Place a row of tappable story circles at the top of your UniLink page — each one opens a full-screen image or video slide that can link directly to a product, booking, or any URL.
Your audience already knows how to consume stories — they do it dozens of times a day on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. The Story Widget brings that familiar interaction pattern directly to your UniLink page, placing interactive visual content right at the top where it gets the most attention. Instead of a static list of links that visitors scroll past, your page opens with motion and narrative. A story can show a product in use, announce a limited offer, preview a blog post, or walk someone through what to do next on your page — all before they even scroll down.
What the Story Widget Does
The Story Widget adds a row of circular thumbnail images to the top of your UniLink page. Each circle represents a story group. When a visitor taps a circle, a full-screen overlay opens and plays through the slides in that group one by one, advancing automatically based on the duration you set for each slide. The experience is identical to what they know from Instagram: the familiar progress bar at the top, tap to advance, swipe to dismiss.
Each slide can be an image (JPEG, PNG, WebP) or a short video (MP4 under 30 seconds recommended). You can add a link to any individual slide — a product page, a booking form, a YouTube video, or any external URL. A prominent "Tap to open" or custom label button appears at the bottom of the slide so visitors know there is somewhere to go. If a slide has no link, it plays and advances without a call to action.
The widget supports multiple story groups in a single row. Each group has its own circle with a label underneath (like Instagram story circles showing a username). You can name each group — "New Arrivals," "Behind the Scenes," "Book a Call" — so visitors know what to expect before they tap. Groups are reorderable by drag-and-drop in the editor, and you can add or remove slides from a group at any time without recreating the widget.
How to Get Started With the Story Widget
- Open the page editor — in your Dashboard, click Edit on the page where you want to add stories. The block editor opens.
- Add the Story Widget block — click the Add Block button (the + icon). In the block library, find "Story Widget" under the Media or Featured section. Click it to insert the block. It is placed at the top of your page by default, which is the recommended position.
- Create your first story group — in the block settings panel, click Add Story Group. Enter a name for the group (this appears as the label under the circle). Upload a cover image — this is the thumbnail shown in the circle row.
- Add slides to the group — click Add Slide inside the group. Upload an image or video. Set the duration (how many seconds this slide shows before advancing automatically). Optionally add a link URL and button label for this slide.
- Add more slides — repeat the Add Slide step for each slide in the group. A story group can have 1 to 10 slides. Reorder slides by dragging.
- Add more groups — click Add Story Group again to create additional circles in the row. Each group is independent — different slides, different links, different cover image.
- Preview and publish — click the Preview button to test the story experience. Tap each circle, confirm the slides play correctly, and verify that links open the right destination. Save and publish when satisfied.
How to Use Story Widget Content Effectively
- Update stories regularly — stories feel fresh when they change. Swap out slides weekly or with each new campaign. Open the block settings, select a story group, delete the old slides, and upload new ones. The circle and label remain; only the content changes.
- Link slides to your highest-priority action — use story slides as a top-of-page shortcut to your best offer. If you have a product launch, link the relevant slide directly to the product checkout. If you offer appointments, link to your booking form.
- Use video slides for product demos — a 10–15 second video showing a product in use converts more effectively than a static photo. Record a short demo, export it as MP4, upload it as a slide, and set the duration to match the video length so it does not cut off.
- Name story groups clearly — visitors read the group label before tapping. "New Drop," "Sale," "Tutorial," and "Book Me" are clear and action-oriented. Avoid generic labels like "Story 1" or "My Stories."
- Keep slides to 5 or fewer per group — story fatigue sets in quickly. Three to five well-chosen slides per group hold attention better than ten slides where viewers start skipping after the third.
- Track which groups get tapped — in the page analytics panel, story interactions are counted as block clicks. The group with the most taps tells you what your audience is most curious about — use that insight to shape your next content batch.
- Seasonalize your story groups — for Black Friday, swap in a "Deals" group. For summer, a "Beach Looks" group. For the holidays, a "Gift Guide" group. The rest of your page stays the same; only the story row refreshes to reflect the moment.
