How to Make a Linktree, Step by Step (Or Skip It)

If you want to know how to make a Linktree, the short version is: sign up, claim a username, add your links, pick a theme, and paste the URL into your social bios. The whole thing takes a few minutes. This guide walks through every step so you can set up Linktree the right way the first time, and then it does the thing most tutorials skip: it tells you honestly what a plain link list can and can't do, so you can decide whether a Linktree is actually what you need.

We build ByteSize, a link-in-bio tool that competes with Linktree, so we have a horse in this race. But a bad recommendation helps no one. The tutorial below is genuinely complete, and the honest fork near the end is exactly the conversation we'd have with a creator friend.

How to Make a Linktree, Step by Step

Linktree is free to start, works in a browser or the mobile app, and doesn't require you to install anything to get going. Here's the current flow (checked July 2026; Linktree changes its interface often, so the labels may shift slightly, but the shape of the process stays the same).

Step 1: Sign up. Go to linktr.ee and select "Sign up free." You can register with an email address or continue with a social login. If you use email, you'll enter your address, choose a password, and create the account.

Step 2: Claim your username. Pick the username that becomes your public URL: linktr.ee/yourname. Choose it carefully. This is the link you'll paste into every bio, so make it match the handle fans already know you by. If your first choice is taken, add a short, consistent suffix rather than a random string of numbers.

Step 3: Verify your email. Linktree sends a confirmation code to the address you signed up with. Copy it, paste it into the verification box, and submit. Some flows also ask for a business name and a category or two to describe what you do; pick the closest option and move on.

Step 4: Confirm your plan. New accounts land on the free plan by default. That's fine to start. You don't need to enter a card, and you can build the whole page without paying. We'll cover what the free plan does and doesn't include further down.

Step 5: Add your links. From the dashboard, select "Add link" (sometimes "Add new link"). For each one, you enter a title (the text on the button, like "Latest video" or "New single") and the destination URL. Repeat for every place you want to send fans: your YouTube channel, your shop, your other socials, your newsletter signup. Drag the links to reorder them; put the most important one at the top, since that's what most people tap.

Step 6: Customize the look. Open the appearance or design settings to choose a theme, background color, button style, and font. Add a profile photo and a short bio line so visitors know they're in the right place. On the free plan you get a set of basic themes; deeper customization (custom backgrounds, animations, hiding the Linktree logo) lives behind the paid tiers.

Step 7: Share the URL. Copy your linktr.ee/yourname link and paste it into the website field of each social profile. That's the payoff: one link in every bio that points to your full list.

That's how to set up Linktree from scratch. If you followed along, you now have a working page. Before you go paste it everywhere, though, it's worth understanding what you actually built.

Is Linktree Free? Mostly, With Asterisks

Yes, Linktree is free to make, and the free plan is genuinely usable: unlimited links, basic themes, page-level click analytics, QR codes, and video embeds. For a lot of creators that's enough.

The asterisks are worth knowing before you commit:

• Every free page shows Linktree's branding at the bottom. Removing it requires a paid plan.
• Deeper analytics need a paid plan. The free plan shows page-level clicks; per-link and per-source detail sits behind the paid tiers.
• Selling has a cost. If you use Linktree's built-in commerce to sell a digital product, the free plan takes a percentage fee on each sale (as of 2026, 12% on the free plan and lower on paid, per Linktree's help center). If you only link out to your own shop, this doesn't apply.
• Paid plans cost money. Branding removal, richer analytics, and link scheduling live on the paid tiers, which run from roughly $6 to $30 per month depending on plan and billing cycle (as of July 2026; Linktree prices vary by region, so check its pricing page for your local figure).

None of that makes Linktree a bad tool. It makes it a link list with a free tier and paywalled polish, which is exactly what it is.

Before You Make One, Know What a Link List Can't Do

Here's the honest part. A Linktree, like most tools in this category, is a list of buttons. Fans tap a button, leave the page, and land somewhere else. That works, but it has three real limits that matter more the more you publish.

It shows links, not your actual content. A button that says "Watch my new video" isn't the video. Every tap is a small ask, an extra step where you lose people. Fans came because they like what you make; a list of labels doesn't show them what you make.

It goes stale the moment you post. A link list is a snapshot. Drop a new single, upload a new video, post a new reel, and none of it appears on your page until you go back in and add it by hand. Most creators forget, so the page slowly drifts out of date and the "latest" link points at something from two months ago. If you want the full definition of the format and its tradeoffs, we wrote a plain-language explainer on what a link in bio is.

