A link in bio tool gives you a simple landing page with several links, so the one website link in your Instagram or TikTok profile can send people to bookings, products, offers and your latest news. Before choosing one, check whether you need it at all: Instagram now lets you add up to five links to your profile, and for many businesses a page on your own website does the job better than a third party tool.

This guide covers how to choose a link in bio tool: what Instagram and TikTok offer natively, the main dedicated tools, the case for using your own website, and the questions we ask when setting this up for clients.

Start with what the platforms give you

Instagram allows up to five links

Instagram lets you add up to five links to your profile. Go to Edit profile, then Links, then Add external link, and drag them into the order you want. Visitors tap the link area and see the list. Links open inside Instagram’s in-app browser by default.

For a small business with a few key destinations, such as booking, menu or price list, shop and contact, this may be all you need. It is free, it keeps people on a recognisable Instagram screen, and there is nothing extra to maintain. The downsides are limited analytics on the links themselves and no branding or extra content.

Instagram also lets you add link stickers to Stories, which is useful for promoting a specific page for 24 hours or keeping it in a Highlight.

TikTok bio links depend on your account

TikTok does not give every account a clickable website link. Whether the website field appears depends on account type and eligibility, and the follower threshold has commonly been reported as 1,000 for business accounts. Check the Edit profile screen in your own account to see what is available. Once you have it, TikTok gives you one website link, which is where a link in bio page earns its keep.

Related reading: How to Create an Instagram Business Account, Step by Step

What a link in bio tool adds

A dedicated link in bio tool creates a mobile friendly mini page with your logo, links and often extra features. Common features include:

• Unlimited or many links, including buttons, images and embedded video.
• Click analytics, showing which links people tap.
• Branding, with your colours, fonts and logo.
• Email sign ups and integrations with email marketing tools.
• Selling, such as digital products, tips or a simple shop.
• A shoppable feed that mirrors your posts, with each one linking to the right page.
• Scheduling, so a link appears or disappears on a set date.

The main link in bio tools compared

There are many tools on the market. These are the ones we are asked about most. Plans and prices change often, so check each tool’s own pricing page before you commit.

Tool	Free plan?	Best for
Instagram’s native links	Yes, built in	Businesses with up to five key links
Linktree	Yes, with paid tiers	A quick, familiar page with lots of integrations
Beacons	Yes, with paid tiers	Creators selling products and sending emails
Later Link in Bio	Yes, with more features on paid Later plans	Businesses already scheduling with Later, and shoppable feeds
Your own website page	Part of your website	Businesses that want the traffic, tracking and branding on their own site

Linktree

Linktree is the best known option. The free plan covers unlimited basic links and email and phone sign ups, while paid tiers add things like deeper analytics, removing Linktree branding, mailing list integrations and selling features. It is quick to set up and familiar to users, which is its main strength.

Beacons

Beacons is aimed at creators. Alongside the link page, it offers a store for digital products, email marketing and a media kit for brand partnerships, with a free plan and paid plans that reduce fees and add features. For a creator or personal brand it can replace several tools. For a local business, much of it may go unused.

Later Link in Bio

Later’s tool builds a clickable page that looks like your Instagram grid, showing posts you have attached links to, plus buttons and banners. It works for Instagram and TikTok and suits shops and businesses that want each post to lead straight to the matching product or page. It makes the most sense if you already use Later for scheduling.

The case for using your own website

For most of our small business clients, we recommend building a simple links page on their own website, for example yourdomain.co.uk/links. It looks like a link in bio page but lives on the business’s own site.

• Your domain, your traffic. Visitors land on your website, where they can easily explore further.
• Better tracking. Visits show in Google Analytics alongside everything else, and you can track bookings and sales properly.
• Full branding with no third party logo or limits.
• No extra subscription and no risk of a tool changing its plans or closing.
• Trust. Your own web address in your bio looks more established than a third party link.
• Retargeting. If you run ads, visitors can be added to your website audiences with the Meta Pixel or Google tags, subject to your cookie consent.

On a WordPress site, a page like this takes very little time to build and is easy for you to update. If your website makes even a simple page difficult, that is usually a sign the site itself needs attention, which our website design team can help with.

How to choose a link in bio tool

Work through these questions and the right option usually becomes clear:

1. How many links do you really need? If it is five or fewer and only for Instagram, start with the native links.
2. Are you on TikTok too? TikTok’s single link needs a page that holds several destinations.
3. Do you want visitors on your own website? If yes, build a links page there.
4. Do you sell directly from social? A shoppable feed or a tool with built in selling may suit you.
5. How will you measure it? Make sure you can see clicks and what happens after them.
6. Who will keep it updated? Choose something the person managing it can edit in minutes.

Make your link page work harder

Whichever tool you pick, the page itself matters:

• Put the most important link first, usually booking, buying or contacting you.
• Keep it short. Five to seven links is plenty. Too many choices means fewer clicks.
• Use clear labels, such as “Book a table” rather than “Click here”.
• Update it with your content, so “link in bio” posts lead to the right thing.
• Remove expired offers and old events promptly.
• Add UTM tags (short tracking codes added to the end of a link) so Google Analytics shows which platform sent each visitor.
• Test it on a phone after every change.

Frequently asked questions

Do I still need a link in bio tool for Instagram?

Not always. Instagram allows up to five links on your profile. A tool or website page is useful if you need more links, branding, analytics or a single link for several platforms.

What is the best link in bio tool?

It depends on your needs. Linktree is quick and familiar, Beacons suits creators selling products, Later suits shoppable feeds, and your own website page is often best for businesses.

Why can’t I add a link to my TikTok bio?

TikTok only shows the website field to eligible accounts, which depends on account type and follower count. Check your Edit profile screen.

Is it better to use my own website for my bio link?

For most businesses, yes. You keep the traffic, branding and tracking on your own site, with no extra subscription.

Get your profiles working properly

Our social media management team sets up profiles, bios and link pages that send people where you want them, and our website team can build the links page on your own site. Get in touch to get started.