How to add links on YouTube

YouTube makes only some links clickable. It made links in Shorts descriptions and comments non-clickable to reduce spam and scams. Its current list:

Source: YouTube Help: Sharing links with your audiences, checked 15 October 2026

Channel profile links are the closest thing YouTube has to a link in bio. You can show up to 14. The first is shown prominently near the Subscribe button, and the rest appear when people click to see more, so put your website or booking page first.

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. In the left menu, select Customisation, then Profile.
3. Under Links, click Add link.
4. Enter a title and the URL.
5. Click Publish.

Source: YouTube Help: Manage your YouTube channel's profile (computer), checked 15 October 2026

Descriptions can be up to 5,000 characters, but only the first lines show before viewers expand them, so put your main link near the top. YouTube's description tips also suggest linking to playlists of related videos. For the link to be clickable, the channel needs advanced features.

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, select Content.
3. Click the video's title or thumbnail.
4. Add the link to the Description field.
5. Select Save.
6. If the link isn't clickable, check Settings, then Channel, then Feature eligibility for advanced features.

Sources: YouTube Help: Edit video settings, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: Tips for video descriptions, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: Sharing links with your audiences, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: Learn about feature access for YouTube Creators, checked 15 October 2026

Since Shorts descriptions can't hold a clickable link, use a related video. Viewers see a clickable link below your channel handle that opens one of your videos, Shorts or live streams. It's a good way to send Shorts viewers to the full how-to video.

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, select Content.
3. Click the Short you'd like to edit.
4. Select a Related Video from your channel. It must be public or unlisted.
5. Click Save.

• Adding a related video needs advanced feature access.

Source: YouTube Help: Add a related video to your YouTube Shorts, checked 15 October 2026

If a link doesn't work, check these causes:

1. It's in a Shorts description or comment. Those are never clickable; add a related video instead.
2. The channel doesn't have advanced features yet. Check Feature eligibility, then build channel history or verify with ID or video.
3. It's on a vertical live stream viewed in the mobile app, where chat and description links aren't clickable.
4. It's a website link on an end screen. Those are only for YouTube Partner Program members.
5. It breaks the external links policy. Links to malware, phishing, pornography or pirated paid content aren't allowed anywhere on YouTube, including links written out in a video or said aloud.

• Affiliate links are allowed, but YouTube says excessive affiliate content in dedicated accounts may count as spam.

Sources: YouTube Help: Sharing links with your audiences, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: Learn about feature access for YouTube Creators, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: Add end screens to videos, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: External links policy, checked 15 October 2026

Links do the most work when each video points somewhere specific. Zolyp, which publishes this guide, publishes to YouTube as one of 9 platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads). It creates video uploads and Shorts with titles and descriptions written for search, can set a custom thumbnail on a standard video, and schedules them with the posts on your other networks. You approve the week before anything goes live.