Snapchat's Paperclip enables users to share links in app
Snapchat has unveiled a Paperclip feature that enables users to attach third-party links to messages and images. It will grant publishers the ability to incorporate links to additional pages in their distributed content, and could also be of service to brands, which were previously limited to links in paid ads. The feature is an update on the Snapcodes tool, which permitted users to send QR codes for contacts to scan as a prerequisite for accessing the content.

by Erik Sass @eriksass1, July 6, 2017

When it comes to their dealings with technology platforms, publishers need every bit of good news.

Snapchat may have given them something to smile about with its new Paperclip feature. It allows users to incorporate links to external Web sites into messages and content sent within the app.

Paperclip, unveiled by Snapchat earlier this week, enables users to attach links to third-party mobile Web sites to videos or images in private messages or as part of a Snapchat Story.

Among other possibilities, the Paperclip feature would allow publishers to include links to additional pages in content distributed via Snapchat. The same capability could benefit brands pursuing branded-content publishing strategies. Before, brands could include links only in paid ads.

advertisement advertisement The recipient just has to swipe up on the video or image to access the content, which then surfaces in Snapchat’s proprietary in-app browser. That’s considerably more convenient than the previous workaround, which required them to send “Snapcodes” to their contacts, who would then have to scan the QR code to access the content.

In a reversal of the usual dynamic, it would appear Snapchat is borrowing a page from Facebook’s Instagram, which recently unrolled the ability to include external Web links. However, Snapchat goes further, as Instagram links are currently limited to its Stories feature, and then only for verified users with more than 10,000 followers.

Paperclip is just one of a number of features unveiled by Snapchat this week. Another is backdrops, which allow users to overlay various patterns onto portions of their snaps.

Snapchat also recently bowed Snap Maps, which let users track their friends’ locations in real-time. Smartphone users can virtually scan their physical surroundings and see where friends are posting snaps and stories.