To compete with Linktree, Beacons, and many other “link in bio” solution providers, Instagram is introducing a new feature today that allows users to add links to their user profiles. Users will now be able to add up to five links to their Instagram bios, the company announced on Tuesday. These links can point followers to other content, such as their online businesses, brands they want to promote, causes they care about, or even their profiles on rival social media networks.

The firm claims that the feature has been a top request from creators, but in truth, it also serves as an illustration of how Instagram’s reluctance to respond to the community’s needs has given rise to competing products.

Due to platform restrictions, such as those on Instagram and other social networks, which for a while barred users from posting multiple links to other websites out of concern that they would be assisting in directing users to information outside of their apps, Linktree, and similar services came into being. Instead of maybe losing users’ time and interest, the platforms would prefer to keep people cooped up inside Instagram or their network.

Instagram wasn’t the only one who made this decision. To make it more difficult for average users and creators to point fans and followers to other websites, TikTok now only allows individuals with business accounts to include clickable links in their bios.

TikTok’s harsher restrictions may be what prompted Instagram to finally respond to creator requests for more access to links-in-bio after all these years.

The business is probably aware of how greater access to links may be viewed as a competitive advantage, attracting artists back to its app. In reality, Instagram explicitly states that “all accounts,” including corporate and creator accounts, will be able to add numerous links to a profile.

The option may be accessed by tapping “Edit profile,” “Links,” and then “Add external link.” After that, users can drag and drop the links into the desired sequence.

Users may connect to any URL as long as it complies with Meta’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service, and links are checked to make sure they do not include any dangerous content. It has no intention of preventing links from Linktree or other services that use links in bios. (In fact, one of its links is currently being used by Meta’s own account, as Linktreee noted in a tweet.)

The links, however, open the corresponding websites inside the Instagram app, not in a new browser tab. You must select “open in system browser” from the three-dot option at the top of the page to switch to your built-in browsers, such as Safari or Chrome.