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Home » Instagram Tips » Instagram Bio Link Not Working? New Solutions for 2023

Instagram Bio Link Not Working? New Solutions for 2023

Updated on: January 20, 2023 by Louise Myers 247 Comments

Is your Instagram bio link not working?

Wondering how to get links to work in your Instagram bio?

Like a lot of restrictions on the platform, it may have to do with an influx of spammers, as well as the tender age of many users.

In addition to throttling clicks, a link block can even cause your account to be frozen.

Along with blocked Instagram comments, I’m hearing more and more about this happening.

But here’s fair warning, and possible workarounds.

Updated with NEW FIX IDEAS!

Did Instagram Block Your Bio Link? Try This.

Which Instagram Links Are Not Allowed?

Getting the “Link not allowed” error on Instagram?

Link not allowed

It looks like your profile contains a link that is not allowed. We restrict certain content and actions to protect our community. Tell us if you think we made a mistake.

OK / Report problem

"Link not allowed" error on Instagram

Instagram has become quite cautious with that one precious link allowed in your bio. This is due to the amount of spam accounts they see.

  • They’ll block websites known to be linked to by spammers in their profiles.
  • They won’t allow links to websites with explicit content.
  • They’re blocking links that appear on several accounts within a short period.
  • Shortened links – such as bitly – are suspect since it’s unclear what you’re linking to.
  • Made-up website names may be blocked (don’t risk your account to be funny).
  • Domain names using elements or misspellings of Instagram have been blocked.
  • And in some cases, it may simply be your WiFi connection to Instagram. Really!

But my site is legit!

Unfortunately, I’m hearing more and more about blocked links from legitimate sites. I suspect the instagram AI is crawling the sites and taking words out of context.

One was a makeup site with a lipstick color named “Nude.” While I can’t say that was the reason, it may well be.

Last September, I heard that a lot of food blogs were getting blocked on both Instagram and Facebook. Perhaps due to words like cut or chop?

If the link is to your own site, jump to the solution for my own website link is blocked by Instagram.

Below are some verified banned website links.

You can’t post links to Snapchat or Telegram

Instagram has disabled the ability for users to encourage others to follow them on Snapchat or Telegram. TechCrunch announced this on March 3, 2016:

Previously Instagram users were able to include ‘add me’/’follow me’ links in a website section on their profile page, directly linking out to any other profiles they had on third party social services’ apps. Now attempting to type one of these links to a Snapchat or Telegram profile, within the Instagram app’s website field on a user’s profile, results in the following message…

Instagram blocks URLs to Telegram and Snapchat.

A spokesman for Instagram confirmed the change to TechCrunch, providing the following statement: “We’ve removed the ability to include ‘add me’ links on Instagram profile pages. This was a rare use-case, and not the way our platform was intended to be used. Other types of links are still allowed.” source

So if this is what you’ve been trying to do, you know you should stop trying.

Etsy links not allowed on Instagram

A reader was informed by Instagram that etsy.com/shop/ URLs are not allowed. Now she can post photos, but nothing else – no captions, comments, or follows.

Apparently this has been going on since April 2015. The problem now is – she can’t even change the link.

Some Etsy sellers reported that the format shopname.etsy.com worked fine, but others said they had problems with that too.

One person said using their own domain name that redirected to their Etsy shop worked – but no guarantee that will continue.

Beware linking to an Etsy shop in any format. Definitely don’t use etsy.com/shop/shopname.

Fix Instagram Link Not Allowed with NO LINK!

There are several solutions to blocked links, depending on what the link problem is. We’ll look at 3 different problems, with suggestions to solve each.

First up, you don’t even have a link in your bio!

When you get the error message, Instagram may provide the actual link that’s not allowed.

Is it an IP address? This is a string of numbers with a few periods inserted. In this case, you may not even have a link in your bio.

Fortunately, this solution could be as easy as changing your IP address. Just this month, one IGer reported:

I have to turn off my WiFi on my phone and use data for IG. When I am done, I turn the WiFi back on. Evidently there is some link in the wifi that IG doesn’t like.

So try that first.

If that doesn’t work, these solutions are widely shared. I haven’t tried them, but if your IP address is the problem, one of these should fix it.

Solution 1: Restart your WiFi

Instagram is not allowing the IP address that is assigned to you. Get a new IP address by following these steps:

  • Turn OFF your WiFi router.
  • Wait for at least 3-5 minutes.
  • Now Turn ON your WiFi. Connect your device to WiFi.
  • This will assign a new IP address to your device.
  • Check if the error still persists.

Solution 2: Change Router Configuration

Follow the steps given below to change the router configuration:

  • Go to the homepage of your router and log in.
  • Select My Network tab.
  • Click on Network Connection.
  • Select Broadband (Ethernet) under Rule Name.
  • Go to Settings.
  • Click on Renew > Release > Apply.
  • Now check if Instagram Link not allowed error still persists.

