Features to Look For in a Link in Bio Tool: A Buyer’s Checklist

The link in bio tool features that matter most are the ones that match what your page has to do, not the longest list on a pricing page. Before you compare anything, decide what job you need the page to do. This checklist is vendor-neutral, and it includes questions many buyers forget, like what happens to your data if you leave.

We make BioFlow, so at the end we’ve mapped it against the same list, including where it falls short.

Start with what you need the page to do

Choose your main job, then use the rest of the list to narrow things down.

If you only need one thing, ignore features built for other jobs. You’re not getting extra value if you never use them.

Core features

• ☐ Add, edit, reorder and hide links quickly, from a phone.
• ☐ Clear button labels and descriptions.
• ☐ Headers or sections for grouping.
• ☐ Your own username in the address.
• ☐ Draft and preview before publishing.
• ☐ Social icons.
• ☐ Images or galleries, if you’re in a visual business.
• ☐ Enough blocks for what you need.

Test the editing experience yourself. You’ll probably update this page on your phone, between other jobs.

Capture and lead handling

• ☐ A contact form, and which fields you can control.
• ☐ Email signup or gated downloads.
• ☐ Consent options.
• ☐ Spam protection.
• ☐ Somewhere to view and manage submissions.
• ☐ Notifications when someone submits.
• ☐ Export or integration with your email tool or CRM.

Ask what happens after someone submits. A form that leaves your leads somewhere you never look isn’t much use. See following up with leads for what you’ll need afterwards.

Measurement

• ☐ Page views and clicks.
• ☐ Clicks by individual link.
• ☐ Traffic sources or referrers.
• ☐ Device breakdown.
• ☐ Campaign or UTM tracking.
• ☐ Date ranges, and how much history you keep.
• ☐ Clear definitions of each number.

Read the definitions carefully. “Unique visitors” and “conversions” can mean different things in different tools. Also ask what the tool can’t see, such as sales on another website. More on this in the numbers worth tracking.

Design options

• ☐ Themes that suit your brand.
• ☐ Your own colours, and a way to check contrast.
• ☐ Font choices.
• ☐ Header and image options.
• ☐ Removal of the tool’s branding, and on which plan.
• ☐ A good result on real phones, not only in the preview.

Search and sharing

• ☐ Custom page title and description.
• ☐ Custom sharing image for link previews.
• ☐ Readable output for search engines.
• ☐ A noindex option, if you’d prefer not to appear in search.
• ☐ Custom domain, if your own address matters.
• ☐ QR codes.

Be realistic: a short page is unlikely to rank for broad searches, as we explain in link in bio SEO.

Data ownership and exit

Few buyers ask about this until it’s too late.

• ☐ Can you export your leads, and in what format?
• ☐ Can you export your analytics?
• ☐ What happens to your address if you leave?
• ☐ Can you redirect your old page to a new one?
• ☐ Who owns the content and data?
• ☐ What happens if the tool closes or changes its plans?

Tools do close. Koji, for instance, was reported to be closing after Linktree acquired it. A page on your own domain is the most portable option, but even a hosted page is easy to replace if you’ve kept track of where you used its address.

Questions to ask any vendor

1. What’s included on the plan I’d actually buy?
2. What fee do you take on sales, and what do processors charge?
3. Is this feature live and available to me now, or planned?
4. Does this integration truly sync data, or does it just link out?
5. How do you count unique visitors and conversions?
6. How do I export my data, and how do I leave?
7. What support can I expect?

The fourth question matters a lot. Many tools show a logo for a service, like a store or a calendar, when the block is simply a link to it. That’s fine, as long as you know what you’re getting.

How BioFlow maps to this list

Here’s where BioFlow stands today, on the same criteria.

Pricing wasn’t published when we wrote this, so check inside the product.

FAQ

What features does a link in bio need?

At a minimum: easy editing from a phone, clear buttons, and basic data on clicks. Beyond that, it depends on your job. Service businesses need forms and lead handling, list builders need gated downloads, and sellers need a checkout or a link to one. Ignore features that don’t serve your main goal.

Is analytics essential?

Not at first, if you have only a couple of links. Once you’re making decisions about what to promote, click data becomes very useful. Look for clicks per link and some way to tell where traffic came from. Check definitions too, because terms such as “unique visitors” vary between tools.

Should a tool let me take my data with me?

Yes, especially for leads. Ask whether you can export contacts and submissions, in what format and on which plan. Tools change their plans, and some close. Keeping your own copy of your leads protects your business, and it makes it much easier to move if you ever need to.

Print the list, then test

Tick what you need, cross out what you don’t, and take your shortlist to two tools at most. Ask the vendor questions before you commit. If BioFlow’s column fits your needs, you can check BioFlow against this list yourself. More on the wider product is on the CommentLink features page.