I thought that at some point, Instagram would introduce a feature that would finally let users add active links to the captions of our photos. However, it seems like they will only do so if we were willing to pay a fee per link.
A patent was seen on the United States Patent and Trademark Office site which was submitted back in 2016 by Facebook. The pages include a pop-up appearing when the user adds a URL to a caption, asking if the user wants to pay USD 2 (RM8.20) to make the link live.
“If the online system detects the text content of the caption includes a string of link text identifying an address, the online system prompts the posting user to pay a fee in exchange for generating a link,” wrote Facebook on their patent sheet.
Usually, links added to captions won’t be able to take you to the link’s page. The only way to add an active link where people can easily click through is by adding the link to your profile’s bio (which is where “link in bio” comes from).
There are also some privileges enjoyed by verified Instagram accounts with over 10,000 followers. They can add links to their stories and ask their followers to “swipe up” to visit a site.
The Instagram patent found might not even happen, as not every patent applied will come to life. However, it seems like a guaranteed money maker for Instagram if this goes into effect—as active links on Instagram posts can help businesses grow faster.
