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Someone who taps the link in your bio just watched one of your posts and wants more. Your job is to make the next tap obvious. Plenty of link-in-bio advice is written for brands with a shop. With a small account and nothing to sell, you need two or three links, and each one should lead somewhere worth going.
Our take: give each link one job
A page with a dozen buttons asks someone who found you 30 seconds ago to pick one, and they won't work that hard. Start with three links at most: your best or newest post, the other place you post and a free thing you made. Add an email list once people ask for more, and a collab contact when you want brands to find you. Until then, it's fine to leave those slots empty.
In Does it still make sense to add Linktree to your IG in 2026? on r/InstagramMarketing, one reply says sellers put up a single link so visitors do one thing, while a page of many links suits people who are still getting a feel for you. A viewer in the same thread says they dislike link pages that only list social profiles they could already find. Others defend link pages for musicians and anyone with lots of products, which isn't where a new account starts.
What to put in your link in bio, in order
Think of your links as five slots. Fill them from the top and stop when you run out of real things to link. With a new account, the first two or three are usually enough.
- 1
Slot 1: your best or newest post
Link the one post you'd want a stranger to see next: your newest video, or an older one that still gets comments. If your latest post promised something, like the full routine or a product list, slot 1 points there, so expect to change it often. Link straight to the post, not your profile, so the visitor lands on something to watch.
- 2
Slot 2: the other place you post
Pick the platform where you post something different, like a YouTube channel with longer videos, or a TikTok your Instagram followers haven't found yet. One or two platforms, not every account you've made. On TikTok, use the platform's web address: TikTok says it no longer supports links that open other social media apps.
- 3
Slot 3: a free thing you made
Something people would otherwise screenshot from your video: a one-page checklist, a product list, a phone wallpaper, a template. A Google Doc that anyone with the link can view is enough. Tie it to a post you've already made, so that post has somewhere to send people.
- 4
Slot 4: an email list, later
Add a sign-up page once people ask where to get more, or once your free thing exists and you want to tell people about the next one. Followers can vanish with a locked account or an app change, while an email list stays yours. You don't need one in your first month.
- 5
Slot 5: a way to reach you for collabs
Brands and other creators need a way to reach you, and it doesn't have to be a link. YouTube has a contact info field for business questions, and an Instagram professional account can show contact info on your profile. Otherwise, put an email address in your bio text, a separate one from your school or work address.
You may not need a link-in-bio tool
Before you sign up for anything, check what each app already gives you. On Instagram and YouTube, the built-in links can hold all five slots. TikTok's the tricky one.
Instagram: up to 5 links
Instagram lets you add up to 5 links to your profile, and anyone can see them, on or off Instagram (Instagram Help). Go to your profile, tap Edit profile, then Links, then Add external link. To change the order, open the same Links screen, tap the three-dot menu, choose Reorder links and drag slot 1 to the top.
Stories have a link sticker too. Anyone who sees the Story can tap it, so it's handy for pointing at a new post without touching your bio. Instagram notes that not every sticker is available to everyone (Instagram Help).
TikTok: a link at 1,000 followers
TikTok lets you add a website link if you have at least 1,000 followers or a Verified Business Account (TikTok Support). On a personal account, that means no clickable link until you hit 1,000. Once you do, go to Profile, tap Edit profile, then tap Add next to Links.
You'll see advice to switch to a business account to get the link sooner. We wouldn't. TikTok says business accounts are for promoting a product or service, you have to verify a business to get one, and they only get the Commercial Music Library, not the general one (Account types on TikTok). Until you hit 1,000, write your Instagram or YouTube handle in your bio as plain text.
Once you have a link, keep it direct. TikTok recommends direct links and limits how people browse chains of links in its in-app browser, so visitors may be asked to open a link page in their phone's browser instead. A direct link to slot 1 takes fewer taps.
YouTube: up to 14 channel links
YouTube lets you add up to 14 links to your channel. The first one shows in your profile section near the Subscribe button, and the rest appear when someone taps to see more (YouTube Help). On a computer, they're in YouTube Studio under Customization, then Profile. In the YouTube Studio app, tap Edit next to your channel description. Put slot 1 first, since it's the only one on show.