Solution 3: For Mobile Data Users

If you are getting Instagram Link not Allowed error while using Instagram with your mobile or cellular data, don’t worry.

Put your mobile phone in Airplane mode for 3-5 minutes. After waiting for 3-4 minutes, Turn OFF Flight mode and launch Instagram to check if the issue has been resolved. source

Another possible workaround is to use Instagram on a computer browser in Incognito mode.

If the error has nothing to do with your IP address, read on…

My Website Link Is Blocked by Instagram

Your bio has a link to your own website, and you get a notice that your URL is blocked. You know your site isn’t spammy, and perhaps it’s even been allowed before.

Here are 5 possible solutions:

Solution 1: Facebook debugger

Whether your URL is blocked by Instagram or Facebook, try the Facebook debugger.

This same advice was provided over and over when people were complaining about this issue. I’m hoping it works for you!

That debugger link is pretty handy for a number of things, including getting Facebook to pull up the right image with link posts. Bookmark it, or this post!

Solution 2: URL shortener or service

Some readers suggested that using a link service like linktr.ee allowed them to link to their website.

Linktr.ee provides a landing page where you can place multiple links you’d like your IG followers to check out.

If Instagram discovers people use services like these to defeat their safeguards, they’ll probably disallow them, but for now it’s worth a try.

Solution 3: Meta Business Help live chat

I had no clue this was a thing, and maybe it won’t last, but a reader said this worked for her.

It’s intended for business accounts, and maybe only ones that are connected to a Facebook business page. I’m not sure but thought you’d want to give it a shot.

If you don’t find live chat, one blogger says to just report the issue daily with a screenshot until it’s resolved.

Milly commented:

I just had the same issue with my company’s social media.

HOW TO FIX IT FAST:

Go to the Meta Business Help Center – if you can’t find it just search facebook ads support and there will be a link for it.

When you get there, scroll down to Find answers or contact support and click Get started. Fill all the info they ask and in click on the box to explain your issue further. It will lead you to a facebook chat with a real person and they will help you to solve this issue.

I did all the procedures above and in the day after my link was already allowed. Hope it helps everyone that is also panicking to fix this.

Below is a screenshot of the button to click.

How to Find answers or contact support and Get started in Meta Business Help Center.

 

Solution 4: Ads manager

If you run ads, contact your rep. They’ll get you sorted quickly.

If you don’t, and you’re not beyond fibbing, one blogger suggests this:

Get in touch with them through the Facebook ads problem section. Tell them that you’re planning a big ads campaign on Instagram but you are blocked.

They will get back to you fast because they want your money. I do it every time and it works!

Solution 5: Delete the link

If the above methods didn’t work, open your Instagram profile and delete the link.

But if you can’t even get into your account…

Instagram Account Blocked Due to Bio Link

Unfortunately, I’ve been hearing from people who can’t even get into their account because of the link in their bio.

At this point, I don’t really know what you can do. Asking support seems to be fruitless.

One account was unblocked after a week and was able to remove their questionable link. Another account disappeared – so I don’t know what happened to it.

First, try to patiently wait it out.

If you end up setting up a new account, I suggest:

  • Don’t post a link to Snapchat or Telegram.
  • Don’t post a link to an Etsy shop.
  • DontMakeUpAPhonyURL.com – one account was blocked for doing this.
  • Triple check your URL for typos. One account was blocked for spelling “Instagtam.”
  • Run your link through the FB debugger before posting.
  • Don’t post affiliate links.
  • Be cautious of posting a shortened link (ie, bitly).
  • And finally, don’t post other people’s content without permission. Your account may be reported and then blocked.

NOTE: I haven’t had any trouble with bitlys. Just a suggestion if you want to be extra cautious.

Instagram Links Not Working: Resolved!

Did you fix an Instagram block due to your Bio Link?

Have you found a solution? Please help the Instagram community by sharing it in a comment here!

I will add the info to the post ASAP, with the username of your IG account if you like.

It’s an unfortunate possibility that you might have a hater who’s reporting your link or account. As noted above, just keep telling and showing Instagram (with screenshots) that your link is not a problem!

Please share this post on Facebook, tweet, or pin to Pinterest so we can all resolve the Instagram link not allowed error!

Did Instagram block your bio link? Like a lot of changes to this social media platform, it may be due to Facebook. Click to blog for warnings, and a workaround / Instagram hack.

Filed Under: Instagram Tips Tagged With: Instagram for business, Instagram update, troubleshooting

About Louise Myers

Louise Myers is a graphic design expert whose designs have been featured by Disney, Macy's, WalMart and more. Her straightforward writing style empowers small business owners to make their own graphics for social media success!

