This is the short version of the Instagram setup most schedulers skip past. The connection runs through Meta's Graph API, which means a Business or Creator account, a linked Facebook Page and a handful of permissions. Once that is done, post mate becomes your Instagram scheduler for single posts, carousels and reels.
Connect Instagram in 5 steps
- Switch your Instagram account to Business or Creator
The Instagram Graph API only works with Business or Creator profiles linked to a Facebook Page. If you are still on a personal account, switch inside the Instagram app under Settings → Account type and tools. Personal accounts cannot post to Instagram automatically through any official API.
- Open /app/connections in post mate
Sign in to post mate and head to Connections in the sidebar. Click "Connect Instagram". The button opens Meta's OAuth dialog in a new window.
- Approve the Meta permissions
Meta asks you to pick the Pages and Instagram accounts post mate should manage. Tick every account you want to schedule for. The permissions request includes instagram_content_publish, pages_show_list and pages_read_engagement — the minimum the Graph API needs to publish posts.
- Land back on post mate
After approval Meta redirects you to /app/connections with each account listed. If you connected several profiles, they appear as separate rows you can rename. Tokens are long-lived and refreshed automatically.
- Send a test reel or post
Pick any account, draft a post in /app/compose, schedule it five minutes out and watch the timeline. If it fails, the error message comes directly from Meta — usually a hint that the Page link or the account type is off.
Once you're back inside post mate the account shows up on /app/connections with a green connection dot. From there it's available as a target in every composer.
What you can post to Instagram from post mate
- ✓Single image (feed)
- ✓Carousel up to 10 — Mix of images and videos allowed.
- ✓Reels (vertical video) — MP4/MOV, 9:16 recommended.
- ✓Stories — 24-hour lifespan, image or short video.
- ×IGTV — Deprecated by Instagram in 2022.
- ×Carousel reels — Not exposed on the Graph API.
Instagram API capabilities — the honest list
What works
- Feed posts (image, video)
- Carousels up to 10 items
- Reels publishing
- Stories publishing
- Caption + first-comment hashtags
- Location tagging
What the API doesn't expose
- Posting to personal (non-Business) accounts
- Carousel reels
- Editing a post after it is published
- Replying to DMs from this scope
- Tagging users in stories (image overlays are read-only in the API)
FAQs
Do I need a paid Meta developer account?
No. The Instagram Graph API uses your normal Meta account. post mate is the app registered with Meta — you only sign in.
Can I connect multiple Instagram accounts?
Yes. Pick all the accounts during the OAuth step. Each one becomes a separate row in /app/connections and can be scheduled to independently.
Why did my reel fail to publish?
The most common cause is a vertical video shorter than three seconds or longer than 15 minutes. Meta also rejects videos above 1 GB. Re-encode at 9:16, 1080×1920, under 100 MB and the second attempt usually goes through.
Does post mate store my Instagram password?
No. OAuth means Meta hands us a token, never your password. You can revoke that token at any time from facebook.com/settings → Business Integrations.
What happens if I revoke access on Meta?
The connection in /app/connections flips to "disconnected" within a few minutes and scheduled posts pause. Reconnect and the same queue resumes — nothing is deleted.
Ready to schedule your first post?
Sign up for post mate, connect Instagram from /app/connections, and start cross-posting from a single composer. 14-day free trial, cancel anytime — no credit card to start the trial when you sign up with Google.