Instagram is expanding Stories-based link stickers everyone. Formerly limited to verified accounts or those with a certain number of followers, the stickers are now open all users on the platform regardless of account size.
Link stickers are a relatively new addition to Instagram, which ditched its “swipe-up” link in Instagram Stories for stickers this summer. Both options only worked for business accounts and verified users, though.
“We’ve heard from the rest of our community that they also want to share things that matter with their friends and family. Whatever you’re into, from cooking to volunteering or shopping, you now have a space to share in Stories,” Instagram said in a statement.
When testing for link stickers was first announced in June, Vishal Shah, Instagram’s head of product, told The Verge that the company had no plans to expand the feature to “the feed or any other part of the app,” so they remain on Stories for now.
To use the newly expanded features, users simply add the link sticker — located in the top navigation bar — and the desired link to a story. Viewers who tap on the sticker will be redirected to the linked website. The company also added that it’s “working on ways to customize the sticker so it’s clear what someone will see when they tap your link.”
For the most part, these swipe-up and link stickers are used by influencers sending people to affiliate links, their latest projects, and the like. But with everyone getting access to stickers, abuse is inevitable. In its statement, Instagram says: “As part of our ongoing efforts to limit harmful content on Instagram, new accounts and accounts that repeatedly share things like hate speech and misinformation, or other content that violates our Community Guidelines will not have access to the Link sticker.”