Comments

  1. Geoffrey Callaghan says

    November 14, 2022 at 9:00 AM

    If you want to add multiple links to your profile bio use SmartBio and get unlimited links.

    Reply
  2. Roxy says

    October 26, 2022 at 12:58 PM

    We have had our link locked for over a month!! Instagram says there is no issue on our account so we have to report the issue as a bug through the app. When we go to change the link we get a message saying “You edited a link in your bio” but it is not changed. None of the ideas we’ve read have helped. Anyone else out there?? Agh

    Reply
  3. Daniel says

    October 18, 2022 at 7:05 PM

    Hi, I have a retail business that I was trying to promote I was even willing to pay for ads but apparently my link to my website was taken down because it doesn’t fit the guidelines. I even doubled check and i don’t see how it doesn’t fit the guidelines I’ve tried contacting instagram and emailing still no luck please if u guys can let me know if theres a way where I can bring it back or contact instagram and get a Response thank you.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      October 19, 2022 at 9:30 AM

      Hi Daniel, I’m hoping this is a temporary glitch. Everyone is complaining of it!

      If anyone finds a solution PLEASE let us know!

      Reply
  4. Ruth says

    September 16, 2022 at 3:00 AM

    I get no error messages. My problem is that Instagram has made an incorrect Linktree URL my permanent website link in my profile, and no amount of editing/replacing makes any difference. I’m not a developer and have no idea how to fix this. I would be glad to go back and use my own website instead, but it’s not letting me do that either. If anyone has a solution, I’d love to hear it!

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      September 16, 2022 at 11:18 AM

      So you can’t just delete that link?

      Reply
      • Misha says

        October 17, 2022 at 10:18 PM

        Hello, i am unable to delete or place the link, and it says something went wrong, please try again, can you please help me to solve that?

        Kind regards,
        Misha

        Reply
        • Louise Myers says

          October 18, 2022 at 11:08 AM

          Have you tried replacing it with something else? Maybe a reader has another suggestion. Anyone?

          Reply
          • Susan says

            October 18, 2022 at 12:27 PM

            I’m not able to add a link today and I’m getting the same “something went wrong, try again later” message. No success so far.

          • Louise Myers says

            October 19, 2022 at 9:29 AM

            Hey Susan, I’m hoping this is a temporary glitch. I’m getting so much interest in this article RN.

  5. Terry Jones says

    July 5, 2022 at 2:45 PM

    Yes It Worked~ My IG bio link is back. You are an angel. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Norman Yam says

    August 22, 2021 at 9:00 AM

    Is it safer to post the link from my youtube channel, which apparently allows affiliate links?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      August 30, 2021 at 6:48 AM

      I haven’t tried using a YouTube link on Instagram but it’s worth a try.

      Reply
  7. Charlotte says

    February 5, 2021 at 4:37 AM

    Hi Louise, thanks for this article and it seems to be an ongoing problem!

    I can’t add my website link to my bio without it being deemed potentially malicious and the FB debugger isn’t working because apparently “content doesn’t meet community standards”. My website is about adventure cats. catventurous.com (It’s bilingual English-French so I also own catventurous.fr – I’ve tried with both domains.)

    I would love to drive traffic to my website rather than to Linktree but I have to stick with that option for now.

    Anyway, I’ve tried all the suggestions here and no luck. I’ll just have to go with patience and keep trying. Hopefully I won’t get blocked!

    Thanks again!
    Charlotte.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      February 5, 2021 at 6:52 AM

      I know it’s frustrating because it’s impossible to know which random words they might be targeting. Thank goodness we have a workaround with those “linky” sites even though it’s not ideal.

      Reply
    • John says

      August 21, 2021 at 7:12 AM

      I have recently checked my domain banned at isitban. It also says your domain is not safe. what should I do Now?

      Reply
      • Louise Myers says

        August 30, 2021 at 6:50 AM

        Not much you can do if your “content doesn’t meet community standards” other than try a link redirector.

        Reply
  8. Adrian says

    January 2, 2021 at 8:51 AM

    Hi,

    How about this.
    My IG is connected to FBPage, but still not accessable from insta icon on my website. The link is correct but it says:
    “Sorry, this page isn’t available.
    The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed. Go back to Instagram.”

    I can still login and then the link works. I can manage my IG as usual via app or again when I login on computer. I just cannot understand why URL has suddenly stopped working. Can someone answer this?

    When I post something on FBPage it still goes to my IG automatically. There must be some reason. I use in Bio URL to page similiar to linktree. My other 3 websites have no problems. What might be the reason?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      January 3, 2021 at 7:57 AM

      I don’t have an answer, but hopefully others do. Let me clarify a couple things though:

      1. You can see your account as normal on the app, but on desktop only when logged in. Correct?

      2. Other IGers can see your account normally.

      Just thought of this: be sure your account isn’t set to private.

