Written by Mia Meier

Instagram never fails to throw a little grit in the bearings of its users. Brands and influencers have to adapt to new non-written rules and limitations on a regular basis. However, this time around the issue at hand doesn’t have anything to do with Instagram activity automation as it often happens.

Recently Instagram users started to encounter the problem of Instagram blocking bio links. Users receive an error message ‘Link now allowed’ upon adding a URL into their accounts’ bio. The saying that trouble comes in threes is veracious in this case, since Instagram may block all types of activity on the platform along with the link.

Unfortunately, Instagram remains silent yet again and forces users to figure out what kind of links are allowed on their own. Instead of risking your Instagram account’s safety by experimenting with different links yourself, better check out our definitive list of all reasons why Instagram may block a link in bio, learn how to fix the error and avoid it in the future.

Links that Instagram allows to use in bio

  • Your website (an online portfolio page, a site with your products or services).
  • Your blog (WordPress, Medium, etc.)
  • Contest, survey and sale pages.
  • A link to your coupons and other free items.
  • Video (links to content from YouTube, Video, Dailymotion and other video platforms).

Links that Instagram forbids to use in bio

  • Snapchat links.
  • Telegram links.
  • A web page available under multiple addresses at once (URL forwarding, multiple redirection).
  • A link that’s posted in Instagram bios of multiple other accounts at the same time.
  • Sites with hidden spam links and text.
  • Sites with explicit content (not suitable for children under 16).

Additionally, links to websites that haven’t passed search engine indexing (in other words, were registered just recently) are a target, too. Websites with bad ranking and reputation can easily get blocked as well.

What to do if your Instagram bio link got banned

In case your link was banned, you just need to remove it from your Instagram bio in order to remove the ban.

Leave the URL field empty for some time. If some of your actions were limited due to the ban, don’t add a new link until all types of activity are fully available to use for you again. If the activity wasn’t restricted, it’s still recommended to wait at least half an hour before adding a new link.

Before you post a new URL, check with the information on the allowed and forbidden types of bio links above.

Instagram bio URL shortening

If your bio link got banned because it was simultaneously shared by many Instagram users (colleagues, friends, fans), you can use URL shortening services, such as Bitly, in order to change the link address. Better yet, you can customize it to something more on-brand for you and more appealing to your Instagram audience.

But remember that shortening is not a guarantee your link won’t be banned. The way one or another link is distributed on Instagram and the actual content it provides, are the key factors here. Shortening a spam site link is like putting a poultice on a wooden leg.

Substitute banned links with subdomains

As an alternative to third-party platforms to shorten and customize your Instagram bio links, you can use a subdomain. For example, instead of facebook.com you can post a link to a subdomain. It could be de.facebook.com or m.facebook.com. The latter is even better, since it doesn’t change the language, plus, the majority of Instagram users browse the platform on mobile devices already.

When all else fails

Sometimes the problem cannot be solved by just removing or changing the link. If the link in your Instagram bio isn’t sketchy, it was most likely banned because of your IP address. It’s another ban you can expect to receive from Instagram when its algorithms detect bursts of activity it determines as sudden and unusual.

Don’t panic, it’s temporary, and at this point Instagram may consider unfollowing 10 accounts in a row after being inactive just a week, to be suspicious and limit the unfollow feature for a short period of time.

In order to get around the IP ban, switch to another network (use your workplace WiFi spot or enable WiFi hotspot from your phone, for example). Alternatively, use a VPN to connect via another IP address. Be wary of abusing this method as frequent IP address change may result in harsher repercussions that a week of an inability to follow, like and comment.

How to bypass Instagram link in bio block

But what if you actually really need to post a link that’s likely to be banned? In some instances, it may be crucial to have a link to your Telegram, Snapchat or a recently created website. Micro-landing page is the solution! You can create a page using a service like AidaForm and place there all relevant links that could be banned. This way you will not only bypass the Instagram link block, you will also be able to monitor the statistics of clicks and page visitors.

Did you know? New link can be automatically added to your Instagram bio when you publish a new post. Each time, every other time, anytime you want. Plan your Instagram content days/weeks/months ahead and manage links in bio with Combin Scheduler.

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