The “Links not allowed” error is a common mistake on Instagram.
Here is the full error message, “Links not allowed. It looks like your profile contains an unauthorized link. We restrict certain content and actions to protect our community. Let us know if you think we made a mistake.”
If you are experiencing this error, you may be looking for a fix.
Even though the “Tell us” button is meant to tell Instagram they made a mistake, your link will still be blocked.
Similar to the “Operation Block” error or the “Try again later” error, the “Tell us” button is redundant.
In most cases, you have to fix the error manually or wait for it to be removed.
For the “No link allowed” error, you have to do manual action to remove it.
In this article, you’ll learn why you’re getting a “Links not allowed” message on Instagram and how to fix it.
- Why do I get the “No link allowed” error?
- How to Fix “No Links Allowed” on Instagram
- Conclusion
Why do I get a “Link not allowed” error?
You’re most likely getting a “Links not allowed” error because the link in your profile is linking to a site that contains inappropriate content.
Otherwise, Instagram may have blocked your link by mistake.
You have to go through the same process to unblock your link though.
In 2016, Instagram blocked “add me” links, which means that certain Telegram and Snapchat links cannot be added to your profile.
If you’ve added those links, you’ll get this error, “Instagram doesn’t support links that ask someone to add you on another service”.
However, other types of links are still allowed, such as YouTube, blogs, business websites, etc.
It’s still not clear why Instagram is blocking deep linking on their platform.
However, the most reasonable assumption is that Telegram and Snapchat are posing a threat to their user bases.
With Telegram hitting 100 million monthly active users and Snapchat hitting 100 million daily active users in 2016, it makes sense for them to overtake Instagram.
Instagram is also known to be very limited with the external links you can add.
In social media platforms like Twitter, URLs that you add to your bio and captions to your posts are automatically converted into links.
Otherwise, you only have the ability to add a single link to your profile on Instagram.
The only other place you can add links is on your stories.
However, if you want to add a swipe up link in your story, you need to reach 10,000 followers first.
At the end of the day, Instagram aims to keep its users on the app for as long as possible.
How to Fix “No Links Allowed” on Instagram
To fix the “Links not allowed” error on Instagram, you can try switching your network, using the linking tool, or using the Facebook Sharing Debugger.
First, your IP address may be blocked by Instagram.
As a result, you cannot add a link to your profile due to this.
If your IP address is blocked, switching your network should get rid of the error message.
On the other hand, if the link in your profile is blocked because it links to inappropriate content, you can bypass it with the linking tool.
Finally, if your link is blocked by mistake, submitting it in the Facebook Share Debug Tool will do the trick.
Here’s how you can use these methods in detail.
Method #1. Switch your network
Switch from Wi-Fi to local data and vice versa to get rid of IP block.
The first method to fix the “No link allowed” error on Instagram is to switch your network.
If your IP address is blocked by Instagram, your network switch will get out of the block.
This is because your IP address will change after you switch networks.
If you’re connected to Wi-Fi, switch to local data.
On the other hand, if you’re using local data (e.g. 4G), connect to Wi-Fi.
For iOS devices, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to turn Wi-Fi on/off.
You can switch your network on your Android device by swiping down from the top of the screen.
Alternatively, you can try connecting to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) if the above method doesn’t work.
Just download the VPN app on the App Store/Google Play Store and connect to the VPN.
VPNs mask your IP address, so Instagram can only see the VPN’s server address, not yours.
After that, the “Link not allowed” error will be removed.
Method #2. Use a linking tool
Add an all-in-one linking tool like Linktree or AllMyLinks in your bio.
The next method is to use an all-in-one linking tool like Linktree or AllMyLinks.
The all-in-one linking tool allows you to add multiple links to your profile.
This is especially useful for Instagram because you can only add a single link to your profile.
If you have a lot of links you want to add, you can use the link tool to do so.
The linking tool also “hides” your link(s) so that they are not blocked by Instagram.
For example, if one of your links is blocked by Instagram, you can use Linktree or AllMyLinks and add the same link there.
This will skip the block and get rid of the “Link not allowed” error.
Alternatively, you can try using a URL shortener to bypass the error.
Paste your link into the shortener, copy the new link and add it to your profile.
Since it’s a new link, it won’t be blocked by Instagram.
Facebook Share Debugger > Site URL > debug > let us know.
The last method is to use the Facebook Share Debugger tool.
This tool allows you to view the information of a website as it is shared on Facebook, Instagram or Messenger.
It’s a quick way for developers to troubleshoot and fix problems, and it’s also commonly used by social media managers.
If your link was blocked on Instagram by mistake, you can debug it with this tool.
Since the “Tell us” button doesn’t work, you need to debug it manually in the Facebook Share Debugger tool.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can use this tool:
- Go to the Facebook Share Debugger tool.
- Paste the link (blocked on Instagram).
- Click the “Debug” button.
- If the link is blocked, you’ll see a “Please let us know” text link.
- Click “Please let us know”.
Once you’ve done this, it will take about 1 to 3 days for the link to be unblocked (if the link doesn’t link to any inappropriate content).
You will then be able to add the link to your profile without any errors.
Conclusion
Link blocking is a common problem on Instagram and many users have encountered it before.
Sometimes, Instagram may also block your IP address and you will have to switch your network to remove it.
Instagram blocks some links because they are harmful to the community.
For example, some websites are often linked by spam accounts.
On the other hand, other websites contain inappropriate content in them.
The “Add Me” link is also blocked on Instagram where Telegram and Snapchat links cannot be added to your profile.
Instagram is known to be very limited when it comes to linking and the number of actions you can take (e.g. follow, unfollow).
At the end of the day, Instagram hopes to increase session length per user and reduce spammers in their platform.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my link not working on Instagram?
Your link doesn’t work on Instagram because it only allows links in the “Website” field.
If you added a direct link to your profile, it will not be converted to a clickable link.
For your link to work, navigate to your profile > edit profile > website > import site.
After you have entered your sitelink in the “website” field, it will be clickable.
Are you allowed to post links on Instagram?
Yes, you are allowed to post links on Instagram.
However, you cannot use “add me” links from Telegram or Snapchat because they are blocked on Instagram.
You can only add a link to your profile on the “website” field.
You won’t be able to add links to your post’s captions as they won’t be clickable.
Read more
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Author: Lim How Wei is the founder of Followchain. Follow him on Instagram.
Categories: Social Media
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
