—the Facebook-owned app has now opened up their permissions to allow you to add up to 5 links to your IG profile.
The feature was announced by Mark Zuckerberg himself through his Instagram broadcast channel.
Can you add multiple links to your Instagram bio?
As of today, April 19, 2023, Instagram has rolled out the ability to let users add more than one link to their profile on Instagram.
This has been rolled out to all users that are on the updated Instagram app. If you don’t see this as an option for you yet, you may need to update your app to the latest version, or wait until roll out to all countries has finished.
How many links can you add to your Instagram bio in 2023?
After this new update from Meta, your Instagram bio can have up to 5 different links.
How can I add multiple bio links to my Instagram profile?
To add more than one link to your Instagram bio, follow these steps.
- First, go to your Profile and click Edit Profile.
- Under Links, tap Add external link.
- Fill in your desired URL and give it a name. For example, we’re putting “www.cococart.co/resources” as our URL and naming it “Read our latest blogs.”
- Repeat as needed for other links you want to add to your IG multiple links in bio. And viola! You’ll see them reflected on your profile.
What does adding multiple links on an Instagram profile look like?
When you add more than one link to your IG account, your profile will show your primary link—the first link on your list—then show “and [blank] others.”
Once clicked, your followers will be able to see a simple “link tree” or list of links that you’ve added.
They can tap on any of the links, and it will open up within the Instagram in-app browser as usual.
How can I make the most of IG’s multi-link in bio update? (Tips for business owners)
With this new update, Instagram and Meta are hoping to cater to more and more creators’ and entrepreneurs’ needs to engage with their followers.
Of course, while this feature is fresh, we can expect more improvements to be made in coming months.
However, there are a few tips we can share to help you make the most of this new IG update, so you use your 5 allowable links in bio well.
Your primary link matters
Just because you now can add up to 5 bio links in IG doesn’t mean you should add them all willy-nilly.
After all, when your followers click on your bio link, it’s likely that they’ll look at the topmost link every single time.
This topmost link is also the primary link that appears on your profile before the “and [number] others” text that hides the other links on your bio.
To make the most of this fact, make sure that your primary link is the link you want clicked the most.
For business owners, this should be the most important action you want followers to take.
Of course, any business wants to increase sales. So it makes sense to use your online store link or main website as your primary link.
Give a descriptive name to your URLs
If you opt to use multiple links in your bio, followers will have no choice but to see the simple link tree that IG has.
To give all your links equal chances of getting engagement, make sure you name them properly.
When possible, use action words to help people perform the action you want.
For example, on our Cococart IG link, we use descriptive CTAs as our link names, so people know what to expect when they click each link.
Call attention to your links in your Posts and Reels
Of course, the only way to actually get those link clicks is to call attention to them.
And just because the Meta-owned IG has allowed multiple links to be added to your account doesn’t mean that links are enabled on posts, Reels, or Stories.
You still have to include a clear call to action (CTA) in your posts and Reels to encourage your followers to go to your profile and click through.
Should you still use tools like Linktree or Milkshake with IG’s update?
After the update, you might wonder if this replaces apps like Linktree and Milkshake.
The simple answer is: not quite.
While it can certainly be concerning for bio link tools like Linktree that this update happened, the new feature pales in comparison to the tools that any creator or entrepreneur could need to grow their business online.
For instance, if you use Cococart for your ecommerce store, you’ll find that Instagram can’t let your followers instantly see your product list, add them to a cart, and check out.
In a word, the IG update only lets you list more links, but they’re not any more powerful than dedicated tools for your business.
When should you consider NOT using multiple links for your IG profile?
The question must be asked: do you actually need to add more than one link to your Instagram account?
The answer might depend.
For growing businesses whose priorities are to make more sales, you might be better off simply keeping your online store link, like your Cococart link, as your only bio link.
The reason for this is because you don’t want to add an extra layer of friction between your followers and the action you want them to take, i.e. check out and buy your products.
Of course, at the end of the day, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Ultimately, you want to make the decision for yourself but weigh the pros and cons carefully.
You might even try to observe if sales are higher or lower, depending on if you add more links to your bio, which in turn adds another screen before customers can click through to your shop.
Final takeaways
With the new Instagram update, creators and business owners can get more of their links the eyeballs they need. While the feature doesn’t replace popular bio link tools like Linktree, or bio link ecommerce tools like Cococart, it certainly has its place on the internet.
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