Instagram supports the richest publishing surface of any platform in post.buzz, plus full engagement (comments, replies, likes, DMs). Connect a professional account (Business or Creator) — consumer accounts can't use the publishing API.
Two connection variants
Instagram has two connection paths, and one difference matters in practice:
- Instagram (direct login): authenticates against
graph.instagram.comwith Instagram-scoped permissions (instagram_business_basic,instagram_business_content_publish,instagram_business_manage_comments,instagram_business_manage_messages,instagram_business_manage_insights). - Instagram Business (Facebook Login + Page token): authenticates via
Facebook with Page-scoped permissions (
instagram_basic,pages_show_list,pages_read_engagement,business_management,instagram_content_publish,instagram_manage_comments,instagram_manage_messages,instagram_manage_insights,instagram_manage_engagement,instagram_manage_contents).
Both variants share one client implementation, so capabilities are identical — with one exception:
Deleting published posts only works on the Instagram Business variant.
The DELETE /{ig-media-id} endpoint is only available on the Instagram API
with Facebook Login (graph.facebook.com); the standalone
graph.instagram.com host rejects it. If post deletion matters to your
workflow, connect via Instagram Business. Deleting a single carousel
child isn't supported on either variant — the whole album is deleted.
DMs also route differently: the direct variant sends via
/{ig-user-id}/messages, while the Business variant sends through the
Facebook Page node /me/messages. This is transparent in the product.
Capabilities
| Publish | ✅ Posts (carousel), Reels, Stories |
| Insights | ✅ likes, comments, reach, saves, shares, views |
| Fetch comments | ✅ |
| Reply to comments | ✅ |
| Like comments | ✅ like + unlike |
| Like posts | ✅ |
| Hide comments | ✅ |
| Delete comments | ✅ |
| Send DM | ✅ |
| Resolve DM sender | ✅ |
| Delete post | ➖ (✅ on Instagram Business) |
| Comment automation | ✅ (reply + DM) |
Post types & media limits
Media is required on every Instagram post type — text-only posts are rejected before publishing.
Posts (Carousel)
| Constraint | Value |
|---|---|
| Files | 1–10 (images and/or videos, mixed) |
| Image max size | 8 MB |
| Image max width | 1920 px |
| Image aspect ratio | 4:5 to 1.91:1 |
| Video max width | 1920 px |
| Video max bitrate | 45 Mbps |
| Video duration | 3 s – 15 min |
| Video aspect ratio | 0.01:1 to 10:1 |
Reels
| Constraint | Value |
|---|---|
| Files | 1 video (required) |
| Max width | 1920 px |
| Max bitrate | 45 Mbps |
| Duration | 3 s – 15 min |
| Aspect ratio | 0.01:1 to 10:1 |
Stories
| Constraint | Value |
|---|---|
| Files | 1 (image or video) |
| Caption | none (not supported) |
| Image max size | 8 MB |
| Image aspect ratio | 0.01:1 to 10:6 |
| Video max size | 100 MB |
| Video max width | 1920 px |
| Video max bitrate | 25 Mbps |
| Video duration | 3 s – 60 s |
Instagram enforces aspect ratios strictly. 9:16 vertical is the safe bet for Reels and Stories. Off-by-a-little pixel math can cause a rejection.
Text limits
text: 2,200 characters for posts and reels. Stories don't accept a caption at all.collaborators: a comma-separated list of up to 3 usernames to tag as collaborators on the post.
DMs
DM sending supports one shape at a time — text, an attachment, or buttons. A text-plus-media combination is delivered as two separate messages. Inbound DM senders are resolved to full profiles automatically.
How data arrives
Instagram pushes comments, mentions, live comments, and DMs in real time
through the shared Meta webhook (/api/meta/webhook). Comments that
@mention your account are detected and routed as mentions.
On the Instagram Business variant, comments and mentions arrive via the app-level Instagram webhook once the app is installed on the Page; DMs arrive through the Page's messaging subscription. See Listening preferences to control which events each account subscribes to, and Webhooks for setup.
Ice Breakers
Both variants support Ice Breakers — up to four questions shown when someone opens a new Instagram DM, each with an optional reply payload. Edit them in the account settings drawer. See Ice Breakers.
Connect notes
- Requires a Business or Creator account.
- Instagram uses the same Meta Business app as Facebook Pages; connect through Settings → Accounts.
- Choose the Instagram Business variant if you need post deletion.
- See Connect a channel.