• by Colin Kirkland , April 18, 2023

In an effort to compete with link-in-bio platforms like Linktree and attract more creators, Instagram has announced the rollout of a new feature inviting users to add up to five links to their profile bios, allowing their fans and followers to easily access off-site content.

By reversing its original linkin-bio limitations -- which created a lucrative business for Linktree, Beacons and other providers -- Instagram is addressing creator demand within its own ecosystem.

To use the feature, users can tap “Edit profile,” then “Links” and then “Add external link,” which allows them to drag and drop links in the order they find works best. Users can link to competing platforms, other websites, or their Facebook profile via a dedicated linking option. Links will open within Instagram, not on a separate browser.

The Meta-owned platform didn’t announcement the new feature on its blog, but quietly released the news via CEO Mark Zuckerberg's broadcast channel, which can only be accessed via the mobile Instagram app.

In Zuckerberg’s message, he said that support for multiple links in Instagram bios was “probably one of the most requested features we've ever had.”