      Reply
  9. Abid says

    December 19, 2020 at 11:09 AM

    I am too muchh annoyed with Facebook and Instagram both blocked my website. I read your post to find solution. I’ll try all these method to unblock. Let see what happens next. Thank you for sharing this best advice.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      December 21, 2020 at 5:38 AM

      Hope it works out!

      Reply
  10. Quassia says

    November 21, 2020 at 12:50 AM

    Hi
    I am Quassia. I went through your blog and felt that you might help me out or even answer my question. So my instagram profile is facing issues since a few months now which I have repeatedly reported but did not find help or answer. So the problem is when ever I share my profile link to someone… sometimes it works other time it says sorry profile not found or link broken.

    Can you please suggest how to fix it. It is badly affecting my business. I am a small business.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 21, 2020 at 7:43 AM

      I’m sorry to hear this but have no idea why that would happen.

      Reply
  11. Sophia says

    October 20, 2020 at 6:33 AM

    I tried the suggestion way up in the comments by Lorena. I removed the https and www.
    and it my link worked again in my bio! Yay!

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      October 20, 2020 at 7:34 AM

      Great to hear!

      Reply
  12. Paul says

    August 26, 2020 at 8:50 PM

    I have put up a link to my book on Amazon. Instagram breaks the link every couple days. Any workaround for this?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      August 27, 2020 at 3:02 PM

      Have you tried the link without the affiliate referral? Or, try the short link.

      Reply
  13. Disha Caroline says

    May 1, 2020 at 7:30 AM

    Hi Louise!
    I tried the facebook debugger. It said, this link of mine is not in the 200*200 width.

    I am still struggling to find which Image it is as there are two of it. One in a post and one in my DP which I am not able to remove.

    Please help.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      May 1, 2020 at 11:46 AM

      One of us is misunderstanding something.

      In this context, the FB debugger is used to get a result on a blocked bio URL. The URL you gave me is your profile picture. I’m not sure why you entered that in the debugger. Or am I misunderstanding?

      If you have a link in your bio giving you problems, enter that in the debugger.

      Reply
  14. Maysie says

    April 16, 2020 at 10:20 AM

    Hey Louise,
    I’m curious if you’ve ever seen a problem like the one that I am having before. About a month ago now, I realized I had not gotten any instagram notifications overnight. I started a blog in November and started trying to grow my Instagram for it. I was used to getting upwards of 30 likes overnight and waking to a ton of notifications, DMs, followers… I thought it was strange so I opened my app, and I noticed I DID have all those notifications. Weird. I checked my notification settings, nothing had changed. They should be working. I uninstalled and reinstalled the app, and restarted my phone, cleared the cache, tried on data, tried on wifi… Everything. I’ve tried it all multiple times too! Then I decided to ignore it and went to update my Linktree. I couldn’t get in to my Linktree due to other issues (which I’ve since worked out), so I went to try and put my website link into my bio while the Linktree was not working. Lo and behold, once I deleted the Linktree link from my bio, every time I try to put a link and “save” the changes to my profile, Instagram just says “error. Could not update your page.” I have NO clue what’s up! I can’t get any notifications for my blog instagram (I still get them from my personal!), and this issue persists across devices. I’ve tried via tablet and laptop with no luck. I’ve reported problems to Instagram with no luck. On top of that all, since then, my engagement has fallen like CRAZY. No clue why! I haven’t done anything differently. Do you know of anyone who has ever dealt with anything like this before? I figure it’s a long shot, but wanted to try.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      April 16, 2020 at 1:37 PM

      Maysie, I’m sorry to say I’ve never run across anything like that. Hope it works out.

      Reply
  15. Dan Smith says

    April 15, 2020 at 7:14 AM

    Hello, I run the socials for a company and on instagram previously we had no problems with the link to our fully legitimate website but it now won’t allow us to have it on the page at all or even send a message with it on.. I have tired the steps above is there anything new that has come to light as this post is a few years old now?
    Hope you can help
    Thanks
    Dan

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      April 15, 2020 at 9:15 AM

      Unfortunately, there’s nothing new to add since this post was last updated in November 2019.

      Reply
  16. Robin says

    April 4, 2020 at 2:26 PM

    I hope you are still responding here Louise but i have a problem that i didnt have before. I run a blog on blogspot and when i 1st entered my blog website awhile ago it was all fine no issues. Then had to change my website to sth another and now trying to change it back to my blog website and whatever way i try to put it in, it wont let me do that. It even doesnt let me to put the link into my bio. If you want to i can tell my blog because its literally all good and running well, recently started it as well so kind of frustrated 🙁

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      April 5, 2020 at 7:49 AM

      I’m still responding but don’t have any new answers, unfortunately.

