Thirteen months in the past, Linktree, the link-in-bio firm that permits creators to gather hyperlinks to completely different platforms in a single, simply digestible web page, introduced its newest funding spherical. The $110 million of funding from monetary backers together with Index Ventures and Coatue Management put Linktree in a reasonably enviable place: It was valued at $1.3 billion.

Just over a 12 months on, issues look completely different. On his Instagram account, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced that Instagram customers can now add as much as 5 hyperlinks to their bio on the app. “Probably one of the most requested features we’ve had,” he wrote.

Creators have reacted with pleasure at having the ability to extra simply combine exterior hyperlinks into their Instagram profiles—up till now, they’ve needed to put all of them onto a Linktree web page or one offered by a competitor, then place that into their bio. “For anyone who’s struggled to prioritize the link they include in their Instagram bio, this is a much-needed update,” says Lia Haberman, a social media advertising advisor and teacher at UCLA.

But Meta’s transfer could have simply torpedoed Linktree and the broader link-in-bio economic system. Some tech watchers reacted to the information by tweeting clips from The Office of Michael Scott shouting, “No god! No, god, please no. No, no, noooooo!”

But a transfer like this was inevitable, argue some social media analysts. “Meta was trying to experiment with people paying for things, on Instagram in particular—like their subscription features and now verification—so it seemed like a no-brainer to eventually allow multiple links and potentially even charge for it down the road,” says Greg Baroth, a Los Angeles–primarily based digital advertising advisor who tweeted “RIP all the link in bio companies” when the function was introduced. “So many people use the many ‘link-in-bio’ companies that have popped up—and pay for them—that they deemed it worthy of implementing,” he provides. Meta, Instagram’s father or mother firm, didn’t reply to a request to remark.

The Instagram change has been examined with some customers for a number of months, together with with Sandra Colton-Medici, a health care provider and writer. However, Colton-Medici has determined she’ll be sticking with Linktree. “Finding new ways to drive audiences off-platform is one of the top priorities for businesses utilizing social media,” she says. “Instagram’s introduction of the profile multi-link option forces the user to choose a link in the app and then return to the app should they want to view another link.” That added friction is one which Colton-Medici thinks advantages Instagram, however not her viewers.

She calls Instagram’s change in hyperlink numbers “admirable,” however says that the options it gives are sparse. Linktree permits customers to customise the web page an viewers member arrives at. When Colton-Medici examined out Instagram’s function, it confirmed one hyperlink, plus a clickable “see more” hyperlink that will unroll the 4 others. “This hidden aspect of the five links didn’t readily scream, ‘Pick me, choose me, love me’,” she says. “Instead, users will benefit more by choosing one link to direct their audiences that firmly prioritizes and highlights their content strategy versus allowing users to meander with no clear focus.”