Links in Shorts descriptions and comments aren't clickable. What you can do is attach a related video, so a Short sends viewers to your longer one (YouTube Help). Long videos can have clickable links in the description once your channel has access to advanced features.
When a link-in-bio tool is worth it
- You post on two or three platforms and want one address you can update in one place.
- You have more than 5 things to link on Instagram, like every product from your videos.
- Brands have started asking about your account, and you want a media kit page to send them.
- You want to see which links get tapped. Some tools show that on their free plans.
If you do pick one, Linktree is a well-known option with a free plan. Start on the free plan of whatever you choose, and keep the slot order from above.
Starting an email list for slot 4
Slot 4 needs a page with a sign-up form and somewhere that stores the addresses and sends your emails. Several tools do both on a free plan, which is plenty while your list is small.
Link in bio examples by niche
Here's what the five slots could hold in five niches. Slots 4 and 5 can stay empty for months. For posts to fill slot 1, see the idea lists for fitness, beauty, art, students and lifestyle.
| Niche | Slot 1: best or newest post | Slot 2: other platform | Slot 3: free thing | Slot 4: email list (later) | Slot 5: collab contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness | Full version of your latest workout | YouTube, for the longer workouts | Gym bag checklist as a one-page PDF | Monthly email with your new workouts | Collab email in your bio text |
| Beauty | This week's tutorial, or the post people keep asking about | TikTok, for longer tutorials | Every product in your routine, shades included, in a Google Doc | Monthly email of the products you used up | Media kit page, once brands ask |
| Art | Newest finished piece or process video | YouTube, for full process videos | Free phone wallpaper of one of your pieces | Email when commissions open | Commission and collab email |
| Students | Your most-watched study video | TikTok, for day-in-the-life clips | Exam-week timetable template in Google Sheets | Skip it for now | Collab email that isn't your school address |
| Lifestyle | Newest vlog or week-in-photos post | Your Pinterest boards | Sunday reset checklist in Notion or Google Docs | Weekly "small wins" email | Contact info on an Instagram professional account |
On Instagram, the five slots map onto your five links. On YouTube, slot 1 goes first because it's the link people see. On TikTok, put slot 1 in your website link once you have one.
Mistakes that waste your link in bio
- Too many links. Every extra button competes with slot 1. Keep the slots you can fill with something real and delete the rest.
- Dead links. A deleted video, an expired sign-up page or a Google Doc still set to private sends people to an error. Once a month, open each link in a private browser tab, where you're not signed in, or ask a friend to tap them.
- A store before you have an audience. A shop link asks strangers to pay before they know you, and it takes the top slot from a post that would show them why to follow. Add a store when people ask where to buy.
- Not updating the link after a post takes off. When one post gets far more views than usual, change slot 1 that day to whatever that post mentioned: the full routine, the product list, the longer video. Then answer every "link?" comment with "first link in my bio."
- Labels that don't say where they go. On YouTube and on link-in-bio pages, each link gets a title. "My stuff" tells nobody anything. "Full 12-minute workout" does.
Questions people ask
What are good link in bio ideas for new creators?
Your best or newest post, the other platform you post on, and a free thing you made, like a checklist or a product list from one of your videos. That's enough for a new account. Add an email sign-up and a collab contact later, when people start asking for them.
What links should I add to my Instagram bio?
Instagram allows up to 5 links, one for each slot: your newest video, your other platform, a free thing you made, an email list and a collab contact. Fill only the ones you have, and drag the most important one to the top under Edit profile, then Links.
What are some link in bio examples for Instagram?
A beauty creator could link this week's tutorial, their TikTok and a Google Doc of every product in their routine, shades included. A student creator could link their most-watched study video, their TikTok and an exam timetable template. The table above fills in all five slots for five niches.
What links should I put in my bio if I don't sell anything?
Content: your newest post, your other platform and something free you made. You don't need a product to have a useful link in bio. A free checklist or template gives people a reason to tap, and it costs you an evening, not money.
What can I use instead of a link in bio?
On Instagram, a link sticker in a Story sends people to a page without touching your bio. On YouTube Shorts, description links aren't clickable, but a related video link can point to your longer video. On TikTok under 1,000 followers, write your other handle in your bio. In captions, say what's behind the link: "the full routine is the first link in my bio."