Fans see less than you think. When your best work is one label among fifteen, the things that would actually convert a new fan (the video, the track, the post) get skipped. The page becomes a directory instead of a first impression.

If those limits don't bother you, a Linktree is fine. Genuinely. Make one, paste it, move on. But if the point of your bio link is to show fans what you make and keep it current without babysitting it, a plain list fights you on both.

How to Make a ByteSize Page Instead

ByteSize is built around a different idea: show the content on the page, not just a link to it. Here's how to set one up, using the same shape as the Linktree steps above so you can compare directly.

Step 1: Claim your handle. Go to bytesize.me and claim your bytesize.me/yourname URL. Same idea as a Linktree username: pick the handle fans already know.

Step 2: Connect your content. Instead of only pasting URLs, you connect your platforms so your work renders on the page itself. Your latest YouTube videos sync in automatically and stay current as you upload; that's the one that truly runs itself. For TikTok and Instagram, you add the specific posts you want featured and they embed as playable previews. For Spotify and Apple Music, you add tracks or playlists that embed so fans can press play without leaving. The result is a page that shows your content, not a list pointing away from it.

Step 3: Add your other links. Everything a Linktree holds still fits: your shop, newsletter, other socials, booking or contact links. They live below or alongside the embedded content, so you get the hub and the previews together.

Step 4: Customize and publish. Pick a theme, adjust the look, add your photo and bio, and preview the page before it goes live. The free plan keeps your page online with unlimited links and your embedded content; Creator Pro adds analytics on top when you want to see how the page is performing.

Step 5: Share the one URL. Paste bytesize.me/yourname into every bio, exactly like a Linktree link. The difference is what fans land on: your content, kept current, automatically for YouTube and with the posts and tracks you choose embedded for the rest.

One honest caveat so you know what you're getting: full hands-off auto-sync applies to YouTube. TikTok and Instagram posts are ones you pick and embed, and music is embedded tracks. We'd rather you know that going in than feel oversold later. If you want the side-by-side, we keep an up-to-date ByteSize vs Linktree comparison, plus a broader roundup of the best Linktree alternatives if you're still shopping around.

Adding Your Link to TikTok and Instagram Bios

Whichever tool you pick, the last step is the same: put the link where fans will tap it. Both TikTok and Instagram let you add a clickable link to your profile, though TikTok's website field depends on your account type and eligibility, which changes over time.

The short version: open "Edit profile," find the website or link field, and paste your linktr.ee/yourname or bytesize.me/yourname URL. On Instagram you can add it to the website field (and, for many accounts, as link stickers in Stories). On TikTok, add it to the bio website field if your account has access.

We wrote a full walkthrough for the TikTok side, including the follower and account-type requirements that trip people up: see how to add a link to your TikTok bio. The same link works across every platform, so you only have to get your page right once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Linktree free to make? Yes. Creating a Linktree costs nothing, and the free plan includes unlimited links, basic themes, QR codes, and page-level click analytics. The catches: every free page shows Linktree branding, deeper analytics and customization require a paid plan (roughly $6 to $30 per month as of 2026, varying by region and billing cycle), and selling a digital product through Linktree's own commerce carries a percentage fee on the free tier.

How do I make a Linktree for free? Go to linktr.ee, select "Sign up free," claim a username, verify your email, and you're on the free plan by default, no card required. Add your links, pick a theme, and share the URL. You never have to upgrade to have a working page; paid plans only add branding removal, richer analytics, and more design control.

Do you need an app to make a Linktree? No. You can build and manage a Linktree entirely in a web browser on a laptop or phone. There's a mobile app if you prefer it, but it's optional. The same is true for ByteSize: you can claim a handle and build your page from the browser.

Can you make a Linktree without an account? No. Both Linktree and ByteSize require you to create an account, because the account is what lets you claim your unique URL and edit the page later. Signing up takes under a minute and only needs an email address.

How do I add a Linktree to TikTok? Copy your Linktree URL, open TikTok, tap "Edit profile," and paste it into the website field, if your account is eligible to add one. Availability depends on TikTok's current account-type and follower rules. Our TikTok bio link guide covers the requirements and the workarounds in detail.

Should I use Linktree or something else? Use Linktree if you want a simple, familiar list of links and that's all you need. Consider an alternative like ByteSize if you want your page to show your actual content, playable video and music embeds and posts, and keep your YouTube uploads current on their own. Both take a few minutes to set up, so it costs little to try the one that fits how you publish.