Instagram API
Integration

Streamline your Instagram marketing with Late's robust API. Schedule posts, stories, and reels, manage multiple accounts, and reach millions of users with enterprise-grade reliability.

💡 Related Developer Resources

Photos, videos & carousels
Stories & Reels support
Business accounts only
⚠️

Instagram Business Account Required

Instagram integration only works with Business accounts. Personal and Creator accounts cannot use automated posting APIs due to Instagram's restrictions.

💡 You can convert to a Business account for free in your Instagram app settings.

Why Choose Late for Instagram?

Perfect Timing

Schedule Instagram posts for peak engagement hours. Our algorithm analyzes your audience activity to suggest optimal posting times.

Instagram Business API

Official Instagram Business API integration with full support for photos, videos, carousels, and all Instagram content types.

Instagram Compliant

Fully compliant with Instagram's terms of service and platform policies. Your accounts stay safe and secure.

How Instagram Integration Works

1

Connect Business Account

Link your Instagram Business account through Meta's official API. Secure OAuth flow with proper permissions and compliance.

Important: Only Business accounts supported. Personal/Creator accounts will be rejected during connection.

2

Create & Schedule

Upload images, videos, stories, or carousels. Add captions, hashtags, and schedule for optimal engagement times.

3

Auto-Publish

Your content automatically publishes to Instagram at the scheduled time. Get real-time notifications and analytics.

Get Started in Minutes

Schedule an Instagram Post

JavaScript
// Regular Instagram post
        const response = await fetch('https://getlate.dev/api/v1/posts', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    platforms: [{
      platform: 'instagram',
      accountId: 'your-instagram-account-id'
    }],
    content: 'Beautiful sunset at the beach! 🌅 #sunset #photography',
    mediaItems: [{
      type: 'image',
      url: 'https://your-image-url.jpg'
    }],
    scheduledFor: '2024-01-15T19:00:00Z'
  })
});

// Instagram Story (24-hour visibility)
const storyResponse = await fetch('https://getlate.dev/api/v1/posts', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    platforms: [{
      platform: 'instagram',
      accountId: 'your-instagram-account-id',
      platformSpecificData: { contentType: 'story' }
    }],
    mediaItems: [{
      type: 'image',
      url: 'https://your-story-image.jpg'
    }],
    scheduledFor: '2024-01-15T19:00:00Z'
  })
});

const result = await response.json();
console.log('Scheduled successfully:', result.id);

Instagram Content Types Supported

📸

Photos

Single images in JPEG, PNG, or WebP format. Automatic resizing and optimization.

🎥

Videos

MP4 videos up to 60 minutes. Support for vertical, square, and landscape formats.

Stories

Temporary content visible for 24 hours. Perfect for behind-the-scenes content.

🎠

Carousels

Multiple images or videos in a single post. Mix and match content types.

🎬

Reels

Short-form videos for Instagram Reels. Perfect for viral content strategies.

Instagram Marketing Benefits

Consistent Posting

Maintain a consistent Instagram presence with automated posting. Schedule weeks of content in advance and never miss a post.

Multi-Account Management

Manage multiple Instagram accounts from a single API. Perfect for agencies and businesses with multiple brands.

Developer-First

Built by developers for developers. Clean REST API, comprehensive docs, and SDKs for popular programming languages.

Instagram Features Supported

  • Photos, videos, and carousel posts
  • Instagram Reels publishing
  • Instagram Stories (24-hour content)
  • Caption and hashtag management
  • Location tagging
  • User tagging and mentions
  • Instagram Collabs (co-authored posts)
  • Scheduled publishing
  • Publishing analytics
  • Business account integration

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an Instagram Business account?

Yes, Instagram API integration only works with Business accounts. Personal and Creator accounts cannot use automated posting APIs due to Instagram's restrictions. You can convert to a Business account for free in your Instagram app settings.

What Instagram content types are supported?

Late supports Instagram posts, stories, reels, and carousels. You can upload photos, videos, and mixed media. Stories are visible for 24 hours, while posts and reels remain permanent on your profile.

Can I schedule Instagram posts with other platforms?

Absolutely! Late's unified API lets you post to Instagram alongside 9 other platforms (TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Threads, Reddit, Pinterest, Bluesky) in a single API call.

How do Instagram collaborations work?

Use instagramCollaborators in your API request to tag other Instagram accounts as collaborators. They'll receive an invitation to co-author the post.

What are the video requirements for Instagram?

Instagram supports MP4 videos up to 60 minutes for posts and 15 minutes for Reels. Late automatically optimizes videos for Instagram's requirements and can generate custom thumbnails for better engagement.

Ready to Automate Your Instagram Strategy?

Join thousands of developers and marketers using Late to scale their Instagram presence.

No credit card required • 10 free uploads per month • 99.97% uptime SLA