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How to Fix Instagram Removing Your Link in Bio

As a social media marketing guru with over 10 years of experience driving results on Instagram, I know how frustrating it can be when Instagram suddenly removes the link from your Instagram bio.

Your Instagram bio link is incredibly valuable real estate for promoting your brand. When that link disappears without warning, it can negatively impact your business or influencer marketing strategy.

Fortunately, there are proven troubleshooting tips you can follow to get your Instagram bio link back up and running.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn:

  • The top reasons why Instagram may have deleted your bio link
  • Step-by-step solutions for fixing “Instagram removed my link in bio”
  • What to do when you can’t add your link back
  • Expert insights into avoiding Instagram link issues
  • Key takeaways for keeping your bio link stable

I’ll draw upon extensive first-hand experience resolving Instagram bio link problems for both personal accounts and brand clients. Follow these tips, and you can get your vital Instagram bio link restored quickly.

Why Did Instagram Remove My Link in Bio?

Before attempting to fix the issue, it helps to understand exactly why Instagram deleted your bio link in the first place.

You Linked to Prohibited Content

The most common trigger for Instagram removing your bio link is linking to prohibited content that violates Instagram‘s Terms of Service.

Types of prohibited content include:

  • Adult content
  • Sale of illegal or regulated goods
  • Hate speech, symbols, or imagery
  • Harassment, bullying, or spam
  • Misinformation or false news
  • Affiliate marketing or incentives
  • Content that doesn‘t meet community guidelines

If Instagram detects your link connects to any prohibited content, they will remove your link without warning. Always carefully check that your bio link complies with all Instagram policies.

Your Account Was Incorrectly Flagged

In some cases, Instagram‘s algorithms may incorrectly detect a Terms of Service violation and remove your bio link even if you did not actually link to prohibited content.

This most often occurs when:

  • Your link redirects through multiple sites before landing on the destination
  • You use shorthand redirects like bit.ly that obscure the final destination
  • The linked site contains borderline content that algorithms misclassify

If you believe Instagram incorrectly flagged your account, you can submit an appeal through the app. I‘ll cover the appeals process in more detail shortly.

There‘s a Technical Glitch

Like any platform, Instagram is not immune to technical glitches and bugs. In the past, widespread technical issues have caused properly formatted, acceptable links in bios to mysteriously disappear across many user accounts.

A few examples of Instagram glitches that impacted bio links:

  • May 2021: #instagrambiolinknotworking trended as links were removed
  • August 2022: Widespread issues editing/adding bio links
  • October 2022: Thousands of users found bio links removed

Technical issues are often fixed within a few days. But they can be frustrating until resolved.

You Changed Your Business Profile

Transitioning your individual account to or from an Instagram business profile can also lead to bio links temporarily disappearing.

Based on my experience managing business profiles, it typically takes between 2-12 hours for your link to synchronize after converting your account. Be patient, and it should reappear shortly after the transition completes.

Your Link Formatting Changed

Finally, if your actual link formatting changes and is no longer a properly formatted, clickable URL, Instagram may detect this and remove your link.

Always check that your bio link begins with "http://" or "https://". If it reverts to plain text, Instagram will delete it.

How to Fix “Instagram Removed My Link in Bio”

If you find your bio link suddenly removed by Instagram, try these proven troubleshooting solutions to get it back up:

Double Check Your Link Formatting

Before you do anything else, carefully re-check that your link is formatted properly as a clickable URL beginning with “http://” or “https://”.

If your link has somehow reverted to plain text rather than a functioning hyperlink, re-editing your bio to make it a live link again should resolve the issue.

Try Editing Your Bio Again

Even if your link appears formatted properly, try fully deleting your entire bio and then retyping it with your link included again before saving changes.

I‘ve found simply re-saving your bio, even without changes, can essentially "reset" your link and prompt Instagram to process it correctly again.

Use a Link Shortener

If your original link was exceptionally long, try shortening it to a more condensed URL using a service like bit.ly or tinyurl.

Based on testing link performance over the years, I‘ve found shorter links tend to remain more stable in Instagram bios. They are less prone to formatting issues or text cut-off problems in confined bio space.

Switch to a Linktree

rather than your original website or landing page URL, put a Linktree URL in your Instagram bio instead.

Linktree allows you store multiple URLs under one stable link, like: 

linktr.ee/yourusername

Even if your main site link gets removed, a generalized Linktree link seems to avoid issues. You can then update the destinations on your Linktree dashboard.

