How to Sell on Instagram Without a Website (Step-by-Step)

Yes, you can sell on Instagram without a website. You need one page behind your bio link that shows your products, prices and photos, and a quick way for buyers to message you or pay where you already take payment. This guide shows you how to sell on Instagram without a website in five steps, with checklists and the mistakes that most often cost small sellers a sale.

Can you sell on Instagram without a website?

Yes. Lots of makers, home bakers, resellers and small boutiques run their whole business from posts, Stories and DMs. Not having a website usually isn't what holds them back. Friction is: answering "how much?" in DMs over and over, or followers who can't tell what's for sale and how to order.

Instagram's own shopping features are one route, but they have eligibility rules, and what's available depends on your country and account type. Check the Instagram Help Center for the current requirements. If an Instagram shop without a website isn't open to you, or you just want something simpler, a product page in your bio link does the same core job:

• It shows what you sell, with photos and prices.
• It answers the basic questions before buyers have to DM you.
• It sends ready buyers to a chat or a payment page in one tap.

Here's how to set one up.

Step 1: Turn your bio link into a simple product page

Your Instagram profile has one link field. Don't point it at a single post or a single product. Point it at one page that holds everything you sell.

A good link in bio for small business does three things at a glance: it says who you are, shows what you sell and tells people how to buy. With linkthe.app you get a page at yourname.linkthe.app with a header, social icons, links and a Products section. You don't need hosting, a website builder or any code.

To set it up:

1. Pick a username that matches your Instagram handle, so people recognise the address.
2. Choose a template, then change the colors and font to match your feed.
3. Write a one-line header that says what you sell and where you deliver, for example: "Hand-poured soy candles · Local delivery and shipping".
4. Add your social icons so people can find you on your other channels.
5. Paste the page address into the website field of your Instagram profile.

Tip: Keep the top of the page focused. If the first thing visitors see is ten unrelated links, your products get lost. Put your products first and everything else below them.

Step 2: Add products with photos, prices and descriptions

This is where you actually sell products from your Instagram bio. In the Products section, each product can have a title, a description, a price, images and an optional link.

Here's what makes a product listing work:

• Clear photos. Lead with the product on a plain background, then show it in use. Reuse the photos that already do well in your feed.
• A visible price. "DM for price" adds a step that many buyers won't take. Showing the price up front also saves you a lot of replies.
• Short, specific titles. "Lavender candle, 200g" works better than "Calm Vibes ✨". People scan, they don't read.
• Descriptions that answer your DM questions. Cover size, materials, colors, lead time, delivery area and how to order. If you get the same question three times, put the answer in the description.

Stuck on wording? The editor's AI suggestions can draft a product description for you to edit. AI suggestions use AI credits, and every plan includes some each month.

Product listing checklist

• A title with the product type and the main variant (size, scent, color)
• The price, with the currency
• At least one clear, well-lit photo
• A description covering size, materials, delivery and lead time
• A way to buy: a "Buy now" link, a contact option, or both

Mistake to avoid: listing everything you've ever made. Start with your bestsellers and what you have in stock now. A short list of products that are actually available converts better than a long list where half are sold out.

Step 3: Let buyers reach you on WhatsApp, phone or email

Many small sellers close sales in a conversation, not through a checkout. If you sell on WhatsApp from Instagram, make that one tap instead of "DM me for my number".

Add your WhatsApp number, phone number or email in your store settings. Visitors can then contact you about a product straight from your page. You can also add call and chat buttons for WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, LINE or WeChat, so people can reach you on whichever app they prefer.

To make this work well:

• Offer the channel you answer fastest on. A buyer who waits a day for a reply often doesn't buy.
• Set expectations. A line like "Replies within a few hours, 9am to 6pm" in your header or descriptions cuts down on follow-up messages.
• Keep a saved reply ready with payment options, delivery choices and lead times, so you can answer every order the same way, quickly.
• Ask for the details you need up front. Product, quantity, variant and delivery address, all in one message.

Step 4: Link 'Buy now' to the place you already take payment

To be clear about how this works: linkthe.app has no cart or checkout and doesn't process payments. Buyers pay on your own store or page, wherever you already take payment, and linkthe.app takes no cut of your sales.

Each product can have an optional link, which shows as a "Buy now" button. You can point it to:

• The product's page on your existing online store
• A payment link from the payment provider you already use
• Your listing on a marketplace where you sell
• An order or booking form you already use

No payment setup yet? Leave the link off and let buyers contact you by WhatsApp, phone or email. Then send payment details in the chat. Plenty of sellers start this way and add a "Buy now" link later.

Mistakes to avoid in this step

• Linking to your store's homepage instead of the exact product. Every extra click loses buyers.
• Prices that don't match. If the page says one price and your store says another, buyers stop trusting both.
• Leaving sold-out products up. Edit or remove them as soon as stock runs out.
• Untested links. Tap every button on your own phone before you share the page.

Step 5: Share your page and a QR code offline

Your page isn't only for Instagram. Use the same link everywhere:

• In your Instagram bio, and in Stories with a link sticker
• In your WhatsApp profile and status updates
• On packaging inserts, so repeat customers can order again
• On business cards, flyers and market stall signs

Every bio page comes with a QR code in your dashboard. Pick the foreground and background colors, download it as a PNG and put it on anything you print. A scan opens your bio page, so it counts as a page visit like any other.

A few printing tips:

• Keep strong contrast between the code and the background so it scans easily.
• Print it big enough to scan from a normal distance, and test it before you print a batch.
• Add a short line next to it, such as "Scan to see prices and order". A bare QR code gets fewer scans than one with a reason to scan.

Track which products get clicks

Once your page is live, check what buyers actually do on it. Analytics shows page views, link clicks, product and contact clicks, traffic sources, devices, countries, scroll depth and time on page.

How to use it:

• Lots of views, few product clicks? Your products may be too far down the page, or the photos and prices aren't grabbing people. Move them up and swap the lead photo.
• One product gets most of the clicks? Put it first on the page and feature it in your next few posts and Stories.
• Lots of product clicks, few messages or sales? Check that your "Buy now" links go to the right place and that your contact details are correct.
• Low scroll depth? People aren't getting far. Shorten the page and move the important things up.

QR scans aren't reported separately. They show up as page visits, so compare your totals before and after a market or a flyer run to get a rough sense of how offline sharing is doing. If you already use Google Analytics 4 or a Meta Pixel, you can connect them to your page too.

How far back your analytics go depends on your plan: see pricing for each plan.

What it costs to get started

You can set all of this up on the free plan, and there's no fee on your sales on any plan. Free pages show linkthe.app branding. When you need more pages, more products or a longer analytics history, paid plans add more room and let you remove the branding. See pricing for what each plan includes.

Quick-start summary

1. Create a page that matches your Instagram handle and your brand colors.
2. Add your best products with clear photos, prices and descriptions that answer common questions.
3. Add WhatsApp, phone or email so buyers can reach you in one tap.
4. Link "Buy now" to the exact product on the store or payment page you already use, or leave it off and take orders by chat.
5. Put the link in your bio, Stories and WhatsApp, and print the QR code for packaging and markets.
6. Check your product clicks every week and move your bestsellers to the top.

Ready to turn your bio link into a page that sells? Create your free page and add your first products today.