Whether a link in a post can be clicked depends on the network, and on the kind of post. On Instagram and TikTok a link in a caption is dead text; on Threads, Mastodon, Telegram, Discord and Bluesky it is a link; on Facebook, LinkedIn and Tumblr it can become a card, but only when the post has no pictures; and on a YouTube Short it has not been clickable since 2023. A scheduler with one Link field has to decide for each network what to do with it. This page lists where a link works on each network, and what Preflight does with the Link field on each, from the code that publishes, checked on 28 October 2026.
Where a link works
| Network | In the text | As a card | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not clickable, on any post type | No | No link sticker on a story through the API | |
| TikTok | Not clickable | No | TikTok's sharing guidelines forbid an app adding promotional links, so Preflight refuses them in a caption |
| YouTube | Clickable in a long-form video's description, for channels with YouTube's advanced features | No | In a Short's description it has not been clickable since 2023 |
| Clickable | Link card on a text post only | A link is often put in the first comment | |
| Clickable | Article card on a post with no media | The API does not scrape a URL, so the card's title comes from the post | |
| Threads | Clickable, at most 5 per post | Threads can attach a card to a text post; Preflight puts the link in the text | A sixth link is refused |
| Bluesky | Clickable once marked as a facet | A link card when the post has no files | A post holds one embed, so with pictures or video the link goes in the text |
| Mastodon | Clickable; counts 23 characters each | A preview card, only without media | |
| Telegram | Clickable | A preview on a message, not on a caption | |
| Discord | Clickable | ||
| Tumblr | Clickable inline | A link block when the post has no pictures | Up to 10 link blocks and 100 inline links |
| The pin's destination link, up to 2,048 characters | Shorteners and redirects may be blocked |
What the Link field does
The composer has one Link field, and Preflight decides per network where the link goes. It has three outcomes.
- A native field. Facebook's link card (text posts), LinkedIn's article card (no pictures, document or poll), Pinterest's destination, Tumblr's link block (no pictures) and Bluesky's link card (no files). The link is sent in that field and not added to the text.
- Added to the end of the text. On Threads, Mastodon, Telegram and Discord, where a link in the text is a link, and on Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr and Bluesky once the post has media. A link already in the text is not added twice. On YouTube it goes to the description field when one was written, and to the text otherwise.
- Not sent, with a note. On Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and stories, where the link would be dead text. The check says so in the composer instead of letting a link that cannot be clicked go out.
The length that is checked is the length that goes out, because the check and the publisher share the same function: a link added to a Mastodon post costs its 23 characters, and one added to a Bluesky post costs the characters of the address.
What to do on the networks where a link is dead
- Instagram. Put the link in the profile and say so in the caption. A story's link sticker is not available through the API.
- TikTok. The same; the profile link is the place. A link in a caption is refused by Preflight, not just ignored.
- YouTube Shorts. Link to the long video, or put the link in a comment you pin by hand in Studio; a link in a Short's description is dead text.
These are common practice, not network rules. Where a first comment is available, it can carry the link on Facebook and Instagram; on LinkedIn the first comment is not available yet (see LinkedIn scheduler).
Reported but not an error
Facebook was reported in late 2025 to be testing a cap of about two posts with links a month for non-verified professional Pages. It is reported, not documented, and the API returns no error for it, so a scheduler cannot check it. The folk wisdom that links reduce reach on X, LinkedIn or Facebook is not an API rule either, and Preflight never refuses a post for it.
Checking before it goes out
The Link field and the per-network placement are the same in the composer, the API and the MCP server, and the preview shows where the link ended up on each network. The networks' own link rules in more detail are in the walkthroughs for Threads, Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tumblr, and the limits of every network are on the limits page.
Questions people ask
- Can you put a clickable link in an Instagram caption?
- No. A link in an Instagram caption is dead text on every post type, and the API has no link sticker for stories. Put the link in the profile and mention it in the caption.
- Can you add a link to a TikTok caption through the API?
- TikTok's sharing guidelines forbid an app adding promotional links to a post, and a link in a caption is not clickable anyway. Preflight refuses a caption with a link instead of sending it.
- How many links can a Threads post have?
- At most five. A post with more is refused. A link in the text of a Threads post is clickable.
- Why does my LinkedIn link show no card?
- LinkedIn's API does not scrape a URL for a preview, and the article card cannot sit beside pictures, a document or a poll. Without media, Preflight sends the link as an article card with the first line of the post as its title.
- Are links in a YouTube Short's description clickable?
- No, not since 2023. A link in the description of a long-form video is clickable. For a Short, link to the long video or use a comment.