Instagram is changing the way "links" work in Stories, and this could be a very large change for many (especially businesses).

Previously, only users with over 10,000 followers could add links to Instagram Stories, and viewers had to "swipe up" in order to visit the linked website.

However starting from August 30th, "swiping up" on Instagram Stories will no longer open the web browser, but instead bring up a "sticker panel" (previously it was toggled from the top of the app).

A new "link sticker" feature will soon be available, letting users easily share links in their stories as stickers.

These link stickers work similar to other stickers, where they can be moved around the page and resized.

This change was picked up by some users when they attempted to "swipe-up" on their stories to visit websites, only to see a notification that reads:

 "Swipe up links will soon be stickers. Starting August 30, swipe up links will go away. To add a link to your story, use the new link sticker".

Whether this feature will be permanent is yet to be known, but it appears that the change is likely to be permanent.