I typed my Instagram handle @myshop and got an error; how should I enter it?
The 'Link' box expects a web address, and @myshop is a handle that neither a browser nor an email program can follow, so the tool rejects it. Type instagram.com/myshop in the link box and put @myshop or 'Instagram' in the 'Shown as' box. The tool adds https:// itself, and readers see the label you chose.
Why a handle is rejected
Every social link in the signature becomes a real link the recipient can click. A link needs a full address the program knows how to open, and @myshop does not point anywhere in particular: the same name could be an account on Instagram, TikTok and X. So the tool checks every link. It accepts http and https addresses, or an address that starts with a domain such as instagram.com, which it completes to https. Anything else is rejected with 'Link 1 was rejected. Only http and https links are accepted.', with the row number.
These are real results from the tool's check:
- @myshop is rejected.
- instagram.com/myshop is accepted and becomes https://instagram.com/myshop.
- www.instagram.com/myshop is accepted and becomes https://www.instagram.com/myshop.
- https://instagram.com/myshop is accepted as it is.
The right way, in one row
- In the Email signature builder, scroll to 'Social links (optional)'.
- In 'Shown as', type what customers should read: @myshop, Instagram, or إنستقرام.
- In 'Link', type instagram.com/ followed by your account name without the @.
- Check that the error has gone and the label shows in colour in the preview, then click it there to be sure.
If you leave 'Shown as' empty, the tool shows the address itself without https://, so the plain-text version gets a line such as 'instagram.com/myshop: https://instagram.com/myshop'. That works, but it repeats itself, so a short label reads better.
Other accounts work the same way
The same rule applies to TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn and X: copy your profile address from the browser or from the app's share button, paste it into the link box, and put the short name in the label. Do not type the address from memory, because profile address formats differ between platforms and can change; copying from the platform itself is safer. The tool takes up to 6 links and shows them on one line separated by a faint vertical bar.
Common questions
Can I still show @myshop in the signature?
Yes, in the 'Shown as' box. It is free text up to 40 characters, with the real link behind it.
My link has a space in it and gets rejected. Why?
Spaces at the start and end are trimmed automatically, but a space inside the address makes it invalid. One usually slips in while copying or typing the account name; delete it.