How to Put Link in YouTube Bio (2026 Update)

Here’s the first thing you need to understand: YouTube does not have a “bio” the way Instagram or Twitter does.

If you’ve been searching for “how to put a link in YouTube bio” and getting frustrated, it’s not your fault. Most advice online is technically incorrect because it uses the wrong terminology. What you’re actually looking for is the YouTube “About” section (also called Channel Description).

This small misunderstanding is why so many creators give up. They spend 10 minutes looking for a “bio field” that doesn’t exist, assume YouTube doesn’t allow links, and miss out on valuable traffic.

The truth is: YouTube absolutely allows clickable links. You just need to know where to put them. And once you do, those links can drive serious traffic to your website, merch store, affiliate offers, or any other destination you choose.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly where links work on YouTube, how to add them step by step, and the 7 common mistakes that make your links unclickable (plus how to fix each one).

Where Links Actually Work on YouTube

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s clear up where you can and cannot put clickable links on YouTube. Bookmark this section—it will save you hours of trial and error.

Locations where links ARE clickable:

The About Section (also called Channel Description) is your primary spot for permanent links. Any full URL starting with https:// placed here will become a clickable blue link. This is the closest thing YouTube has to a “bio.”

The Video Description is another clickable zone, but with a catch. Links placed in the first two lines are highly visible and get the most clicks. Links buried below the “Show More” fold are still clickable, but far fewer people will see them.

Locations where links are NOT clickable:

The Comments section is a common trap. Many creators think “I’ll just put my link in the first comment.” But YouTube comments do not support hyperlinks—your URL will appear as plain, unclickable text.

The Community Tab works the same way. Posts, polls, and images here cannot contain clickable links.

The Channel Banner is for branding only. You can add text that looks like a URL, but YouTube will not turn it into a clickable link.

One special case: Cards and End Screens do support clickable elements, but they only link to other YouTube videos or playlists—not external websites.

Pro tip: If you want people to actually click your links, focus 80% of your energy on the video description’s first two lines and the About section. Those are the only places where links are both clickable and visible to most viewers.

How to Add a Link to Your YouTube About Section: Step-by-Step

Now let’s get practical. Here’s exactly how to add a clickable link to your YouTube About section. The whole process takes less than 2 minutes.

Step 1: Sign in to YouTube Studio (studio.youtube.com), not the regular YouTube app.

Step 2: On the left sidebar, click Customization. It looks like a paintbrush icon.

Step 3: Click the Basic info tab at the top.

Step 4: Scroll down to the Channel description field. This is your “YouTube bio.”

Step 5: Type or paste your link. This is crucial: you MUST include the full https:// at the beginning. For example, write https://yourwebsite.com not just yourwebsite.com.

Step 6: Click Publish at the top right.

Important: After you publish, your link won’t turn blue and clickable immediately. YouTube needs 5 to 15 minutes to process the change. Don’t panic if you check right away and it’s still plain text—just wait and refresh the page.

What about adding links from your phone? You can add links using the YouTube Studio mobile app, available for both iOS and Android. The process is the same: open the app, tap Customization, tap Basic info, paste your link with https://. However, I recommend using a computer for the first setup—it’s easier to see what you’re doing and less prone to typos.

The Mobile Trap – Why Your Links Work on PC but Disappear on Phones

Here’s a problem most guides won’t tell you about.

You add a beautiful clickable link to your About section. You test it on your computer. It works perfectly—blue, underlined, clickable. You feel great.

Then you check on your phone. And the link is either gone or buried so deep that no one will ever find it.

Here’s why: On the YouTube mobile app, the About section requires three taps to reach. First, tap the channel name. Second, tap the “About” tab. Third, scroll down to see the description. Each additional tap dramatically reduces the number of people who bother to continue.

The fix: Don’t rely only on your About section link. Put your most important link in every video description’s first line.

On mobile, the first two to three lines of your video description are visible before a viewer has to tap “Show more.” That means your link appears instantly, without any extra clicks or digging.

A mobile link strategy that works: Use your About section for permanent links like your main website, merch store, or contact page. Then put your campaign or time-sensitive offer links in the first line of each video description. And most importantly, verbally tell your viewers: “The link is in the description below.” This simple verbal cue can double your click-through rates.

Video Description vs. About Section – Which One Gets More Clicks?

This is one of the most common questions YouTubers ask. Should you put your link in the About section or the video description? The honest answer is both, but for different purposes.

The About Section is best for links that won’t change for a long time. Think of it as your permanent digital business card. Your main website, your newsletter signup page, your merch store, your Link-in-Bio page—these belong in your About section. The downside is that on mobile, this section is hard to find. Viewers need to tap three times just to see your links.

The Video Description is best for links related to that specific video. If you’re reviewing a product, the affiliate link belongs in that video’s description. If you’re offering a free resource mentioned in the tutorial, the download link goes there. The upside is that video descriptions are highly visible, especially the first two lines which appear immediately below every video. The downside is that you need to add your link to every single video individually.

