The Great Instagram Suppression: How Links Are Silently Killing Your Reach

By Michael Kelman Portney

If you’ve been grinding on Instagram, posting daily stories, and wondering why your engagement has plateaued, let me let you in on a dirty little secret: Instagram hates external links. I recently removed links from my bio and stories, and the result? My story likes quintupled overnight. It wasn’t magic, and it certainly wasn’t because I suddenly became more "relatable." No, this is Instagram’s algorithm giving me a break after I stopped trying to lead people off their platform.

Let’s unpack this, shall we?

Instagram's Algorithm Is a Jealous Lover

Social media platforms are not in the business of being generous. They are in the business of keeping users locked in their virtual worlds for as long as humanly possible. When you link out of Instagram—whether it’s to a blog, a product page, or even your OnlyFans—it’s like inviting someone to leave the party. Instagram doesn’t just dislike this; it actively suppresses your content for it.

Why? Because every click away from the platform means less time scrolling, less ad revenue, and less data collection. Instagram’s algorithm is designed to reward behaviors that keep people on Instagram. Links do the opposite.

The Evidence: My Experiment

Here’s what happened to me:

1. Before Links: When I kept my profile simple, posting one story at a time, I was averaging 60 views a day—solid, steady traffic. Interestingly, if I posted multiple things in a row, that number dropped to around 35, which already hinted at some suppression mechanisms.

2. One Link in Bio: As soon as I added one external link to my bio, my story views plummeted to 20 a day. Same content, same frequency, drastically reduced reach.

3. Two Links in Bio: The death blow. Adding a second link dropped my views to 5 or 6 per day—a catastrophic suppression by any measure.

4. After Removing Links: When I removed all links from my profile, my story views shot back up, reaching 5x the engagement I had with links.

The pattern is undeniable. The algorithm punished me for every external link, prioritizing my content far less than when I played by Instagram’s rules.

Why This Matters for Creators and Businesses

The suppression of content with external links is a calculated move by Instagram, and it’s creators and businesses who pay the price. For influencers, musicians, small businesses, or anyone trying to drive traffic to another platform, this suppression is a quiet chokehold. You can have the best content in the world, but if you’re linking out, you’re fighting a losing battle.

For example:

That meticulously crafted story promoting your new YouTube video? Suppressed.

That link in your bio funneling followers to your Shopify store? Suppressed.

That swipe-up link promoting your blog? You guessed it—suppressed.

The Alternatives: Beating Instagram at Its Own Game

So, how do you sidestep this suppression while still achieving your goals? Here are some tactics to try:

1. Call-to-Action Without Links: Instead of linking out, invite followers to DM you for details, or tell them to search for your content manually. It’s a little clunkier, but it keeps engagement within Instagram’s ecosystem.

2. Link in Bio Strategy: Use a service like Linktree or Beacons and direct followers to your bio for links. This method is less intrusive and doesn’t trigger suppression like in-story links.

3. Use Instagram’s Features: Lean into what Instagram rewards, such as Reels, polls, and Q&A boxes in stories. These drive engagement and tell Instagram your content is worth pushing.

4. Tease Content: Instead of posting the link, post a teaser and say, “Full content available—message me for the link!” This increases direct engagement while still accomplishing your goal.

Conclusion: Play Their Game, or Watch Your Reach Die

Instagram isn’t just a platform; it’s a battlefield, and the algorithm is your adversary. If you’re still linking out, thinking that great content will save you, let this post serve as your wake-up call. Instagram doesn’t care about your content. It cares about keeping its users on Instagram.

I had a theory this was what was going on. By removing links, I confirmed one of Instagram’s dirty little secrets, and the results speak for themselves. Now it’s up to you: adapt or get buried by the algorithm. Because on Instagram, it’s not about what you’re creating—it’s about how well you’re playing their game.