OmniSocials publishes to Instagram through Instagram's official API. This article covers what you can publish, how to connect your account and the Instagram settings in the post editor.
What you can publish
| Format | Details |
|---|---|
| Post | One image, one video or a carousel of up to 10 images and videos. A post with a single video publishes as a Reel. |
| Story | Up to 10 slides, each one image or one video |
| Reel | One video |
Instagram direct messages, comments and mentions can also come into your Social Inbox.
Requirements
- An Instagram Business or Creator account. Instagram's help center explains how to switch.
- The Manage social channels permission in your OmniSocials workspace.
- To receive mentions in the Social Inbox: the Facebook Page linked to your Instagram account, connected in the same workspace. Publishing doesn't need it.
Each workspace connects one Instagram account. To manage several accounts, use a workspace for each.
Connect Instagram
- Click the workspace name at the top of the sidebar, then click the channels button under the workspace. The Channels window opens.
- Under Add a channel, click Instagram.
- Sign in to Instagram and allow OmniSocials access.
You return to OmniSocials, and the Channels window shows your account under Connected, marked Just added. You can also connect channels in Settings: under Organisation, click Workspaces, open the workspace and use Social channels on its General tab.
OmniSocials connects the Instagram account you're signed in to in your browser. To connect another account, sign out on instagram.com or switch accounts there first.
Instagram options in the editor
Click the Instagram icon in the channel bar to see and edit the Instagram version of your post. Type @ in the Instagram editor to mention an account.
Instagram's settings are post options. The bar under the editor has chips for Location, Collaborators, First comment and AI label (for reels also Share to feed and Music). Click the arrow at the end of the bar to see all of them on Instagram's page in the options panel. See Set post options.
| Setting | For | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Posts and reels | Tags a place. Search for it, or paste a Facebook Place ID. Only Facebook places with an address can be tagged. |
| Collaborators | Posts and reels | Co-authors the post with up to 3 other public accounts. They get an invite in Instagram and become co-authors once they accept. |
| Tag people | Photo posts | Tags public accounts on the photo: click the photo where the person is. |
| First comment | Posts and reels | Posts a comment right after the post goes live, for example to keep hashtags out of the caption |
| AI info label | Posts and reels | Adds Instagram's "AI info" label when AI made or changed the post |
| Comment to DM | Posts and reels | Sends a DM to people who comment a keyword on the post, once it's live. Set the Keywords, The DM, an optional Reply under the comment and a limit under Stop after. One DM per person, within 7 days of the comment. |
| Image fit | Posts with an image Instagram would cut | Crops the Instagram version to 4:5 (or 1.91:1) so you choose what stays. See below. |
| Share to feed | Reels | Also shows the reel in your main feed |
| Music | Reels | Adds a licensed track from Meta's catalog to the reel |
| Trial reel | Reels | Shows the reel to people who don't follow you first. Under After the trial, choose I decide to decide yourself in Instagram, or Share it when it does well to let Instagram share it with your followers within 72 hours. |
Trial reels need at least 1,000 followers and aren't available for every account.
Image fit
Instagram shows feed images between 4:5 and 1.91:1, and Meta can't boost a post outside that range. When an image of an Instagram post is taller, for example 9:16, OmniSocials crops the Instagram version to 4:5 around the subject before it publishes. A wider image is cropped to 1.91:1. Stories, reels and your other channels keep the whole image.
Click the Cropped to 4:5 chip, or Image fit on Instagram's page, to drag the picture and choose what stays. Choose Keep the original to let Instagram cut the image itself, around the center. Meta can't boost the post then.
Limits
| Limit | |
|---|---|
| Caption | 2,200 characters and up to 5 hashtags |
| First comment | 2,200 characters |
| Carousel | Up to 10 images and videos |
| Feed images | Between 9:16 (portrait) and 1.91:1 (landscape) |
| Image files | JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 8 MB |
| Video files | Up to 300 MB |
| Video length | Up to 15 minutes for posts and reels, 60 seconds per story slide |
| Alt text | Published for images, not for videos |
A post needs a caption and at least one image or video.
Troubleshooting
The Instagram row says Expires in a few days. Instagram connections need a refresh from time to time. Click Reconnect in the ... menu of the Instagram row and sign in again.
The channel shows under Needs attention with Expired and a date. Click Reconnect and sign in to Instagram again. Scheduled posts can't publish to Instagram until you do.
The wrong account connected. Sign out on instagram.com or switch to the right account there, then click Connect again.
An image is rejected. Feed images must be between 9:16 and 1.91:1. Crop the image, or remove it from the Instagram version of the post.
Mentions don't show up in the Social Inbox. Connect the Facebook Page that's linked to your Instagram account. Until you do, the Instagram row in the Channels window shows Connect Facebook for mentions.