Instagram has been internally testing a feature that would allow users to include more than one link in their profiles.
This would be a move away from a strict policy that creators have complained about for years: The fact that Instagram only allows one URL in a profile.
Mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi first tweeted in October that Instagram appeared to be developing tools for the app that would allow users to add multiple links to their accounts. Paluzzi discovered the internal test by reverse engineering Instagram's code.
Over the past six months, Paluzzi continued to spot further developments in newer versions of Instagram's code. A recent post that Paluzzi shared shows a version of the app that appears to let users connect their Instagram bios to their Facebook pages, in addition to an unspecified number of external links.
—Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) April 6, 2022
In an email, a Meta spokesperson confirmed that Paluzzi's tweets depict an "early" prototype, but that Instagram is not publicly testing anything at this time. Meta did not provide further details regarding the prototype and if or when it will be tested more widely.
Instagram has already started to ramp up its bio offerings with button options like "view shop" or "reserve" for creators and small businesses. Last year, it expanded the ability to include links in Stories to all users.
For influencers, the ability to add more than one link in a bio could open up revenue opportunities.
Currently, they must choose wisely what to include, be it a link to an online course they are selling or an affiliate link so that they can earn a commission off sales they drive. Having multiple links would allow them to showcase all of their various endeavors without sending them to an external landing page, which link-in-bio tools currently do.
The desire for a solution to Instagram's policy has led to a red-hot link-in-bio market, with dozens of startups attempting to create a workaround.
Some of these, like Linktree, Beacons, and Koji, have raised millions of dollars in VC funding. Linktree, the most popular option on Instagram according to data from HypeAuditor, recently became the niche's first unicorn with a $1.3 billion valuation.
