If You Can Never Find the Link in Bio on Instagram, Read This

Life will forever be divided into the time before and the time after you knew how to do this.

Welcome! You're here because you are trying to find your favorite Instagram account's "link in bio." But all you've found is a dark vortex of confusion. You're forced to pass up recipe after recipe, article after article, because you can't find this elusive link.

Would it be easier if people, businesses, and publishers could share links directly in their post captions? Probably. But we need to work with what we've got. Which is why, instead of being able to click directly into a website URL within a post caption, Instagram directs you to the "link in bio" to view the rest of the article, photo gallery, recipe, or what-have-you, in its entirety. The meaning, at least, is pretty literal: Click into the account's bio (or main profile) to find an external link to something on their (or another) website.

mobile phone showing Instagram account
Getty Images

For the record: It's not you. It is counterintuitive, although it's not as difficult as you think (promise!). I, myself, had to swallow my pride and let my 14-year-old cousin explain the process to me—so believe me when I say, I've walked in your shoes. But once you learn how to find a link in bio on Instagram, the world is yours for the reading.

Here to help you navigate—and ensure you never miss another recipe, story, or list of tips from your IG accounts—is a step-by-step guide to finding the link in bio on Instagram. (Note that these specific steps and images cater to a mobile user experience, but they translate easily for desktop Instagram use.)

And if you don't have the time or patience to read every step (or just need a brief refresher), below is a quick and handy Instagram video walk-through:

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Step One: Getting From Feed to Bio

How to Find the Link in Bio on Instagram, Step 1
@real_simple/Instagram

While scrolling through your Instagram feed, you come across a cool post, read the caption, and bam—you're asked to "head to the link in our bio" for the whole story.

Let's say it's a Real Simple post you're after. In the upper left corner of your screen, you'll find the circular Real Simple profile photo and account name/handle, "real_simple". Tap the Instagram handle itself to get to the account bio and post grid. (Tapping directly on the circular profile photo will lead you straight to Instagram Stories—not the bio.)

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Step Two: Identify the Link

How to Find the Link in Bio on Istagram, Step 2
@real_simple/Instagram

Every Instagram user has the option to customize their bio. In addition to adding a description, Emojis, hashtags, and the like, they can also choose to share links to external webpages that their followers and customers can access and read without needing to exit the Instagram app. Locate the link (it will look something like the one pictured and circled to the right) and give it a single tap. A new window should slide up from the bottom of your screen.

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Step Three: Find the Story You're Looking for

How to Find the Link in bio
@real_simple/Instagram

Tapping the bio link will open a new window with a secondary grid. This is where you want to be. It will look almost identical to the original image grid, except that each image in this secondary grid leads to an external link. The newer the post, the closer to the top it'll be.

Don't see the post you set out for? Don't panic. Simply scroll down the grid until you find it. When you do, tap or click on it once to open the corresponding link. (If it's not there, they may have forgotten to add a URL to their Instagram post—it happens.)

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Step Four: Enjoy

How to Find the Link in Bio on Instagram, Step 4
@real_simple/Instagram

We made it! A new link will appear on your screen that's ready to read, share, save, copy, etc. To toggle back to the secondary grid and read more bio links (we won't stop you), tap the back arrow in the bottom left corner of your screen; to return completely to the account's main Instagram page, hit the X in the upper left corner.

RELATED: 16 Unspoken Social Media Rules to Know Before Your Next Post

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