once again, please remember that the platform is run for profit / we live in a late capitalist hellscape.

the reason that they only have a few places where you can stick a clickable, functional link, is that they do not make money when you direct people off of the app.

the entire app is streamlined to keep people on the app. its why there’s an in-app browser for links opened from bio, stories, message, and ads.

they do not like it when you are constantly trying to get people to switch apps. for me, if i post more than one link per day in stories, my views drop significantly. you should pay attention to what it does for you (check story insights before they expire).

<aside>

sooo what should you do?

(or not do?)

</aside>

1. putting links in your captions = instant clutter that makes it more difficult to visually parse any other information… and they aren't functional links. skip this.
2. refer people to your link in bio. a linktree or similar is best as sometimes the app is petty and flags certain accounts that only have a gofundme link as spam. whatever you’re directing people to should be something they can clearly and immediately identify without having to scroll. (it generally helps to have a second linktree for all extraneous/non-pertinent links, linked at the bottom, rather than a real long list.)
3. use bit.ly or another link shortener to make a shorter link that can go in the graphic. remember, these are often case sensitive—include this in the graphic if that's the case.
4. venmo, cashapp, paypal, etc — just put the username instead.

different things work for different people, so try out what works best for the audience you have too.

QR CODES!!!!!!

i was once super into qr codes myself as a way to dodge typing a url that no one can click that also just looks like crap lol. yeah, these can also get you flagged as spam, unfortunately. i still think they're great in other instances—ie on flyers or in zines, irl, on printed materials—but not on any fuckerberg™️ apps.