Key Settings Explained
| Setting | What it controls | Best practice |
|---|---|---|
| Cover image | The thumbnail shown in the story circle row before tapping | Use a cropped, high-contrast image that hints at the content inside — not a generic logo |
| Group label | Text shown beneath the circle thumbnail | Keep it under 10 characters so it does not get truncated on small screens |
| Slide duration | How many seconds each image slide displays before advancing | 3–5 seconds for text-heavy images; 7–10 seconds for photos people will linger on |
| Slide link URL | Where the visitor goes when they tap the CTA button on a slide | Link to a specific product, booking form, or landing page — not your homepage |
| CTA button label | Text on the button at the bottom of a linked slide | Use action verbs: "Shop Now," "Book a Call," "Watch Full Video," "Claim Offer" |
How to Get the Most Out of the Story Widget
The biggest mistake with story widgets is treating them as a one-time setup. Stories derive their engagement from novelty — the same circle in the same position loses its pull after the first visit. Build a habit of refreshing your story content on a fixed cadence: weekly for active creators, bi-weekly for businesses with slower content cycles. Even swapping one slide per group is enough to make returning visitors feel like something new is happening on your page.
Story groups work best when each one serves a distinct purpose. One group for your newest product or release, one group for social proof (testimonials, before-after results), one group for a call to action (book a session, join your list, watch a tutorial). Visitors who are in different stages of the decision process find what is relevant to them immediately without having to scroll through your entire page.
If you run paid ads, use story slides as a consistent bridge between your ad creative and your page content. Someone clicks your ad showing a specific product. They land on your UniLink page. The first thing they see is a story group with the same product shown in the ad. The visual continuity reduces bounce rate because the experience feels intentional rather than generic.
For creators with an existing Instagram or TikTok presence, repurpose your best-performing story content directly. Export top-performing stories and upload them as slides in your UniLink story groups. You already know those assets resonate with your audience — there is no need to create fresh content from scratch for every channel.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Story video does not play on mobile | Video file is too large or in an unsupported codec | Re-export as MP4 with H.264 codec, keep file size under 50 MB, and re-upload |
| Story circles appear but do not open on tap | JavaScript is blocked by the browser or a browser extension | Test in a standard mobile browser without extensions; advise visitors to disable ad blockers if needed |
| Cover image shows stretched or cropped oddly in the circle | Image is not square or the focal point is off-center | Use a square (1:1) image for the cover thumbnail and position the key visual in the center |
| Slides advance too quickly for the video to finish | Slide duration is set shorter than the video length | Set the slide duration to match or slightly exceed the video's runtime; for a 12-second video, set duration to 13 seconds |
Pros
- Immediately familiar UX — visitors already know how to interact with story circles
- Top-of-page placement captures attention before a single scroll
- Each slide can link independently, turning stories into a multi-destination CTA row
- Easy to refresh — swap slides without changing the circle or group structure
Cons
- Requires regular content updates to stay effective — static stories lose engagement fast
- Video upload and processing adds a few minutes to the publishing workflow
- Visitors on very slow connections may experience delays before slides load
Frequently Asked Questions
How many story groups can I have in one row?
The Story Widget supports up to 10 groups in a single row. On mobile screens, the row scrolls horizontally if the groups exceed the screen width, exactly like Instagram's story bar. Practically, 3–6 groups is the range where visitors actually tap each one rather than seeing a crowded row and skipping past it.
Can I add text overlays directly on story slides?
Text overlays are not added inside UniLink's editor — you add text to the image or video before uploading. Use a design tool like Canva, Adobe Express, or CapCut to add text, stickers, or callouts to your slide assets, then upload the finished file.
Do stories autoplay when a visitor opens my page?
Stories do not autoplay. The circle row is displayed, but a visitor must tap a circle to open and play a story. Autoplay would be intrusive and is intentionally not part of the design — the experience is visitor-initiated.
Can I schedule story groups to go live at a specific time?
Scheduling for individual story groups is not currently available. To time a story group's appearance precisely (for example, a flash sale), you would need to add the group manually at the moment the campaign starts and remove it when it ends.
Will stories work on desktop browsers, or is it mobile-only?
The Story Widget works on both desktop and mobile. On desktop, the circle row appears the same way and clicking a circle opens the full-screen slide overlay. The experience is optimized for mobile because that is where most UniLink traffic originates, but it is fully functional on all screen sizes.
Key Takeaways
- Add the Story Widget block from the block library; it places a story circle row at the top of your page
- Each group has a cover thumbnail, a label, and 1–10 slides; each slide can link to any URL
- Design slides at 9:16 (1080×1920 px) for full-screen display without cropping
- Refresh story content regularly — stale stories lose engagement on repeat visits
- Use separate groups for distinct purposes: new products, social proof, and a primary CTA
Ready to bring stories to your UniLink page?
Add the Story Widget and turn the top of your page into a dynamic, tappable showcase that gets visitors clicking before they even scroll.
Get Started Free