You do not need a weekend and a design degree to ship a link-in-bio page. Linkmi’s onboarding is built to take you from signup to a shareable URL in a short session: username, profile, widgets, optional plan, then a share recap with QR and copy-link actions.
This guide walks through that path so you know what to prepare and what to skip.
What You Will Have at the End
- A public page at
linksmi.com/your-username - A photo, bio, and first set of links or widgets
- A QR code and copyable link ready for Instagram, TikTok, print, or Stories
- The option to stay on Free or upgrade when you are ready
No credit card is required to finish onboarding on Free. The plan step is skippable.
Minute 0: Choose How You Sign Up
Create an account with email or with Discord login. Pick whichever you will complete without friction. The goal is to reach onboarding quickly, not to debate auth methods.
Step 1: Claim Your Username
Your username becomes your permanent public path. Prefer the handle you already use on Instagram or TikTok when it is available. Keep it short, readable, and free of confusing numbers unless they are part of your brand.
Tips:
- Avoid hyphens and underscores if your spoken brand never uses them
- Check how it looks in a full URL on a phone lock screen
- If your ideal name is taken, add a clear brand word—not random digits
Step 2: Set Profile Basics
Add a clear face or logo, a short bio, and colors that match your content. Visitors decide in seconds whether the page feels trustworthy. You can refine themes later from the profile features and templates; for launch day, clarity beats perfection.
Write a bio that answers: who you are, what you offer, and what to tap first.
Step 3: Add Widgets and Links That Matter
Onboarding nudges you to add widgets early because an empty page does not convert. Start with three destinations maximum:
- Your primary offer (product, booking, latest video)
- Your community or social hub
- A secondary resource (newsletter, PDF magnet, portfolio)
Browse integrations in the widgets directory and deep-dive on widgets features. Deep linking helps Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok open in native apps on mobile—useful even on Free.
If email growth is the goal, plan a PDF lead magnet after you unlock PDF slots on a paid plan; on Free you can still structure the page for a future magnet.
Step 4: Plan Step—Upgrade or Skip
The onboarding plan step shows Free / Starter / Pro / Business. You can skip and continue free. That is intentional: many people need a live URL before they know which analytics they need.
When you do want limits removed or PDF magnets, compare tiers on pricing or read Linkmi plans explained. If you check out during onboarding, success returns you to a share-focused recap so the purchase does not interrupt the “go live” moment.
Step 5: Share Recap—QR, Copy, Native Share
After setup (and after a successful upgrade when you chose one), Linkmi surfaces a share recap:
- Copy link for bios and descriptions
- QR code for print, packaging, events, and Stories stickers—see also QR code features
- Native share on supported devices
- Practical tips (for example how to update the Instagram bio field)
Do this immediately. A finished page that never replaces the old bio link is not launched.
After Onboarding: Dashboard Nudges
If you skipped the plan step, the dashboard may gently remind you that a plan selection is still pending until you dismiss it. That reminder exists so Free users who later hit limits know where to upgrade—not to block your work.
From the dashboard you can reorder links, schedule visibility windows, check analytics, and manage billing later.
A Practical 15-Minute Checklist
| Time | Action |
|---|---|
| 0–2 min | Sign up (email or Discord) |
| 2–4 min | Claim username |
| 4–8 min | Photo, bio, colors |
| 8–12 min | Add 3 links/widgets |
| 12–14 min | Skip plan or upgrade |
| 14–15 min | Copy link + save QR; paste into Instagram/TikTok |
Optional next day: refine theme, add scheduling, enable a lead magnet, review first clicks.
What to Prepare Before You Start
Five minutes of preparation saves ten minutes of hesitation during onboarding. Gather these items first:
- A square photo or logo, ideally at least a few hundred pixels wide
- A one-sentence bio that states who you are and what visitors can do
- The three destinations you want to promote first (links you can paste)
- The handle you want to claim as your username
- Your Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube login so you can update your bio link right away
With these ready, the onboarding flow becomes copy-and-paste work instead of creative decisions.
Week One: Improve From Real Data
Once the page is live, resist the urge to redesign daily. Instead, check the basic analytics after a few days: which link gets clicks, and where do visitors come from? Reorder links so the strongest sits first, rewrite one label that nobody taps, and test your page on a second phone. If you want to understand your numbers better, the free tier already includes basic page-view and per-link click analytics.
When you start seeing steady traffic, that is the right time to consider a lead magnet or a longer analytics window—not before.
Where to Put Your New Link
A page is only live once people can find it. On launch day, replace the old link in every place your audience already looks:
- Instagram: the website field in your profile, plus a mention in your latest Story
- TikTok: the bio link field, and a pinned video that tells viewers to tap it
- YouTube: the channel links section and the first line of your video descriptions
- Email signature and business cards: use the QR code so offline contacts reach the same page
Using one URL everywhere also makes your analytics easier to read, because every click lands on the same page and you can compare sources side by side.
Mistakes That Slow Launch
Perfectionism on theme day one. Ship a clear layout, then iterate.
Ten links on an empty audience. Three strong CTAs beat a directory nobody scrolls.
Leaving the old bio URL live. Update every platform the same day.
Skipping mobile preview. Most traffic is mobile; check thumb reach and contrast.
Buying Business before you have traffic. Start Free or Starter; upgrade when a feature unlocks revenue.
Forgetting offline channels. Print the QR for events, packaging, or a café table tent so people who never see your Stories still reach the same page.
Conclusion: Live URL First, Polish Second
Linkmi onboarding is optimized for speed: identity, content, optional plan, then share. Follow the steps once, put the URL in your bios, and improve from real click data instead of imaginary perfection.
Create your account, finish the short onboarding, and share your Linkmi page today—free to start, with pricing waiting whenever you outgrow Free.