Even though Link Space is completely free, you can still create a nicely designed link-in-bio page with a few advanced features and some customization options.
Key takeaways:
- There's no paid account required for the link-in-bio service.
- 25 cool templates with different designs or create your own.
- Custom logos or images may appear cropped in some themes.
- Analytics are very basic.
While exploring more link in bio platforms, I came across several reviews and comments mentioning a brand called "Willow." However, I learned that this service is no longer active and has been rebranded as Streamlabs Link Space, or simply Link Space. This new service falls under Streamlabs, which is a video live streaming platform for creators. Curiosity led me to open my own account to check out its features. Be sure to continue reading to the end!
Kicking off with the link.space website
Link Space's website address is easy to type and remember: link.space. Right after accessing the homepage, I proceeded with the registration.
To open an account with this platform, I was asked to create a Streamlabs ID first. All I needed to do was provide an email address and a password.
The next step of the registration involved accessing the email I used for signing up and retrieving the 8-digit code they sent. I was able to receive it in just a few seconds and quickly verify my email.
The last part of the onboarding was to create a username, which will also be the slug for my link-in-bio page. Fortunately, my desired handle is available.
Finally, the dashboard!
After setting up my account, I was taken to my dashboard. The interface was quite new to me, but it only took a few minutes for me to get the hang of it. I like that there's an actual preview of my profile, and I can even switch between mobile, tablet, desktop, and full-screen modes
Ready to edit my link in bio
Right then and there, I immediately started editing my link-in-bio page. This includes uploading my profile photo and updating my short bio.
Plenty of things to add
There were a lot of visual elements that could be added on this platform. Even just for my links, I could add section headers to group my buttons nicely. It also allows me to add social icons. There's even a Monetization section where I can add a PayPal button and link it to my PayPal account, so my visitors can send me tips if they wish. This can be very useful if you want to monetize via payments or donations on the bio link. It also adds an easy way for receiving financial support.
These are quite interesting features that I would like to explore more later, but since my goal is to add my company's website and links to my social profiles, these are not relevant for me right now.
Adding a basic link
In order to include my website, I had to click on "Add Link" since it's not a social platform. At first, I thought it would only ask for the URL and a text link, but I was surprised to learn that I could add my very own company logo. Most platforms don't have this feature, so this is a plus for me.
Entering my social links
The Social Links section is a separate area for social links, which lets me pick the ones that I have. Below are the platforms that they support:
- Twitch
- Dribbble
- Behance
- GitLab
- GitHub
- TikTok
- Discord
- Patreon
- Phone
This process was very straightforward. For every social profile link that I wanted to add, I just needed to click on the "Social Links" button, and then a new section would appear in the work area. Then I just had to select the platform from the list, and it would ask either for the username or the URL.
Guess what? The blocks can be rearranged!
After adding all of my links, I wasn't satisfied with their arrangement, so I explored whether it was possible to move each link, and fortunately, it was. All I had to do was click on a specific link block and then drag it to my desired position. This was actually fun, and I remember making several changes to the arrangement.
Lots of themes to try out
This part was also a fun experience. There were 25 choices, and each theme had its own distinctive look. It wasn't only the background but also the buttons, the colors, and the fonts. And if I'm not satisfied with any of the available choices, I can just create my own theme if I want to.
There’s the magic: my Link Space page
On desktop web browsers, the theme looks nice, although I wasn't happy with what it did to my company's logo. The box cropped the top and bottom portions of the image, so it looked like it was cut. I'll probably need to play with it more, or I'll just upload a different dimension to fix this if I can't find a solution to this issue.
On mobile phones, the profile looks much better and my company logo wasn't cropped here. This is something that they need to improve on, especially if their users don't have the time to make adjustments for such cases. I mean, they have done a good job creating great themes and making them responsive. Why can't they fix these kinds of issues with logo cropping, right?
You might think that this issue is just with my desktop web browser, but it's actually not, because I've also tried accessing this on a laptop and experienced the same thing. Here's the address of my link-in-bio so you can access it and see what I mean: link.space/@michaelsteiner
For analytics, there's data for views and clicks
Link Space's analytics are quite simple, involving only tracking page visits and link clicks. There's no need to go to another page to get this data because the stats can be viewed all the time at the upper right part of the dashboard. For me, this data is more than enough, but for those who are concerned with profile viewership and engagement metrics and want comparative performance info, this is actually limited.
Link Space has no paid version
Here's the thing: Link Space is a basic service provided by Streamlabs and does not have any paid plans. This was particularly suitable for me, as I'm not a streamer and primarily sought the link-in-bio functionality.
However, if you're a streamer looking to deepen your audience engagement, there's Streamlabs Ultra. This plan includes not just the Link Space service but also more advanced and professional-level tools (which are no longer related to link in bio).
Customer support is available even if you're not paying
The Link Space FAQ page covers most basic questions, as the features and tools are generally self-explanatory, even for non-tech-savvy users.
Given that Link Space is free and does not have a premium tier, I was expecting that they wouldn't provide customer support for users of this platform. That's why I was surprised to find that they actually do. I was able to access this by going to the Streamlabs Help Center and clicking on the "Submit a ticket" button.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Totally free link in bio service
- Over 20+ cool themes to choose from
- Can add a custom image or logo for basic links
- Supports monetization including PayPal and fundraising
Cons
- Analytics are very basic
- Custom logos for basic links get cropped in some themes
- Features are particularly tailored to the needs of streamers
- No live chat
My Verdict
Given that Streamlabs' Link Space is a free link-in-bio platform, I really didn't expect much from it. However, it managed to surprise me with its unique features and cool themes, which are not offered by other platforms for free. However, the lack of live chat support and no guarantee that the platform will remain free or continue operating for a long time are some of my concerns.
Sure, you can give it a try, open an account, and enjoy these features, but for how long? Will it stay active for the next few years, or will it also shut down like its predecessor, Willow?
