YouTube Link in Bio: Channel Links and Shorts Explained

“YouTube link in bio” is a slightly odd phrase, because YouTube doesn’t have a bio in the Instagram sense. It has channel links, video descriptions and pinned comments, and each behaves differently. Shorts add another wrinkle: you can’t rely on links in their descriptions at all. Here’s where each kind of link lives, and how to arrange them.

The details below come from YouTube Help, read on 2 November 2026. YouTube changes its features fairly often, so check the help pages if anything looks different on your account.

Where YouTube links live

The important thing to notice is that the channel profile is the one place every kind of viewer can reach, including those who found you through Shorts.

Adding channel links

YouTube Help describes the process in YouTube Studio:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Open Customization, then Profile.
3. Under Links, select Add link.
4. Enter a title and a URL.
5. Select Publish.

The menu names may change, so use the help page as your guide. YouTube says you can add up to 14 channel links.

Fourteen is plenty, but people rarely read that many. Your first link gets the most prominence, and the rest are behind a further tap, so order them carefully.

Links and Shorts

According to YouTube Help, links in Shorts descriptions and comments aren’t clickable, “to reduce spam and scam attempts”. So a call to action like “link in description” on a Short leads nowhere.

Instead, send Shorts viewers to your profile. Say something like: “The full guide is linked on my channel page.” Viewers can tap through from the Short, then see your channel links.

The same help page describes other ways to connect Shorts to longer content, such as related video links. Check what’s available on your channel, because these options can change.

The practical result is that your channel links need to do more work for Shorts-heavy channels. If you rely on Shorts, your first channel link is your best chance to send anyone anywhere.

What to put first

Think about who arrives on your channel page. Most will be new, wondering what you do.

Your first link should be the destination you’d most want a new viewer to find. For example:

Give each link a plain title, such as “Free editing guide” or “Book a session”. A vague label such as “My stuff” gives viewers no reason to tap.

Affiliate links need a clear disclosure, in the description and in the video itself, if you’re subject to US rules. See the FTC’s guidance for details.

Descriptions and pinned comments

Long-form videos give you more room to link to specific things. YouTube Help says that links in long-form descriptions need advanced features access, so check your channel’s status.

A simple routine for descriptions:

• Top two lines: a summary, plus the link most relevant to that video. Viewers see this before expanding the description.
• Below that: related videos, chapters and resources.
• Lower down: your general links.

A pinned comment works well as a reminder. Keep it short, and make sure it’s directly related to the video.

A video-specific link usually beats a general one. If your video reviews a camera, link straight to the camera, not to a page of everything you recommend.

A page as a single destination

Fourteen links might suggest that you don’t need a separate page. Often, you don’t. There are still some reasons to use one:

• You’re on several platforms, and want the same destination everywhere, as we cover in our cross-platform guide.
• You want to collect enquiries, with a form or gated download.
• You’d like to update one place instead of editing channel links and old descriptions.
• You want click data on your own destinations, across all your platforms.

Make sure you don’t lose more than you gain. Sending a viewer from your video to your page, and from your page to the destination, adds a step. If you’ve got one important destination, link to it directly.

If you decide to use a page, BioFlow by CommentLink includes a YouTube card that shows your video as a link. It’s worth knowing that it’s a card and not a player, so tapping it opens YouTube. BioFlow has no connection to your channel, so it won’t pull in your latest video. You’ll update the card yourself. See also link in bio for content creators. If you use TikTok as well, check its own help pages, because its rules differ.

An example layout

Here’s a made-up channel, “Slow Stitch”, which teaches beginners to sew. It uses three channel links:

1. Free pattern and supply list: a page with a gated download.
2. Beginner course: an external course platform.
3. Instagram: for behind-the-scenes content.

Shorts end with: “The free pattern is linked on my channel.” Long videos link directly to the relevant pattern in the top of the description. The result is clear, and every kind of viewer can find the free pattern.

FAQ

How do I add links to my YouTube channel?

In YouTube Studio, open Customization, then Profile, and find the Links section. Select Add link, enter a title and URL, then select Publish. YouTube Help has the current steps, which you should follow if the menus have changed. Keep titles short and clear, and put your most important link first.

Can I put a link in a Short?

YouTube Help says links in Shorts descriptions and comments aren’t clickable, to reduce spam and scam attempts. So use your spoken or on-screen call to action to send viewers to your channel page, where your channel links are clickable. YouTube also offers some ways to connect Shorts to longer videos.

How many links can I add?

YouTube Help says you can add up to 14 channel links. That’s a limit, not a target. Viewers are more likely to choose from a handful of clear options. Put your most useful destination first, and use video descriptions for links related to individual videos.

Fix your first link today

Open your channel page on a phone and look at your first link as a new viewer would. Would they know what it is, and want to tap it? If a page would serve you better, you can build a page for your channel, and see CommentLink for creators for the wider toolset.