Why is my reels link not working?

If you are trying to share your Instagram Reels video via a link and it’s not working, there are a few common reasons why this might happen and some troubleshooting steps you can try.

Common Reasons a Reels Link May Not Work

Here are some of the most common reasons your Reels link may not be working properly:

• The video is not published – Make sure you have posted the Reel and it is live on your profile. Unpublished Reels cannot be shared via link.
• Privacy settings – If your account is private or you have limited who can view the Reel through privacy settings, the link will only work for people you have approved to see your content.
• Link is incorrect – Double check that the link you are sharing is the correct link for that particular Reel. You can copy the shareable link right from the Reel page in the Instagram app.
• Video was deleted – If the Reel was deleted from your profile after you shared the link, the link will no longer work.
• Video is expired – Instagram Reels videos only remain visible on your profile for 30 days. After 30 days, the links will no longer work.
• Country restrictions – In some cases, Instagram restricts access to Reels content based on country-specific licensing rules. Viewers in those countries may not be able to see the Reel.

Troubleshooting Steps

If your Reels link isn’t working, try these troubleshooting steps:

1. Make sure the Reel is published – Open the Instagram app and check that the Reel is live on your profile.
2. Confirm the privacy settings – Go to your profile, tap the 3 lines in the top right, go to Settings > Privacy > Story to confirm your Reel sharing settings.
3. Recopy the link – Open the Reel in the Instagram app and recopy the shareable link.
4. Try in different browsers or devices – See if the link works when trying it in different web browsers or devices.
5. Have someone in the same country try it – Ask a friend in the same country as you to test the link and see if it works for them.
6. Relogin to Instagram – Sometimes logging out and back into the Instagram app fixes glitchy issues.

Link Structure

Here is what a typical Reels link looks like:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/{reel-id}?igshid={random-id}

The key components are:

• www.instagram.com – This shows it is an Instagram link.
• /reel/ – Indicates it is pointing to an Instagram Reels video.
• {reel-id} – A unique ID assigned to that specific Reel video.
• ?igshid={random-id} – Additional ID parameters.

When Links are Generated

Instagram creates the shareable link for a Reel when you first publish the video. The link will remain the same unless you delete and reupload the Reel. Any changes made to the video after publishing will not affect the shareable link.

Link Expiration

As mentioned above, Reels videos and their shareable links expire after 30 days. So if you try to access a link after 30 days, it will no longer work.

The only exception is if you have posted the Reel video to your profile grid. In that case, the Reel will remain viewable for as long as it is in your grid, but the original Reel link will still expire after 30 days.

Improving Discovery with Links

Using Reels links can help get your videos in front of new audiences and improve their discoverability in a few key ways:

• Drive external traffic – Sharing links on other platforms like Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, etc. can drive new viewers to your Reels.
• Increment unique views – When people click the link and view your Reel, it counts as a unique view vs just a scroll view.
• Appear on Discover page – Getting unique views makes the Reel more likely to be featured on the Instagram Discover page.
• Boost engagement – External views help signal to the algorithm that the Reel is resonating, which can lead to more engagement.

Link Best Practices

To get the most out of sharing your Reels links, keep these best practices in mind:

• Share frequently – Share your Reels links multiple times rather than just a one-off post.
• Post strategically – Share links at high-traffic times when you know more people are online (morning, evenings, weekends).
• Target relevant pages – Share links on pages/profiles where you know your audience is already active.
• Experiment with captions – Try different captions to see which get more engagement. Ask questions, use relevant hashtags.
• Check links regularly – Make sure your links continue working. Remake any expired Reels.

Using Bitly to Shorten Links

If you want a shorter, more branded link to share, you can use a tool like Bitly to customize and shorten your Reels link.

For example, you could shorten this link:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/12345678901234567?igshid=123456789012345678

To something like this:

bit.ly/reelsvideo1

Benefits of Shortened Links

• More branded – You can customize the end part to match your brand name or campaign.
• Cleaner aesthetically – Short links look less messy and are easier to click.
• Trackable – Bitly lets you see click stats like number of clicks and location.
• Can still preview – Bitly links will still preview the Reel thumbnail, title, etc when pasted.

Troubleshooting with Instagram

If you still can’t get a Reels link working after troubleshooting, here are some additional steps to resolve the issue:

1. Check Instagram status – Make sure Instagram isn’t having any platform-wide issues at https://status.instagram.com/.
2. Contact Instagram support – Reach out to Instagram support for help troubleshooting the issue.
3. Report a bug – File a bug report with Instagram if you think it’s a technical issue on their end.
4. Post on social media – Post about the issue on Twitter or Facebook and tag @Instagram to see if they can help resolve it.

FAQs

Why does my Reels link take people to the Instagram home page?

If your Reels link redirects people to the Instagram home page instead of the Reel, it usually means the link is broken or the Reel has been removed. Double check the link and that the Reel is still published to your profile.

Can I edit a Reel after posting and keep the same link?

No, if you make edits and repost a Reel, Instagram generates a new link. Any existing links from the original post will no longer work.

Do Reels links work in Instagram Stories?

Yes, you can share Reels links in your Instagram Stories and people will be able to click and view the Reel directly within the app.

Can I post a Reel on my feed and share the link too?

Yes, posting a Reel to your profile grid allows you to keep sharing the link even after the 30-day expiration. However, you won’t be able to edit the grid post like you can edit Reels in the app.

Summary

Here are some key tips to remember about sharing Reels links:

• Double check your Reel privacy settings allow links to be shared publicly.
• Copy the direct shareable link from the Reel page itself, don’t just guess the URL structure.
• Test that links work from different devices and browsers.
• Use link tracking tools to monitor performance and click traffic.
• Share links frequently and promote them across other social platforms too.
• Remake expired Reels if you still want their links to work after 30 days.

With the right troubleshooting and optimization, Instagram Reels links can be a great way to improve the visibility of your videos and reach new audiences. Just be sure to monitor your links regularly and update them as needed to keep driving traffic to your Instagram profile.