Instagram API: Posts, Reels & Stories

API id: instagram

Instagram has two post types. Choose one with channels[].postType. If you leave it out, you get post.

`postType`	What it is
`post` (default)	Stays on the profile grid: one image, a carousel of up to 10, or one video (published as a Reel).
`story`	One image or one video up to 60 seconds. Disappears after 24 hours.

At a glance

	Post	Story
Caption	2,200 characters	None — Instagram shows no text on a Story
Files	1 to 10	Exactly 1
File needed?	Yes	Yes
Extra blocks	Up to 2, published as comments (no files)	No
Alt text	Yes	No
Tag people	Yes, on images (up to 20, with a position)	Yes, on images and video (up to 20)
Edit after publish	No	No
Delete after publish	No — Instagram does not let apps delete posts	No
Analytics	Impressions, likes, comments, shares, saves
Comments	Read and reply (posts only)	No

Files

File types: JPEG, PNG, WebP, MP4 and MOV.

Post

Images: shape between 4:5 (portrait) and 1.91:1 (landscape). JPEG up to 8 MB.
Video: from 3 seconds to 15 minutes.

Story

Video: from 3 to 60 seconds.

Options

Send these in channels[].options. They work on post only.

Key	Type	What it does
`collaborators`	list	Up to 3 usernames (without `@`). Each one gets an invite. The post shows on their profile only after they accept.
`cover_url`	media	Cover image for a Reel (a post with one video). JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 8 MB. Ignored on other posts.
`location_id`	search	The place to tag the post with.

Tag people

Use mediaUserTags on the block, keyed by media id. On a post, give each person a position (x and y, from 0 to 1):

{
  "channelId": "CHANNEL_INSTAGRAM",
  "blocks": [
    {
      "content": "Team day ☀️",
      "mediaIds": ["MEDIA_ID"],
      "mediaUserTags": {
        "MEDIA_ID": [{ "username": "ada", "x": 0.25, "y": 0.75 }]
      }
    }
  ]
}

Example: a Story

{
  "channelId": "CHANNEL_INSTAGRAM",
  "postType": "story",
  "blocks": [{ "mediaIds": ["MEDIA_ID"] }]
}

Good to know

Instagram and Facebook are set up from the same Meta app in Platform apps.
The location_id search uses your Meta app's Facebook App ID and Secret, so set up Facebook in Platform apps too.
Because Instagram posts cannot be deleted by apps, retract will leave them in the remaining list.

Comments

You can read the comments on a published post or Reel and reply to them. See Read and reply to comments. Stories have no comments.

25 comments per page, each with its replies. Use nextCursor for more.
Instagram only nests one level. A reply to a reply is posted under the top-level comment, like in the app.
Commenters show by their username. Comments have no link of their own, so url is null.
Your own extra blocks (the comments Bulkit posted for you) are not listed.
Needs instagram_business_manage_comments. Bulkit already asks for it when you connect, because extra blocks need it too.
Instagram may count comments and still return none. This is seen on Meta apps in Development mode; switching the app to Live in the Meta App Dashboard is the usual fix. When it happens, Bulkit returns 422 platform_refused with the number of comments Instagram reports, rather than an empty list.
If your app serves Instagram accounts you don't own, it needs Advanced Access to instagram_business_manage_comments (App Review and Business Verification).
Comments on ads are not available through the API.

Set up

To connect accounts, you first need your own app on this platform. See the Instagram app setup guide.

Instagram

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