Link in bio for venues: what it is and how to set it up

What link in bio means

Your Instagram profile has a short bio of up to 150 characters and space for links. Instagram's help centre says you can add up to five websites to your profile, and that anyone, on or off Instagram, can see them.

That is why captions so often end with "link in bio" or "book through the link in our bio". It is a signpost: read the post, tap the profile, tap the link. Whatever you call it, link in bio or bio link, on Instagram it lives on your profile rather than in individual posts.

There are two ways to use the space:

• Direct links. Add up to five links straight to your profile, such as your booking page and your menu.
• A link page. Add one link that opens a simple page listing all your buttons: book a table, menus, events, gift vouchers. This is what tools such as Linktree make, and it is often called a bio link page.

Either works. Direct links are the quickest to set up. A link page is easier to keep tidy when you have a lot to share, and you can use the same address on Facebook, printed menus and table QR codes.

How to add a link to your Instagram bio

You add links in the Instagram app on an iPhone or Android phone, and Instagram's help centre gives the steps for the app only. These steps match Instagram's help page on adding a website when we checked it in September 2026.

On iPhone

1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
2. Tap Edit profile at the top of the screen.
3. Tap Links, then tap Add external link and add the web address.
4. Tap Done, then tap Back.

On Android

1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
2. Tap Edit profile.
3. Tap Links, then tap Add link and add the web address.
4. Tap Done.

How to add links to your Instagram bio, and change their order

Repeat the steps above for each link, up to five in total. To remove a link, tap it and then tap Remove link.

To change the order people see:

1. Go to your profile, tap Edit profile, then tap Links.
2. Tap Options, then tap Reorder links.
3. Tap and hold a link, then drag it up or down the list.
4. Tap Done (on Android, tap Accept), then go back.

Write a bio that explains the link

Use the bio text to tell people what the link is for. To edit it, go to your profile, tap Edit profile, tap Bio, write your text and tap Done. You have up to 150 characters, so keep it simple, for example: "Pub, kitchen and garden in [town]. Quiz every Thursday. Menus and table booking at the link."

Add links to your Stories as well

Stories can carry a link too. Instagram's link sticker lets people tap straight from your story through to a website. It is handy for time-sensitive posts, such as tonight's band, a new special or a table that has just come free.

A note on the Facebook link

If your Instagram and Facebook accounts are connected, Instagram may also offer to add a link to your personal Facebook profile. For a venue, customers usually want your Facebook Page rather than your personal profile, so if you want Facebook in your bio, add the Page's web address as an ordinary link.

Do you need Linktree? How to make a Linktree

Five direct links cover a lot. A link page is worth setting up if:

• you have more than five things to share;
• you want one address you can use everywhere, including Facebook and printed QR codes;
• you want to change what is on it often without touching your Instagram profile.

Here is how to make a Linktree, following Linktree's own help centre:

1. Go to the Linktree website, or download the Linktree app, and tap Sign up.
2. Enter your email address and check it for typos, because you will need it to verify your account.
3. Choose a username. It becomes part of your Linktree web address, so use your venue's name.
4. Select a plan. Linktree's pricing page listed a free version with unlimited basic links when we checked on 29 September 2026.
5. Follow the prompts to add your first links and pick a theme.
6. Copy your Linktree address and add it to Instagram using the steps above.

Linktree is not the only option. Some scheduling tools include a link page (Later and Planoly both list one on their pricing pages), and Cheers includes a link-in-bio page. A simple page on your own website works too, as long as it is quick to load and easy to use on a phone.

What to put on a venue's link page

Think about why someone taps the link. Usually they want to do one thing, quickly, so put that first. An Instagram link in bio works best when it goes straight to the thing people want. A good order for most venues:

1. Book a table. Straight to your booking page, not your homepage.
2. Menus. Food, drinks, Sunday and set menus. Check each one opens and reads easily on a phone.
3. What's on. Quiz nights, live music, match days and events, each linked to its own page if you can. Our guide to promoting an event on Facebook and Instagram covers the posts that point people here.
4. Opening and kitchen hours, plus directions with a map link.
5. Gift vouchers, if you sell them.
6. Private hire and parties.
7. Takeaway or delivery, if you offer it.

Every venue is different, so here are starting points by type:

• Pub: book a table, what's on this week, food menu, Sunday lunch, private hire.
• Restaurant: book a table, menus, set menus and offers, gift vouchers, private dining. Our restaurant social media ideas will give you posts to point here.
• Cafe: menu, opening hours, directions, celebration cake orders, events.
• Hotel or inn: book a room, book a table, menus, special breaks, weddings and events.

Keeping it up to date

A link page still showing last month's event tells people nobody is minding it. A short routine keeps it fresh:

• The morning after each event: remove it and move the next one up.
• Each season: swap in new menus, Christmas bookings, summer garden news or Sunday lunch changes.
• Every week: before a post says "link in bio", make sure the link it mentions is live. If you schedule Instagram posts ahead, check the link on the day they go out.
• Every month: tap every link on your own phone. Check menus are current, prices match and booking works.
• Whenever things change: make sure your bio text still matches your opening hours and regular nights.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Linking to your homepage when people wanted to book.
• Menus that are hard to read on a phone.
• Old events and expired offers still showing.
• Saying "link in bio" before the link is actually there.
• Adding your personal Facebook profile by mistake instead of your venue's Page.