      You could try 3 things. I’d love to hear if any works.
      From the easiest:
      1. Create a bitly link to forward to your blogspot.
      2. Use Linktr.ee or similar service to link to specific blog posts.
      3. Buy a domain name to use on your blogspot, or redirect to your blogspot (which I’d recommend anyway.)

      Good luck. Please let me know!

      Reply
      • Robin says

        April 6, 2020 at 9:36 AM

        IG answer to bitly link – Sorry, this page isn’t available. The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed. Go back to Instagram.

        It worked well with linktr. May actually use it from now on as i can basically put many links into that link and my group can be seen in several pages as well so they would be able to choose what they want to know about us etc.

        I’m not going to waste any money just for the link to be domain.

        Reply
      • Robin says

        April 7, 2020 at 1:09 AM

        I dont know if you got my previous reply but now we are back in the beginning 🙁
        Bitly doesnt work, IG has blocked our linktr link as well, it may easily be hackers that are doing this stuff to us because our website is kinda down. I couldnt send the link even into messenger…. I’m just going to send it here so you could check it out yourself and guarantee that there is nothing wrong with the blog. You can translate it into english too it should be an option rightaway.
        Plus when i wanted to make my IG post it only allowed the post go through, but not title/caption so had to take the post off two times before it somehow with some little changes i made allowed the title to go through as well. Now we are using our 4th option to make people see our blog and that is just another website of an organisation where we are working as a group.

        Reply
        • Louise Myers says

          April 8, 2020 at 2:19 PM

          If your website is down, that could be the reason you’re getting “page not available.”

          The blocked website thing is rampant on IG and I’m 99.9% sure it’s due to their AI and not hackers.

          It’s also possible that blogspot links are blocked bc it’s owned by Google, FB’s archenemy.

          Sorry, I know it’s frustrating.

          Reply
          • Blogger says

            March 19, 2022 at 10:04 AM

            My blogspot is also blocked, said it was spammy. Hilarious because I’m just starting off and the whole entire blog has only a handful of views,…. it’s gotta be what you said about how they hate Google. Thanks for your ideas.

  17. Imogen says

    March 14, 2020 at 8:53 PM

    I followed the wi-fi advice and I stopped getting the error, and I put my link back in, but it won’t open the page. It’s my website and it’s been in my bio for the longest time without any problems. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have any objectionable content (unless Instagram thinks my paintings are ugly or something lol). So I’m just taking my link out for now and hope that things get better and that maybe I can put it back in someday. At least the link works on Facebook. Thank you so much for trying to help, this is the first time this has ever happened.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      March 15, 2020 at 3:21 PM

      So sorry Imogen, it’s so silly and frustrating that they do this to good people and websites.

      Reply
  18. you says

    March 10, 2020 at 5:51 PM

    When I go to facebook support page there are two ” email ” buttons and ” chat ” the email icon doesn’t work. its a fake button and it doesn’t work. instead the chat icon is grey. How do you solve this problem?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      March 11, 2020 at 8:29 AM

      Perhaps they’re phasing it out. I don’t even have icons anymore.

      Reply
  19. Lucia says

    February 11, 2020 at 8:45 AM

    The fb debugger doesn’t work on my blog or link tree. Instagram won’t let me link my link tree either, and fb won’t let me share my blog. I have no idea why. I removed my blog from my linktree and I still can’t do it. Why is it recommenced not to add affiliate links?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      February 11, 2020 at 9:20 AM

      It’s just a precaution.

      Reply
  20. Prachi Kuchroo says

    February 7, 2020 at 3:21 PM

    Loved the solution offered. I did try the getting in touch with facebook business centre and they did help with resolving the website link issue..extremely grateful for your help.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      February 8, 2020 at 7:22 AM

      That’s great to hear!

      Reply
  21. Diginfo says

    January 27, 2020 at 3:11 AM

    Thank you providing nice information, earlier I was using it .
    Kindly provide us alternatives !!

    Reply
  22. Joe says

    January 13, 2020 at 6:56 AM

    I’ve tried linktree but moved to Musicjet which seems to be working fine. They have a load of URL’s you can choose to make your landing page.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      January 13, 2020 at 7:46 AM

      There are certainly a lot like that to choose from.

      Reply
  23. Patricia says

    December 28, 2019 at 6:39 PM

    Hi, my instagram bio link suddenly dissapeared and I can’t edit my profile until now. Then I don’t receive any notification of who likes, comment and add me on instagram, even when I try to login from computer and other device. I only receive notification from who mentioned me in a post.
    Is it happen because at that time, I login instagram on my friend’s phone with wifi, after I login from my phone with mobile data? Did my account get banned? How to solve this?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      December 30, 2019 at 6:14 AM

      There’s no way to know if your account got banned due to the login. It’s possible. The only solution is to wait it out. It’s usually just a few days to a week.

