Instagram links not working? Here's how you can try to fix it

With over two billion monthly active users, we know many of you will be affected if anything goes wrong with the platform. Instagram links not working is one of the most reported issues, so today, we’ll go over possible reasons, fixes, and more.

Why are Instagram links not working?

There is a variety of possible culprits.

• Non-clickable links: Instagram doesn’t allow clickable links everywhere. You can add a single link to your bio. Stories can have clickable links, too. And regular posts can only have clickable links if they are paid advertisements.
• Broken links: The issue might not be with Instagram! Sometimes links can be mistyped, or the website you’re trying to link to might be down.
• Instagram may have blocked a link: It’s common for Instagram to block links that don’t follow its guidelines. Additionally, Instagram analyzes the websites URLs link to, and blocks anything it considers inappropriate.
• Blocked, restricted, or banned account: If an account blocks you, you won’t be able to access or interact with its content, including links. The same applies to accounts Instagram has banned.
• Other common issues: Of course, Instagram links not working could be due to many other more common issues. These include problems with the app, internet, cache data, outdated app versions, common bugs, and more.

How to fix Instagram links that aren’t working?

Keep Instagram’s linking rules in mind

Instagram is pretty strict about clickable links. You can only have one of these in the bio section and within Stories. Additionally, only paid posts can have clickable links. Remove any extra links, or pay for advertising if you really want to use clickable links in regular posts.

If a single link in your bio seems a bit too limiting, a popular solution for this is using a landing page. This is a webpage where you can add links to all your social networks and multiple websites. If you need a recommendation, Linktree is a very popular landing page service.

Check the link and website

Of course, you must ensure the link and website you’re linking to both work. URL typos are common, and even a single character can deem a link unusable. Copy the URL and paste it straight into your browser, to see if the link works. If the link is shortened, you should also make sure the link shortener service is up and running. If it doesn’t, try the full URL, if you know it.

If you want to check if there are any server-side issues with Instagram, the linked website, or the URL shortener website, you can always use DownDetector.com. This is a crowd-sourced service that will let you know if popular websites around the web are operating as they should.

What to do if Instagram is restricting content

Sadly, there is not much you can do if Instagram links not working is due to account restrictions, Instagram limitations, or blocked profiles. We can show you how to deal with Instagram account limitations here, and we also have a guide to find out how to know when someone blocked you on Instagram.

The usual troubleshooting tips

If you think the issue is more technical, then your best bet is to go through the usual troubleshooting tips. This will help if the problem is with your internet, an app bug, your phone, etc. Here’s our guide on what to do if Instagram is not working. This will cover all the technical methods for getting things back up and running.

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