Log inSign up free

Add a YouTube link to an Instagram story (one that asks for the app)

Instagram stories take links through the link sticker. Paste a plain youtube.com link there and a tap usually opens YouTube as a web page inside Instagram. Shorten the link here first and paste the short link instead: a tap then asks the phone to open your video, Short or channel in the YouTube app.

FreeNo sign-upLinks never expire

Example: a long YouTube address becomes a short link like ytgo.me/rkqtwmd. Invented addresses, not real use.

Last updated

Step by step

How to add a YouTube link to an Instagram story

  1. Shorten your YouTube link

    Paste the video, Short, channel or subscribe link into the box above and copy the short link.

  2. Create the story

    In Instagram, tap the plus button, choose Story, then take or pick a photo or video.

  3. Add the link sticker

    Tap the sticker icon at the top, choose Link and paste the short link. If you like, change the sticker text to something like Watch on YouTube.

  4. Place it and share

    Drag the sticker where people will see it and share the story. Tap it from a second account to check what viewers get.

Why it opens the app

Why a story link should open the YouTube app

Instagram opens sticker links in its in-app browser. For a youtube.com link that means the mobile website, where most viewers are signed out: Subscribe asks for a login, and once they close the page the moment has passed.

A Ytgo short link asks the phone to open the YouTube app on the same video, Short or channel, where viewers are usually signed in. The phone and Instagram have the final say; if the hand-over does not happen, the page shows an Open in YouTube button and a browser option.

Getting more out of a story link

Stories disappear after 24 hours. Add the story to a Highlight to keep the sticker on your profile; the link keeps working there.

Tell people where the tap goes. Sticker text such as New video on YouTube sets the expectation, and because a Ytgo link can only lead to YouTube, it is always true.

Use a video or Shorts link when the story is about one upload, and a channel or subscribe link when it introduces you. With Pro you can change where an existing short link points, so one link can follow each new video.

Questions and answers

How do I add a YouTube link to an Instagram story?

Shorten the YouTube link on this page, create a story, tap the sticker icon, choose Link and paste the short link. Place the sticker and share the story.

Why does my story link not open the YouTube app?

Instagram opens sticker links in its own in-app browser, which usually loads youtube.com as a web page. A Ytgo short link asks the phone to open the YouTube app instead.

Can I add a YouTube link to a Reel?

Links typed into post and Reel captions are usually not clickable on Instagram. Put the short link in your bio or in a story sticker and point to it from the Reel.

Can I share a YouTube Shorts link in a story?

Yes. Shorten the youtube.com/shorts/ link and add it with the link sticker. The short link asks the YouTube app for that Short, not for your channel page.

How do I see how many people tapped my story link?

On professional accounts, Instagram’s story insights show link taps. A free Ytgo account shows total clicks and the last 7 days for each link, and Pro, at $1 a month, splits taps by source app and shows how many reached the YouTube app.

Does everyone have the link sticker?

Instagram opened the link sticker to all accounts in 2021. If you do not see it, update the app; Instagram can restrict the feature on accounts that break its rules.

Guides on this topic

Step-by-step guides from our blog that go further.