So which one gets more clicks? Generally, video description links perform two to five times better than About section links, especially if you verbally mention them during your video. However, About section links have the advantage of permanence—you set them once and they work for every viewer who visits your channel page.

A simple decision rule: Ask yourself whether this link will still be relevant in six months. If yes, put it in your About section. If no, put it in your video description. And for maximum results, use both.

5 Common “Broken Link” Mistakes (And How to Fix Each One)

You’ve followed all the steps. You pasted your link. But it’s still not clickable. Why? Here are the 5 most common mistakes that break YouTube links—plus exactly how to fix each one.

Mistake #1: Missing https://

Your link starts with www. or just the domain name. YouTube’s system only recognizes links that begin with the full https:// prefix. Without it, your URL stays plain text. The fix is simple: always include https:// at the beginning of every link you paste.

Mistake #2: Using http:// (without the “s”)

The “s” in https:// stands for “secure.” Links without that security letter are considered less trustworthy by YouTube. The platform may show a warning message or simply refuse to hyperlink them. Always use https:// instead of http://. Most modern websites support this automatically.

Mistake #3: Using URL shorteners like bit.ly or tinyurl

Shortened links are convenient, but YouTube has a long history of flagging them as potential spam. Your link might be clickable but could lead to a warning page—or worse, your entire channel could be penalized. Instead of using public shorteners, use your own domain name. If you must shorten a link, use a branded shortener like Rebrandly or create a simple redirect on your own website.

Mistake #4: Putting links in the first comment

Many creators think “I’ll just put my link in the first comment” to keep their video description clean. But YouTube comments do not support clickable links. Your URL will appear as plain, unclickable text no matter what you do. Always put links only in the About section or video description.

Mistake #5: Line breaks or spaces inside your URL

If you accidentally add a space, a line break, or an extra character somewhere inside your URL, YouTube won’t recognize it as a valid link. This often happens when copying and pasting from documents. The fix is to paste your link cleanly, then press Enter before and after the link—never inside it.

Quick checklist to run through before publishing: Does your link start with https://? Are there any spaces inside the URL? Are you avoiding bit.ly-style shorteners? Is the link in your About section or video description (not comments)? Have you waited at least 15 minutes after publishing? Answer yes to all five, and your link will work.

Link-in-Bio Tools – Should You Use Them on YouTube?

If you’re active on Instagram or TikTok, you’re probably familiar with “Link-in-Bio” tools. These services let you create a single landing page with multiple links, so you can share just one URL that leads to everything.

But do you need one for YouTube?

The short answer is not really, but they can be very useful in certain situations.

Unlike Instagram, which only allows one clickable link in your bio, YouTube lets you put multiple links directly in your About section. You can list your website, merch store, Patreon, newsletter, and social media profiles—all as separate clickable links without needing any third-party tool.

However, there are two situations where a Link-in-Bio tool makes sense for YouTube.

First, you want to track your clicks. YouTube does not tell you how many people click your About section links. A Link-in-Bio tool gives you real-time analytics so you know what your audience actually clicks on.

Second, you have more than five links to share. A clean, visually appealing landing page looks much more professional than a long, ugly list of raw URLs in your About section.

Meet Biovelt – The Free Link-in-Bio Tool for Creators

If you decide a Link-in-Bio tool is right for you, I recommend Biovelt. Here’s why it stands out from the competition.

Biovelt is completely free forever. There are no paid tiers, no credit card required, and no hidden fees. You get unlimited links—add as many as you want. Your latest YouTube video, your Spotify playlist, your blog posts, your affiliate products, your social media accounts—everything lives in one beautiful page.

You can choose from stunning, customizable themes to match your brand aesthetic. Whether you want a minimalist look or something bold and colorful, Biovelt has options that make your page look professional.

The feature I love most is real-time link tracking. You can see exactly how many clicks each link gets, updated instantly. This means you know what your audience actually cares about. That $50 product you’re promoting? You’ll know exactly how many people clicked it.

And it’s incredibly easy to use. Set up your page in minutes. No coding, no tech skills needed. Just sign up, add your links, pick a theme, and you’re done.

How to use Biovelt with YouTube: Sign up for free at biovelt.com. Create your page with all your important links. Copy your unique Biovelt URL (for example, biovelt.com/yourname). Then paste that single URL into your YouTube About section and your video descriptions.

Now you have one link that leads to everything—and you can track every single click.

How to Add Links to YouTube Shorts Description

YouTube Shorts are a different beast when it comes to links. The description area is tiny, the viewer experience is fast-paced, and most people watch on their phones.

Here’s the challenge: In a regular YouTube video, the description sits right below the video and is clearly visible. In Shorts, the description is collapsed by default and requires a tap to expand. Most viewers never tap it.

The solution: If you want links in Shorts to get clicks, you need to follow three specific rules.

Rule number one: put your link in the first 40 characters. The first line of your Shorts description is all most viewers will see before tapping “more.” Keep your link extremely short and place it immediately at the beginning. A good example would be https://biovelt.com/yourname – My links! A bad example would be a long sentence like “Hey everyone thanks for watching check out my links below…” followed by the URL. By the time viewers see the URL, they’ve already scrolled past.