      Reply
      • Patricia says

        January 18, 2020 at 2:09 PM

        I’m browsing internet and found some instagram users that have the same problem, they even wait 5 month and still have the problem until now. Is it permanent ban?

        Reply
  24. brooke says

    December 21, 2019 at 4:43 AM

    Linktree has been blocked for our account – then we tried setting up a URL from our website – that got blocked too. We are a food magazine. I was really hoping the article would help us – but we are chasing our tail here. There is nothing offensive on our website. it can’t be the IP address and of course instagram support is a no show. Having our page shut down is not an option. Do you have any advice for this situation? We are really at a loss.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      December 26, 2019 at 11:40 AM

      Many readers are in this same situation. The block isn’t because of something offensive, it’s just getting caught by the not-too-intelligent AI.

      These are all the methods that have worked for others – but IG is constantly changing. If you do find a new solution, please let us know.

      Best of luck.

      Reply
  25. Sia says

    December 20, 2019 at 10:06 PM

    I want to add my website to the ins profile, but it said “Link not allow” too.
    I have try the method 1&2,it still couldn’t work. Then I go to the Facebook business support (facebook.com/business/help) , but did not find “get assistance”.
    My link still couldn’t add to my ins profile now. Could anyone help to solve this?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      December 26, 2019 at 11:47 AM

      The help page is still there. Mine looks like the screenshot, it does not say “get assistance” (at least today!). Fill in the box that says “Hi, how can we help?” and see what happens.

      Reply
  26. Emily says

    December 4, 2019 at 10:11 PM

    I’ve been seemingly randomly blocked on Instagram. I have a large following 50k+ and am connected to no 3rd party apps, do nothing against their community rules, nothing shady, absolutely no botting action. This popped up completely out of the blue – people started reporting to me this week that they could not reply to my comments, and as of today, when I put up a new post it won’t let me add a caption – in other words, absolutely no text to accompany my post/image. I keep getting the “comment blocked. It looks like your comment contains a link that is not allowed…..” block, but I have no links. I’d love to know what is going on and how to fix it.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      December 5, 2019 at 9:31 AM

      So sorry about this, and yes I’ve seen this happen to accounts I follow. I honestly don’t know what it’s about but it should clear up in a week or so.

      Of course there aren’t live links in IG comments anyway, but if you have one in your bio you could try removing it.

      Reply
  27. Capy says

    November 28, 2019 at 5:29 PM

    Hi Can you please check mine? I can open it on my side but when i turned on VPN I cannot access it.

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 30, 2019 at 8:42 AM

      There’s no link on your profile.

      Reply
  28. Jason says

    November 27, 2019 at 10:49 AM

    Don’t use instagram, because they are terrible with their instagram action block nonsense, there is no way to fix it. Instagram has a problem. The action block happends to random people who do nothing wrong.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 28, 2019 at 7:36 AM

      Yes it does, but random blocks also happen on Facebook and Pinterest. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of using AI to try to throttle spammers.

      Reply
  29. Ansar says

    November 25, 2019 at 5:53 AM

    This is unbelievable, my shopify store was all approved and ready to sell on facebook shop, and instagram but a day later they blocked my URL because they deem it “violates community guidelines”. We’re not all a bunch of fruitcakes who need to be protected from everything, but at the same time my website has absolutely nothing that would violate any kind of guideline.

    I have found that you can contact them through the “billing” section of your advertiser accounts, but they are still unhelpful and send you to that USELESS facebook help page (and send you around and around and around in circles for hours).

    Reply
    • Alba says

      September 27, 2022 at 1:46 PM

      That’s correct! I got emails with a link that doesn’t work. Any other ideas or suggestions?
      Thank you,

      Reply
  30. Andrew says

    November 20, 2019 at 5:21 PM

    The comment above, which dated Nov. 7 is misleading now. There is no “get assistance” link/button there.
    It seems Facebook found out that users have found a way to solve this “link-not-allowed” problem, so they quickly removed it from the page :\

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 20, 2019 at 5:35 PM

      This is possible, but it’s also possible that they just changed the wording to “how can we help?” as it says today.

      I haven’t tried it but am hoping someone who does reports back.

      Reply
  31. Mohit Rana says

    November 15, 2019 at 10:40 PM

    Link not allowed
    It looks like your profile contains a link that is not allowed. We restrict certain content and actions to protect our community. Tell us if you think we made a mistake.plz help me

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 16, 2019 at 7:53 AM

      Hi, please read the comment above yours dated Nov. 7. Milly may have a solution.