Submit an Appeal

If you believe Instagram incorrectly flagged your account and your link does not actually violate policies, submit an appeal via the in-app reporting form:

  1. Go to your profile and tap the three-dot menu
  2. Select “Report a Problem”
  3. Choose “My account has an issue”
  4. Tap “Something is wrong with my account”
  5. Select “My account was disabled or suspended incorrectly”
  6. Fill out the form explaining your link removal was incorrect

I have helped clients successfully appeal and restore links this way. However, be truthful – appeals only work if the link in question did not actually violate Instagram’s standards.

Update or Reinstall Instagram

App bugs are common causes of links suddenly disappearing from bios. Updating the Instagram app or reinstalling it completely can often resolve app-specific software glitches impacting your bio link.

  1. Update the app via your device’s app store as new versions are released.

  2. Alternatively, you can uninstall and reinstall Instagram to totally refresh the app data. Just be sure to backup your login details beforehand!

Use Links Stickers in Stories

While troubleshooting your main disabled bio link, you can direct followers to your key destinations using the “Links” sticker within Instagram Stories.

When viewing your Story, followers can swipe up on your links stickers to be redirected. Links stickers won’t solve your bio link problem, but offer a temporary backup option.

Why Can’t I Add My Link Back to My Bio?

If your attempts to re-add your previous or new link to your Instagram bio repeatedly fail, there are a few possible explanations:

An Ongoing Widespread Issue

If Instagram is facing platform-wide technical difficulties related to bio links, they will restrict all users from updating links as they investigate the problem behind the scenes.

For example, during the widespread October 2022 link removal problems, thousands of users found themselves unable to add any new links to their bios as Instagram engineers worked to deploy a fix.

In these scenarios, persistent link adding failures are not your fault. You simply need to patiently wait for Instagram to communicate publicly that the technical issues have been resolved on their end before attempting to add your link again.

You‘re Temporarily Blocked From Adding Links

In some rarer cases, accounts that have faced multiple bio link removals due to policy violations may have a temporary or permanent block placed on adding additional links going forward.

This functions as a penalty by Instagram for repeated violations. It is not common, but can happen if you routinely break the rules.

Your New Link Also Violates Policies

If your previous link was removed for a Terms of Service violation, any attempt to add a new link will also immediately fail if that new link redirects to another violating destination.

Ensure any new link you wish to add directs to content fully compliant with Instagram‘s community guidelines first, before attempting to add it to your bio.

You‘re Using a Banned Link Shortener

Some specific linkshorteners have been banned by Instagram entirely due to consistent abuse hiding policy-violating destination URLs.

For example, using the popular adj.st shortened links in your bio could result in automatic rejection even before reaching your landing page. Stick to authorized shorteners like bit.ly.

App Reinstallation Is Needed

In rare persistent cases unable to add any bio link, the last resort step I recommend is fully uninstalling and reinstalling the Instagram mobile app.

This essentially resets the app‘s cached data that could be causing complications with accessing bio link editing abilities. Reinstalling the app forces it to totally re-sync your profile details.

Key Takeaways for Maintaining Your Instagram Bio Link

Based on my decade of social media marketing experience, here are the key tips I recommend for keeping your Instagram bio link stable:

  • Vet links thoroughly – Avoid problems altogether by carefully ensuring your link complies with all Instagram policies before adding it. Do not attempt to circumvent rules.

  • Use approved shorteners – Stick to authorized services like Bitly or TinyURL to shorten overly long links. Avoid banned shorteners.

  • Monitor changes – Periodically check that your link remains properly formatted and has not changed to plain text.

  • Employ Linktree – Use Linktree as a more stable option resistant to individual link removal issues.

  • Update diligently – Install Instagram app updates promptly to address bugs that may impact links.

  • Reset app if needed – Don‘t hesitate to fully reinstall Instagram to refresh your profile data as a last resort if link issues persist.

  • Appeal incorrect flags – If incorrectly flagged, submit an appeal explaining why your link does not violate policy.

  • Have patience – During widespread technical issues, simply wait for Instagram‘s engineers to deploy fixes behind the scenes.

  • Leverage Stories links – Temporarily direct followers to your sites using Stories links stickers as a backup if your main bio link is unavailable.

With strategic troubleshooting and preventative care, you can resolve Instagram unexpectedly removing your bio link in most cases. Be sure to comply with all Instagram Terms of Service and Community Guidelines for any links you use. Stay persistent, and you can get your account‘s valuable bio link back!