Rule number two: use a short, memorable domain. Instead of a long, ugly link filled with random characters, use a clean custom domain or a Link-in-Bio URL. A URL like biovelt.com/yourname is short and easy for viewers to remember and type if they need to.

Rule number three: tell viewers verbally. This is the most important rule of all. In your Shorts video, say the link out loud. Say “Link in the description” or “Check the description for my free resource.” This verbal cue is critical because Shorts viewers often don’t look at the description at all. You need to remind them it exists.

Set realistic expectations: Even with perfect execution, link click-through rates on Shorts are usually below one percent. Shorts are designed for discovery and engagement, not for sending traffic off the platform. Don’t rely on Shorts for link clicks—use regular videos for that. Shorts are great for growing your audience, but regular videos are where your links will actually get clicked.

Affiliate Links & External Offers – What YouTube Will and Won’t Punish

If you’re using YouTube to make money through affiliate marketing, you need to understand the platform’s rules. Break them, and you risk losing your channel.

What YouTube allows: Affiliate links from networks like Amazon, ShareASale, and CJ are perfectly fine. Links to your own products or services are allowed. Links to Patreon, Ko-fi, or Buy Me a Coffee are allowed. And links to your Link-in-Bio page (like Biovelt) are also allowed.

What YouTube does NOT allow: Malicious or phishing links are strictly forbidden. “Get rich quick” schemes or obvious scams will get your channel terminated. Posting the same link in multiple comments across different videos looks like spam and can trigger penalties. And any link that violates YouTube’s community guidelines—such as adult content, violence, or hate speech—is prohibited.

The number one rule for affiliate links: disclose them.

YouTube requires you to be transparent about affiliate relationships. The FTC also requires disclosure. Failing to disclose can result in fines or channel penalties.

Here’s a copy-paste disclosure template you can use: “This description contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.” Put this disclosure before your affiliate link, ideally in the first line of your video description.

How to make affiliate links safer: Instead of pasting raw affiliate links that look long and suspicious, follow this process. First, buy a cheap domain name like yourname.com. Second, create simple redirects on that domain—for example, yourname.com/go/amazon redirects to your Amazon affiliate link. Third, share that clean, branded redirect URL on YouTube instead of the raw affiliate link. This looks more professional, builds trust with viewers, and reduces the chance of YouTube flagging your link as spam.

If YouTube flags your link anyway, don’t panic. Go to YouTube Studio, then click Settings, then Channel, then Feature eligibility, and submit an appeal. Explain that your link is legitimate affiliate content with proper disclosures. Most appeals are resolved within 48 hours.

FAQs About YouTube Links

Q1: Can I put a link in my YouTube bio from my phone?

Yes, but only through the YouTube Studio app, not the regular YouTube app that you watch videos on. Open YouTube Studio, tap Customization, tap Basic info, then paste your link with https://. However, using a computer is easier and less error-prone. I recommend doing your first setup on a computer.

Q2: Why is my link gray and not clickable?

This is almost always a cache delay. YouTube needs 5 to 15 minutes to process your link after you publish it. Wait 15 minutes, refresh the page, and your link should turn blue. If it’s still gray after an hour, double-check that you included https:// at the beginning and that there are no spaces inside your URL.

Q3: How many links can I put in my YouTube bio?

There’s no official limit. You could put 10, 20, or even 100 links in your About section if you wanted to. But for usability, I recommend 3 to 5 links maximum. Any more than that, and viewers get overwhelmed by choice and click nothing. If you need to share more than 5 links, use a Link-in-Bio tool like Biovelt to create a clean landing page.

Q4: Do I need 1,000 subscribers to add links?

No. This is a common myth that gets repeated all over the internet. It comes from confusing YouTube with Instagram’s old “swipe up” requirement. YouTube has never required a subscriber minimum for clickable links. Any channel, regardless of size, whether you have 10 subscribers or 10 million, can add links.

Q5: Can I put a PayPal or Patreon link?

Yes, with a small caveat. Patreon links are allowed but sometimes get flagged by YouTube’s spam filter because Patreon URLs follow a certain pattern that looks similar to spam. To be completely safe, put your Patreon link inside a Link-in-Bio page (like Biovelt) instead of posting the raw Patreon URL directly. PayPal links are generally fine for business purposes with no special concerns.

Conclusion on How to Put Link in Youtube Bio

You now know where YouTube links actually work, how to avoid the 5 broken-link mistakes, and why most creators get this wrong.

Here's the truth: links don't fail. Strategies do. A non-clickable link is almost always a small fix—missing https://, using a shortener, or putting it in the wrong place.

Don't close this tab and forget it. Open YouTube Studio right now. Add one link to your About section. Then set up your free Biovelt page to track every click and build a professional link hub in minutes.

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. Give viewers a clickable path to your website, products, and socials.

Stop overthinking. Your links work now.