      Reply
  32. Maitri says

    November 13, 2019 at 11:04 PM

    Hello Louise,
    We have a branding studio and our website has already been approved by google. We do have an active instagram and facebook account but we are unable to tag it on instagram and facebook through other accounts and also unable to link it in bio. I have already used facebook debugger but no worthy response. Also we don’t have anything absurd in our content. But we own it with the name Slangbusters Branding Studio. Upto my knowledge the word slang should not bother but okay.
    Please help and share your insights on this if possible.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 15, 2019 at 10:59 AM

      Hi, please read the comment 3 above yours dated Nov. 7. Milly seems to have found a solution.

      Reply
  33. Susan Berkowitz says

    November 13, 2019 at 10:27 AM

    I’ve tried it all. Can’t find any problems with the debugger, and can’t get a response from Instagram. Any other ideas? Great article, just wish I could get a resolution!

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 13, 2019 at 4:51 PM

      Hi, please read the comment 2 above yours dated Nov. 7. Milly seems to have found a solution.

      Reply
  34. Nicole Le Saout says

    November 10, 2019 at 4:33 AM

    Hi, my URL has been blocked because of the Community Standards problem. I’m a baby & family photographer with a studio in Dublin… I’ve tried everything and my domain isn’t even accepted in FB debugger… Anything else I can try?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 10, 2019 at 7:22 PM

      Red the comment right above yours, dated Nov 7. Hope it helps!

      Reply
  35. Milly says

    November 7, 2019 at 12:07 PM

    Hello I just had the same issue with my company’s social media. HOW TO FIX IT FAST:
    Go to the facebook business support (facebook.com/business/help) – if you can’t find it just search facebook ads support and there will be a link for it.

    When you get there click on “get assistance”. Fill all the info they ask and in click on the box to explain your issue further. It will lead you to a facebook chat with a real person and they will help you to solve this issue.

    I did all the procedures above and in the day after my link was already allowed. Hope it helps everyone that is also panicking to fix this.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      November 8, 2019 at 8:40 AM

      Awesome, thanks for the tip!

      Reply
    • Prachi Kuchroo says

      February 7, 2020 at 3:23 PM

      This really helped..thanks so much..was struggling since 4 months ?

      Reply
  36. Samantha Bryant says

    October 20, 2019 at 6:09 PM

    My website is just a simple blogger site . . .a link that I’ve used for more than a year in my profile and Instagram just decided a few days ago that it was inappropriate somehow and gave me weird limited access: I could still post, which would still forward to Facebook and Twitter. I could still respond to DMs. But I couldn’t like or comment on anyone else’s posts.

    I tried everything you listed above. What finally worked was removing my website . . .which kind of negates the whole reason to *have* a flipping instagram.

    BTW, I’ve never see a less helpful help function than at instagram, so thanks for finding some things to try! Clicking “report problem” must be like whispering into the wind. It’ll get you nowhere.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      October 21, 2019 at 8:42 AM

      I know, I hear ya. This problem has really gotten out of hand, and it doesn’t seem like they’re trying to fix it.

      I would keep reporting it though if you can. They won’t know how frustrating this is unless we all speak up.

      Reply
  37. avantika gupta says

    September 27, 2019 at 8:07 PM

    thanks a lot it was too usefull… for me bcoz i mentioned a link bcoz of that instagram blocked my link i was unable to follow anyone and like any pics so i removed it.. and now able to run insta thanks again

    Reply
  38. Rachna says

    September 13, 2019 at 11:52 PM

    I am facing problem when i post on face book & instagram. It is not taking link and all my post deleted which has link. To get over from this problem what should i do?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      September 14, 2019 at 8:26 AM

      I don’t have any other solutions than what’s been shared in the post and comments here.

      Reply
  39. Saandra Salim says

    September 11, 2019 at 12:44 AM

    Hi,

    We have an accessory brand and we have an e-commerce website for the same. I am not able to add my website URL on Facebook and Instagram. When the link was added to my Instagram account bio, any other actions on the account were hampered. Also, even now, we are not able to add a product or website link to any products, affecting the traction to our website and the orders. What can be done?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      September 11, 2019 at 9:21 AM

      I wish I knew!

      Reply
  40. Ambar Collado says

    September 6, 2019 at 9:58 PM

    Having the same issue my site are bath and body products and it says it doesn’t meet their community guidelines debugger says there’s nothing to be fixed as well 🙁

    I also have my fb and Shopify account connected to my account and all my products got deleted on Instagram. I have no way to contact them and Instagram is my #1 advertising and revenue source. Anyone have a solution to this issue I’m going crazy here 🙁

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      September 7, 2019 at 6:31 AM

      If you run ads and have an IG ad manager, that rep will help you.

      Reply
  41. Juan Arias says

    August 8, 2019 at 9:12 AM

    I get this error message every time I tag my bio in a comment. Everything else works good.

