Short answer: The Instagram link sticker is a sticker for Stories that links to an external website: followers tap it and land directly on the page. Since October 2021 it has been available to all accounts in principle, regardless of follower count; new accounts and accounts with repeated policy violations may be excluded. For brands and influencers, it is the most important tool for turning a Story into measurable traffic.
The Instagram link sticker is an interactive sticker that you place in a Story and connect to a URL. When users tap the sticker, the linked page opens, for example a product in an online store, a recipe, a landing page, or a sign-up form.
Instagram introduced the link sticker as the successor to the "swipe-up" feature. Unlike swipe-up, users see the sticker directly in the Story and can interact with it like with other stickers.
In principle, everyone. On October 27, 2021, Instagram officially announced that it was expanding link sharing in Stories to all accounts. Before that, the feature was reserved for verified accounts or accounts above a certain follower count.
According to Instagram, there are exceptions:
If you believe you have been restricted unfairly, Instagram says you can check this under Account Status in the app and file an appeal.
Adding one takes less than a minute:
Tip: Save Stories with important links as a Highlight. That way the link stays accessible on your profile after 24 hours.
The link sticker is designed for organic Stories. In regular feed posts and Reels, links in the caption are not clickable. Other options:
In collaborations, the link sticker turns a recommendation into a measurable click. For this to work, brand and creator should define these points in the briefing:
Our guide to influencer briefings shows what belongs in a good briefing; you will find ready-made templates in our briefing templates.
You measure success via link taps and the click-through rate. In the Story insights you can see how often the sticker was tapped. If the creator shares the insights, you can compare Stories from different creators this way.
Click-through rate = link taps ÷ Story views × 100
Example (fictional): A Story with a link sticker gets 6,000 views and 180 link taps. The click-through rate is therefore 3%.
It is also worth looking at your web analytics tool: with UTM parameters you can see how many visitors came via the Story and whether they bought. You can read which metrics matter for creator selection in KPIs for selecting the right influencers.
If you cannot find the link sticker, these steps usually help:
With Kreatory you find matching profiles for Story campaigns among more than 5.4M creators. You set up the campaign in under 10 minutes, creators send you offers, and you book with 1-click booking. You approve content before it is posted, including a check of the link and the disclosure. Reach, impressions, clicks, and CPM are tracked automatically. Barter deals with a product instead of a budget are possible too; read more in Barter deals with influencers.
Want Story campaigns with measurable clicks? Register for free now and find matching creators.
No specific number. Since October 2021, according to Instagram, all accounts can in principle share links in Stories. Exceptions are new accounts and accounts with repeated violations of the Community Guidelines.
No. The link sticker is designed for Stories. In posts and Reels, links in the caption are not clickable; use the bio links or a Story Highlight instead.
Yes. When creating it, you can enter your own text and change the color by tapping it. A short call to action makes it easier to understand.
In the insights of the respective Story. For more detailed analysis, also use UTM parameters in your analytics tool.
If the creator receives something in return for the Story, whether money or a product, usually yes. The disclosure should be clearly visible at the start. This article does not replace legal advice.
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