How To Add A Link To Your Snapchat Post

Snapchat was originally launched to share temporary, seconds-long photos and videos with friends and acquaintances, but people haven't been too keen on using it that way of late. Between constantly snapping friends, keeping up with brands and celebs on Snapchat Story, and following friends' whereabouts on Snapchat Map, the app is slowly evolving into a more lasting form of social communication. Snapchat's newest update on Wednesday is now putting private accounts on par with business ones in one specific way — but how can you add a link to your Snapchat posts and share your favorite sites with friends?

The new Snapchat links update is just one of many the company rolled out recently. It also allows users to add backgrounds to their photos and change the pitch of their voice in snaps (without using a filter) — all pretty cool, if you ask me.

But this new linking feature will be so helpful. There are plenty of reasons why you would want to link your friends to an external source — whether it be to a news article you desperately need your friends to read or a hilarious YouTube video they need to see, use it as a form of self promotion (getting people to read your blog posts), or as a subtle hint (linking to your Amazon wishlist just in time for your upcoming birthday — ahem ahem).

No matter the use, linking websites to Snapchat is relatively easy and these instructions should help.

Update Your App

The new update was released on Wednesday — so you'll want to make sure that you have the newest version downloaded from your phone's app store. If your app didn't download automatically, you might have to do it manually, but you'll get it all the same.

Go To The Camera Screen & Take A Photo

Take a photo, any photo. Take a photo of your newest masterpiece you whipped up in the kitchen or take a mirror pic of that super cute outfit you scored with Fourth of July sales. If you're using Snapchat, you already know how to do this by now, OK.

Tap On The Paperclip Icon & Add Your Link

The brand new icon, located under the normal photo editing icons, will be the key to adding a link to your photo. Once you locate the paperclip, located above the stopwatch icon, click on it and paste in the link you want to add.

Send Your Snap To Friends Or Add It To Your Story

Choose where you want your snap (and link) to be shared, whether its on your story, a custom story, or just sent to your best friends. Once the snap is sent, your friends will be able to swipe up on your photo and Snapchat will redirect them to the website you've attached.

This new feature will make sharing links with friends easier than ever. Keep calm and snap on.