What a link in bio is, and why the first link matters most
Social apps limit links in your profile. Instagram lets you add up to five, but your profile shows only the first one, with “and 4 others” beside it. TikTok gives you one website link. So whatever you put first does almost all the work.
For a barber, a lash artist, a personal trainer or a photographer, the people tapping that link usually want three things: the price, a free time and a way to book. If your link opens a list of other links, they have to choose again before they get any of those answers. Each extra tap is a chance for them to leave and send a DM instead (“u free sat?”), which you then answer at 11pm.
A good link in bio for a service business works like a small website: your services, prices, photos of your work, availability and booking, all in one place.
How to add a link to your Instagram and TikTok bio
Instagram (in the app):
- Go to your profile and tap Edit profile.
- Tap Links, then Add external link.
- Paste your address, give it a short title (for example “Book a cut”) and tap Done.
- If you add more than one, drag your booking link to the top so it’s the one people see.
TikTok: go to Edit profile and add your address in the Website field. TikTok shows that field on business accounts, and on personal accounts once they reach 1,000 followers. If you can’t see it, check your account type in the app’s settings. These menus change from time to time, so follow what your app shows if the names differ.
Use the same link everywhere: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, your email signature, the QR code on your counter and your business cards. One address is easier for customers to remember, and you only have one page to keep up to date.
A page of links or a website: which do you need?
A page of links is fine if you’re a creator sending people to videos, a podcast or brand deals. A service business needs more than that, because the decision to book happens on the page itself.
- A list of links sends people somewhere else to book, pay or read your prices. Each service lives in another app.
- A website that works as your link in bio shows each service with its price and length, lets people pick a time and pay a deposit, and keeps your photos, reviews and policies beside it.
There’s a second reason to choose a website: search. A page that is only a list of links has very little for Google to show. A website with a page for each service can be found by people searching for your trade in your area, not just by people who already follow you.
On Shovva, your link in bio is a full website: each service has its own details, booking and address that search engines can list, and nobody is sent somewhere else to book. If you use Linktree now, paste your address and Shovva copies your name, bio, photo and links across.
Customer view
From a social profile to a bookable service.
Ellie Hollis, a bridal makeup artist, shows each service with its length, travel cost and price, and a Choose a time button. Keep your wording and photos consistent with the posts that bring visitors here. See the Ellie Hollis Bridal example.
Actual Shovva screen. Fictional example business.
Make the page match what made them tap
If someone arrives after watching a skin fade video, the fade should be easy to find. Use the same business name and recognisable photos as your profile, so they know they’re in the right place.
Say where you work near the top: your town or area, whether people come to you or you go to them, and whether anything happens online. Someone outside your area shouldn’t have to start a booking to find that out.
Put your most-booked service first. If most of your DMs ask about one thing, that’s the thing to lead with.
Write services that answer the DM questions
Look at the last twenty messages people sent you before booking. The same few questions come up: how much, how long, what’s included, where, and when are you free. Answer every one of them on the service itself.
If a price depends on the job, say what changes it and invite an enquiry instead of a fixed-price booking. A wedding party, a mural or a custom cake needs a brief first.
Separate bookings from enquiries, and protect your time
An appointment works when you know the service, the length and your availability in advance. Custom work needs a conversation about scope, budget and timing before you can confirm it. Use a clear button for each: “Book a time” for one, “Ask for a quote” for the other.
Only show times you can really do. Leave gaps for cleaning, travel or resetting the room, and check how your availability looks to a customer.
To protect your time, you can take the full price, a percentage or a set amount as a deposit when someone books on Shovva, once card payments are on, and set deadlines for cancelling or moving. See Shovva for barbers, salons and therapists and bookings and deposits, or the Ruby Lane Nails example for gel and BIAB appointments with deposits.
Tell people what happens after they tap
Customers want to know whether they’re choosing a time, paying, asking a question or waiting for your reply. Say it next to the button. Don’t word an enquiry as if it were a confirmed appointment.
Put your cancellation and rescheduling rules where people see them before paying, and make sure they match what you actually do. Add the address, parking or joining details to the booking so customers don’t have to message you on the day.
Owner dashboard
Manage what happens after the booking.
In Northline Barbers’ dashboard, Arjun’s customer record lists each booking with its time and status, beside his details and tags. This is the owner’s side of the public website.
Actual Shovva screen. Fictional example business.
Test it from a phone before you share it
Open your own profile as a visitor would, tap the link and try to book your most popular service. Then hand your phone to a friend who doesn’t know your business and ask them to do the same, without helping. Watch where they pause.
- Can you tell what you offer and where, without scrolling?
- Is the price clear before the booking starts?
- Is the main button big and easy to tap with a thumb?
- Does the link open your live website, not a preview or editor?
Questions people ask
How many links can I put in my Instagram bio?
Up to five, added in the Instagram app under Edit profile and Links. Only the first one shows on your profile, with the rest behind “and others”, so put the link you most want tapped first.
Why can’t I add a link to my TikTok bio?
TikTok shows the Website field on business accounts, and on personal accounts once they have 1,000 followers. If the field is missing, check your account type in the app’s settings.
Is a link in bio the same as a website?
Not always. Many link-in-bio tools make a single page of buttons that send people elsewhere. A website that works as your link in bio keeps your services, prices, booking and payments on your own pages, which is better for bookings and can also be found on Google.
Should my bio link go to my booking page or my link-in-bio page?
For a service business, the simplest answer is one page that does both: your services and booking first, with anything else (your shop, gift cards, reviews) underneath. That way the person who wants to book is one tap away, and nobody else loses anything.
Can I move from Linktree without losing my links?
Yes. On Shovva, paste your Linktree address and Shovva copies your name, bio, photo and links into your new website. Then update the link in your Instagram and TikTok profiles.