Instagram Post

Prerequisites

Getting Started

1. Create account at publora.com/register (free)
2. Convert to Business account in Instagram settings (Personal and Creator accounts are NOT supported by the API)
3. Connect Instagram via OAuth in Publora Dashboard
4. Get API key at publora.com/settings/api
5. Configure MCP in Claude Desktop (

   ~/.claude/claude_desktop_config.json

   ):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "publora": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.publora.com",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

REST API Fallback

https://api.publora.com/api/v1

x-publora-key

Authorization: Bearer

# Get your connected platforms
curl -X GET "https://api.publora.com/api/v1/platform-connections" \
  -H "x-publora-key: sk_your_api_key"

# Create a post
curl -X POST "https://api.publora.com/api/v1/create-post" \
  -H "x-publora-key: sk_your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "platforms": ["instagram-11223344"],
    "content": "Your caption here #hashtag",
    "scheduledTime": "2026-03-25T10:00:00Z"
  }'

instagram-{id}

{id}

/platform-connections

instagram-11223344

instagram-55667788

Plan Limits

Platform Limits (API vs Native App)

Images

Videos

Captions

Rate Limits

• 50 posts per 24 hours (some accounts report 25)

Available Tools

create_post

• platforms

  : Array with your Instagram connection ID (e.g.,

  ["instagram-11223344"]

  )

• content

  : Caption text (up to 2,200 characters)

• scheduledTime

  : ISO 8601 datetime (required - for immediate posting, use current time + 1 minute)

get_upload_url

• postGroupId

  : Post ID to attach media to

• fileName

  : File name (e.g., "photo.jpg")

• contentType

  : Must be

  image/jpeg

  for images,

  video/mp4

  for video

• type

  :

  "image"

  or

  "video"

list_posts / update_post / delete_post

Video Type Settings (via REST API)

platformSettings

{
  "platformSettings": {
    "instagram": {
      "videoType": "REELS"
    }
  }
}

videoType

"REELS"

"STORIES"

"REELS"

platformSettings

Examples

Single Image Post

Post this to Instagram:
"Morning coffee and code. Best way to start the day. #devlife #coding"

[Attach JPEG image]

Carousel Post

Create an Instagram carousel with these 5 product screenshots.
Caption: "Our app evolution over 6 months. Swipe to see the journey! #buildinpublic"

Reel

Post this video as a Reel:
"60-second tutorial on our new feature. #tutorial #app"

videoType: "STORIES"

Story

Post this 30-second clip as a Story (will disappear after 24 hours).

platformSettings.instagram.videoType: "STORIES"

Scheduled Post

Schedule this for tomorrow at 10 AM:
"New feature announcement coming soon! Stay tuned."
[Attach JPEG image]

Important Restrictions

1. JPEG only for images: PNG, GIF, WebP are NOT supported by the Instagram API. Convert to JPEG before uploading.
2. Business account required: Personal and Creator accounts cannot post via API. Only Business accounts work.
3. Media required on every post: Instagram does not support text-only posts. Every post needs at least one image or video.
4. No mixed media in carousels: A carousel must be either all images OR all videos (via separate posts), not both.
5. Stories disappear: Stories are ephemeral and disappear after 24 hours.
6. Reel is the default: Videos are published as Reels by default. To post a Story, use the REST API with

   videoType: "STORIES"

   .

Best Practices

Content

1. First 125 chars matter: This is what users see before tapping "more"
2. Hashtag strategy: Use 5-15 relevant hashtags (max 30)
3. Image quality: Use high-quality JPEG images for best results
4. Carousel engagement: Carousels get higher engagement than single images

Timing

• Best times: 11 AM - 1 PM, 7 PM - 9 PM in target timezone
• Frequency: 1-2 posts per day for growth
• Reels boost: Reels get algorithmic preference over static images

Engagement

• Reply to comments within the first hour
• Use location tags when relevant
• Cross-promote from Stories to Feed

Troubleshooting