You need a Facebook account at least 24 hours old and a link ready to share

Adding a link to your Facebook story requires that your account be at least 24 hours old — this is a Facebook security rule that applies to all new accounts. You will also need the full web address (URL) of the page you want to link to, and you must be using either the Facebook app on a phone or the Facebook website on a computer. Desktop browsers and mobile apps both work, but the steps differ slightly between them.

The link you add will appear as a clickable element in your story. When someone views your story, they will see a "See More" button or a link sticker, depending on which method you use. Tapping that button takes them directly to the webpage you chose.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Facebook account must be at least 24 hours old before you can add links to stories.
  • On mobile, open the Facebook app, tap your profile picture to start a story, take or upload a photo or video, then tap the link icon and paste your URL.
  • On desktop, create your story the same way, then look for the link tool in the editing toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
  • The person viewing your story will see a "See More" button or link sticker they can tap to visit the webpage.
  • If you do not see a link option, your account may be too new, or you may not have permission to add links yet.

Adding a link on the Facebook mobile app

Open the Facebook app and tap your profile picture at the top left of the screen. This takes you to the story creation screen. Take a new photo or video by tapping the camera icon, or upload an existing one by tapping the gallery icon. Once you have chosen your image or video, you will see a toolbar at the bottom with several icons.

Look for the link icon — it looks like a chain link or paperclip — and tap it. A text box will appear asking you to paste or type the web address. Copy the full URL from your browser (it should start with https://) and paste it into the box. Tap "Done" or confirm the link. You can add text or stickers to your story as usual, then tap "Share to Story" at the bottom right to post it.

Adding a link on Facebook desktop

Go to Facebook.com and click your profile picture in the top navigation bar, or click "Create Story" if you see that option. Click "Create a Story" and upload a photo or video from your computer. Once the image or video is loaded, you will see an editing toolbar at the bottom of the screen with several tool icons.

Find the link icon in that toolbar and click it. A box will appear where you can paste the web address. Paste your full URL into the field and click outside the box or press Enter to confirm. Add any text or other elements you want, then click "Share Story" in the bottom right corner.

What happens when someone views your story with a link

When a person who follows you views your story, they will see a "See More" button or a link sticker overlaid on your image or video. The exact appearance depends on which version of Facebook they are using, but both are clearly clickable. Tapping or clicking that button opens the webpage you linked to in a new browser tab or window.

The person viewing your story does not see the actual URL — they only see the button or sticker. This means you can link to any public webpage without the full address being visible to viewers. Facebook does not notify you when someone clicks your link, so you will not know how many people tapped it.

Why the link option might not appear

If you do not see a link icon in your story creation toolbar, the most common reason is that your account is less than 24 hours old. Facebook enforces this waiting period on all new accounts as a security measure. If your account is older than 24 hours and you still do not see the option, your account may not have permission to add links yet — this can happen if your account has violated Facebook's rules or if you are in a region where the feature is not yet available.

Another reason the link option might be missing is if you are using a very old version of the Facebook app. Updating the app from your phone's app store usually fixes this. On desktop, clearing your browser cache and cookies, then logging out and back in, can resolve display issues.

Links you can and cannot add to stories

You can link to any public webpage — news articles, product pages, your own website, YouTube videos, or external blogs. The URL must be a complete web address starting with http:// or https://. You cannot link to private pages, pages that require a login, or files stored on your computer.

Facebook will not let you add links to pages that violate its policies, such as sites that spread misinformation, sell counterfeit goods, or host malware. If you try to add a link to a blocked page, Facebook will reject it and show an error message. In that case, you can still post the story without the link, or choose a different webpage to link to instead.

Editing or removing a link from your story

Once you have posted a story with a link, you cannot edit the link itself. If you need to change the URL or remove the link, you must delete the entire story and create a new one. To delete a story, open it, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select "Delete Story." Then create a new story with the correct link.

Stories disappear automatically after 24 hours, so if you only need the link to be live for a short time, you can straightforward wait for the story to expire on its own. If you want to keep the story but remove the link before 24 hours pass, deletion and reposting is the only option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a link to a story if my account is less than 24 hours old?

No. Facebook requires all accounts to be at least 24 hours old before you can add links to stories. This is a security rule that applies to everyone. Once your account reaches 24 hours, the link option will appear in your story creation toolbar.

What if the link does not work when someone clicks it?

Make sure you copied the full URL correctly, including the https:// at the beginning. If the webpage itself is down or has moved, the link will not work. Test the link yourself by copying it into your browser before you post the story to make sure it goes to the right place.

Can I see how many people clicked my story link?

Facebook does not show you click counts for links in regular stories. If you have a Facebook business page or use Facebook's analytics tools, you may see more detailed information about link clicks from your page's stories, but personal account stories do not provide this data.

Can I add multiple links to one story?

No. Each story can have only one link. If you want to share multiple links, you will need to create separate stories for each one, or add all the links to a single webpage and link to that instead.

Does the person I link to know I shared their page in my story?

No. Facebook does not notify the owner of a webpage when you link to it in your story. The website owner would only know if they check their traffic analytics and see a referral from Facebook, but they would not know it came from your story specifically.