Using Instagram with Publlish
Learn how to connect your Instagram Business or Creator account to Publlish, schedule feed posts, Reels, Stories, and Carousels, and manage Instagram content with your whole team.
Instagram is typically the highest-priority channel for most marketing teams — and also the most complex to manage. Between feed posts, Reels, Stories, and Carousels, each format has its own specs, its own best practices, and its own scheduling quirks.
Publlish brings all of it into one place so your team can plan, create, review, and publish Instagram content without switching tools.
This guide covers everything you need to know about using Instagram with Publlish — from connecting your account to understanding what's supported for each content format.
What You Can Do with Instagram in Publlish
- Schedule and auto-publish Instagram feed posts (single image and carousel)
- Schedule and publish Instagram Reels
- Schedule Instagram Stories (with notification publishing)
- Add captions, hashtags, mentions, and location tags
- Preview your Instagram grid before publishing
- Manage multiple Instagram accounts
- Add music and effects to Reels
- Analyse Instagram performance (with Facebook authorisation)
Requirements Before You Connect
Instagram's API has more restrictions than other platforms. Before connecting, you need:
- An Instagram Business Account or Instagram Creator Account — personal accounts cannot be connected to Publlish
- Your Instagram account must be linked to a Facebook Page — this is a Meta requirement for API access
- Admin access to both the Instagram account and its linked Facebook Page
If your Instagram account is currently personal, you can switch to a Business or Creator account in the Instagram app: Settings → Account → Switch to Professional Account.
How to Connect Instagram to Publlish
- In your Publlish dashboard, go to Channels → Connect a Channel
- Select Instagram
- Log in to the Facebook account that manages your Instagram's linked Page
- Select the Instagram account you want to connect from the list
- Grant the required permissions
- Your Instagram account will appear in your Channels list
Getting advanced analytics (Facebook authorisation required): To unlock Instagram analytics including impressions, reach, and follower growth, you need to complete Facebook authorisation during the connection flow. Full guide to Instagram advanced analytics →
Full Instagram connection guide →
Instagram Content Formats — What's Supported
Feed Posts (Single Image)
Fully supported. You can schedule single-image feed posts to auto-publish at any time.
Specs:
- Formats: JPG, PNG
- Aspect ratios: 1:1 (square), 4:5 (portrait), 1.91:1 (landscape)
- Instagram's accepted aspect ratio range is 4:5 to 1.91:1 — anything outside this will be cropped
- File size: under 8MB recommended
See Instagram's accepted aspect ratios in full →
Carousel Posts (Multiple Images or Videos)
Fully supported. Select multiple images or videos when composing a post and Publlish will publish them as a carousel.
- Minimum 2, maximum 10 slides per carousel
- Each slide can be an image or video
- All slides must use the same aspect ratio
- Great for step-by-step content, product showcases, or before-and-after comparisons
Instagram Reels
Fully supported for scheduling and auto-publishing.
Specs:
- Format: MP4 recommended
- Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical, full screen)
- Duration: 3 seconds to 90 seconds
- Resolution: 1080 x 1920 recommended
- File size: under 1GB
You can add music, stickers, and effects to Reels through the Publlish composer before scheduling. See the guide to adding music and effects →
Reels tend to get the highest organic reach on Instagram right now. If you're also posting to TikTok, repurposing your TikTok videos as Reels (and vice versa) is easy in Publlish — select both channels when composing. See using TikTok with Publlish →
Instagram Stories
Stories scheduling uses notification publishing — Publlish sends a push notification to your phone at the scheduled time reminding you to post the Story manually. This is a Meta API limitation, not a Publlish limitation.
When you receive the notification:
- Open the Publlish mobile app
- Tap the notification
- Your Story content (image or video) will be ready to post
- Publlish will open Instagram and you complete the posting step
Full guide to scheduling Instagram Stories → Understanding notification publishing →
Adding Captions, Hashtags, and Mentions
Captions: Instagram captions support up to 2,200 characters. For feed posts, the first 125 characters show before the "more" cutoff, so lead with the most important information.
Hashtags: You can add hashtags directly in the caption or in a first comment. Publlish supports both. Using 3–5 highly relevant hashtags currently tends to outperform stuffing 30 hashtags. See how hashtags work in Publlish →
Mentions: You can tag other Instagram accounts using @ mentions in captions. See how to add mentions →
Location tags: Add a location to your Instagram post for local discoverability. See how to add location tags →
Instagram Shop Grid and Grid Preview
If you maintain an Instagram Shop, Publlish includes a Grid Preview feature that lets you see how your upcoming posts will look on your Instagram profile before they go live. This is especially useful for brands that maintain a curated aesthetic.
Full guide to Instagram Shop Grid and Grid Preview →
Managing Multiple Instagram Accounts
If you manage Instagram for multiple clients or brands, you can connect multiple Instagram accounts to Publlish — each as a separate channel.
Best practices for managing multiple accounts:
- Use channel groups to organise accounts by client
- Set per-channel permissions so team members only see the accounts they need to
- Use the calendar's "All Channels" view to see everything at once
Managing multiple Instagram accounts in Publlish →
Why Your Instagram Post Isn't Auto-Publishing
If your Instagram posts aren't going live automatically, the most common causes are:
- Your account is not a Business or Creator account — personal accounts don't support auto-publishing
- Facebook authorisation is incomplete — the Facebook Page linked to your Instagram needs to be properly authorised in Publlish
- Your connection has expired — Instagram connections need periodic refreshing. Go to Channels and refresh your Instagram account
Full troubleshooting guide for Instagram auto-publishing →
Troubleshooting Instagram in Publlish
Post failed — aspect ratio error Your image or video doesn't match Instagram's accepted ratios. Use an image editor to crop to 1:1, 4:5, or 1.91:1 before uploading. See full aspect ratio guide →
Connection error after Facebook password change If you've recently changed your Facebook password or updated Facebook permissions, your Instagram connection in Publlish will break. Go to Channels and reconnect. See the Instagram error library →
Analytics not showing Advanced analytics require Facebook authorisation. See the Instagram analytics guide →
Instagram Best Practices
- Post Reels consistently. Reels currently get the strongest organic reach on Instagram. Aim for at least 2–3 Reels per week.
- Keep captions punchy. The first 125 characters are what most people see. Make them count.
- Use location tags for local businesses or events — they increase discoverability.
- Maintain a consistent visual aesthetic. Use Grid Preview in Publlish to check how upcoming posts look on your profile before scheduling.
- Test posting times. Use Publlish analytics to identify when your audience is most active and schedule accordingly.
Full Instagram best practices guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I schedule Instagram posts with Publlish? Yes. Publlish supports auto-publishing for Instagram feed posts, carousels, and Reels. Stories use notification publishing.
Why do I need a Facebook Page to connect Instagram? This is a Meta requirement. Instagram's API access is managed through Facebook's infrastructure, so a linked Facebook Page is required for third-party tools like Publlish to publish on your behalf.
Can I schedule Instagram Reels with Publlish? Yes. Reels can be scheduled and will auto-publish at your set time.
Can I schedule Instagram Stories with Publlish? Stories use notification publishing — Publlish sends you a reminder at the scheduled time and you complete the posting step in the Instagram app. Learn more →
Can I post to multiple Instagram accounts? Yes. Each Instagram account counts as one channel on your plan. See plan limits →
Can I post the same video to TikTok and Instagram at the same time? Yes. Select both channels when creating your post in Publlish. You can customise the caption for each platform independently. See using TikTok with Publlish →
What image sizes does Instagram support? Square (1:1), portrait (4:5), and landscape (1.91:1) are supported. Full aspect ratio guide →