Link in first comment: does it help reach, and where does it work?
Does a link in the first comment get more reach? What Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, LinkedIn and YouTube have said, what isn't proven, and how to test it.
Short answer
Putting the link in the first comment is a workaround for the belief that networks show link posts to fewer people. No network has shown it gets more reach. X's owner has recommended it, Threads says it doesn't down-rank links, and Facebook counts a comment link toward its Page link limit.
The habit is simple: write the post without a link, then add the link as the first comment, or as the first reply on networks that work in threads. The idea is that a network ranks a post lower when it sends people away, so keeping the URL out of the post keeps its reach. Some networks have said things that support that, some have said the opposite, and one now counts the comment's link against a limit. Here is what each has actually said, and when.
What the networks have said about links
Meta's help centre describes a monthly limit on links for some Pages. Where it applies, a Page can include links in up to 2 organic posts or comments a month, and links in comments count toward it. Extra links in the comments of a post that already has a link don't count, and neither do links to Meta's own apps, affiliate links or ads. A Meta One plan raises the limit, and Meta says it may not apply to every Page. On a Page that has it, moving the link into the first comment doesn't get around it.
On Instagram, a clickable link in a post or reel is a paid feature: Meta's help centre lists it under Meta One, from 4 to 12 posts and the same number of reels a month, depending on the plan. Instagram publishes nothing about links in comments, or about how links affect a post's reach.
X
Elon Musk has said three different things. In October 2023, that X's algorithm optimises for time spent on X, so links get less attention. In November 2024, to write a description in the post and put the link in the reply. In April 2025, that there is no explicit rule limiting the reach of links, and that a link which makes people leave naturally gets less exposure. In October 2025, X's then head of product, Nikita Bier, said link posts get lower reach because the browser covers the post and people forget to like or reply, and that X was testing a fix on iOS.
Threads
Adam Mosseri said in November 2024 that Threads doesn't down-rank links, but doesn't value clicks much either, and people rarely like or comment on links. In June 2025 he said links had been ranked properly, and working much better, for more than a month.
LinkedIn has published no rule about links in posts or in comments, and no data on either. The figures you see quoted for LinkedIn come from third-party studies of other people's posts.
YouTube
Here the question is whether the link works at all. YouTube makes URLs in the comments and descriptions of long videos clickable (external links need the channel's advanced features turned on), but not URLs in the comments or descriptions of Shorts. A first-comment link only works under a long video.
What isn't proven
- That it gets more reach. No network has published data showing that a link in the first comment reaches more people than the same link in the post.
- That X rewards it. The one executive who recommended it, in November 2024, said five months later that X has no explicit rule limiting links.
- That comments are a loophole. Facebook is the only network with a written rule about links in comments, and it counts them toward a limit rather than favouring them.
- That a study applies to you. Third-party studies average many accounts. Your audience may click, like and reply differently, which is why it is worth testing on your own account.
Where PostDaily can post a first comment
| Network | What PostDaily posts after it |
|---|---|
| Up to 5 first comments | |
| Up to 5 first comments | |
| Up to 5 first comments | |
| YouTube | Up to 5 first comments |
| Bluesky | A reply, as a thread |
| Mastodon | A reply, as a thread |
| X | A reply, as a thread |
| Threads | A reply, as a thread |
| TikTok | Neither a comment nor a reply |
| Neither a comment nor a reply |
Formats matter too: a Facebook first comment goes on feed posts, not Reels or Stories, and no network takes a comment on a Story. The full list is in schedule a first comment with your post.
How to test it on your own account
- 1Pick ten link posts you would publish anyway, similar in topic, format and time of day.
- 2Alternate them: five with the link in the post, five with the link in the first comment and a line in the post pointing to it.
- 3Tag each link with UTM parameters, so your own analytics shows which version sent the clicks.
- 4After seven days, compare each post's reach or impressions and its link clicks, post by post rather than in total.
- 5Run it twice before you change your habit. Ten posts is a small sample, so act only on a large gap that repeats.
On a Facebook Page with Meta's link limit, both versions count toward the same two links a month, so run the test on another network or over several months.
Posting the comment without being there
By hand, a first comment means being online the moment the post goes live. PostDaily saves the comment with the post and publishes it straight after, from the same account. The steps are in schedule a first comment with your post.
Last checked against Meta's and YouTube's help centres, and the posts on X and Threads named above.