    I tried deleting the link in my bio. Also tried to unlink FB account. But still having the problem.

    Any ideas?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      August 8, 2019 at 10:22 AM

      Sorry to say that I don’t. IG has gotten very difficult to understand.

      Reply
  42. Chantall says

    August 7, 2019 at 12:27 PM

    Hi Louise,

    The link to my website bus already blocked for over 4 months. I have nothing weird on my site. I am an illustrator. My site is hosted by Squarespace. The only thing I can think of is that it looks like I misspelled my name in the URL. But is actually really IS my name!!! I can not change it. It used to work on Instagram, but all of a sudden they banned it. Tried all the tips of course. Whiteout success. And no reply to my complains from Instagram or Facebook ( not allowed aswel I recently discovered)

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      August 8, 2019 at 10:25 AM

      This is happening so frequently now. It’s probably not the spelling, but the AI detected some word on your site that they didn’t like. So sorry. Try signing up for linktr.ee and see if that works.

      Reply
  43. Raena Hunter says

    July 29, 2019 at 3:18 PM

    My website got pegged because… Well, it’s a bunch of short stories about bad people doing bad things (all fictional though), and Instagram probably thought that it was promoting illegal activities (understandable considering that there’s so many stories about murderers). Anyway, I used linktr.ee (a website) to link it and Instagram accepted it. (The website is also useful in general and I recommend it.) If you have these issues, this could be the solution.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      July 29, 2019 at 4:09 PM

      I’ve used linktr.ee without issue, and then suddenly that got banned for no reason. Maybe it’ll work, or maybe your content isn’t appropriate to link from Instagram.

      Reply
      • Nicki says

        December 10, 2019 at 2:41 PM

        I’ve had a linktr.ee link in my bio for over a year with no problem, then suddenly yesterday my post description was deleted and I couldn’t repost it or post any comments or like any images. I got a message about a link, but I couldn’t understand what it meant. I came across your post here this morning, tried deleting the linktr.ee link in my bio, and suddenly everything is fine again. However, it’s a bit of a drag. I currently have no website link there, which is a bit pointless. Don’t know whether to try putting in the linktr.ee link again in a few days, or if that will just cause the same problem again. It’s so frustrating!

        Reply
        • Louise Myers says

          December 11, 2019 at 8:42 AM

          Thanks for letting me know this is still happening. If it were me, I’d wait a week and try again.

          Is it a personal vs business account by any chance? I had problems using linktr.ee on my personal but not my biz IG.

          Reply
  44. Maddie Louie says

    July 26, 2019 at 2:50 AM

    Would tinyurl work?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      July 27, 2019 at 3:29 PM

      I’m doubtful but you could try it.

      Reply
  45. Treaton says

    July 25, 2019 at 11:09 PM

    I was running a business account for almost 4months when one day I got the ‘ link not allowed’ message. It took me almost a month to understand why it was happening (unfortunately I didn’t come across your page sooner… ?) and more than a week to gain access to my bio and be able to delete my site address. When I ran it through the debugger I got the ‘We can’t review this website because the content doesn’t meet our Community Standards. If you think this is a mistake, please let us know’ message. I went through the community standards but can’t find what’s wrong with my site…. Could you please help me with that?

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      July 27, 2019 at 3:34 PM

      Unfortunately I don’t understand why they’re doing that. I’ve noticed some things like makeup sites that have colors named “nude.” Their “community standards detector” has obviously gone haywire.

      Reply
  46. george says

    July 25, 2019 at 11:12 AM

    this is the dumbest list of solutions i have ever read. it basically reads, “have you been blocked? here’s what you do: 1. complain to instagram 2.dont put stuff that’ll be blocked 3. restart your computer.”

    this is the kind of advice i expect my 90 year old grandpa to give me. you sound like you call all websites googles.

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      July 25, 2019 at 3:43 PM

      Please read the section titled “How to fix Instagram Link not Allowed Error.”

      P.S. I didn’t say to complain to Instagram – I said that was fruitless. Maybe you should put on your googles and read the article again. Or ask grandpa.

      Reply
  47. Priya Mitra says

    July 22, 2019 at 5:50 AM

    Hello, I am not able to post my client’s website link on Instagram as well as Facebook. It says link not allowed. We tried with a different domain name also, but its not working. We tried bitly today and it is working as of now, but this wont be the long term solution. Please suggest!

    Reply
    • Louise Myers says

      July 22, 2019 at 7:06 AM

      I have no additional suggestions beyond what’s in the article. Hoping it gets resolved.

      Reply
    • Tiffany Lloyd says

      August 1, 2019 at 9:06 AM

      I just tried Bitly in captions… IG posted the photo and removed the entire caption, np warning. Fair warning!

      Reply
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