Instagram

Connect your Instagram Business or Creator account to schedule and publish posts through Cue.

Overview

Instagram is a visual social media platform focused on photos and videos. Cue integrates with the Instagram Graph API to publish content on your behalf.

Important: Cue requires an Instagram Business or Creator account connected to a Facebook Page. Personal Instagram accounts are not supported by the Instagram API.

Sign up for an Instagram account at instagram.com.

Authentication

Instagram uses OAuth 2.0 via Facebook for secure authentication. You must have a Facebook Page connected to your Instagram Business or Creator account.

Prerequisites

Before connecting to Cue:

1. Convert your Instagram account to a Business or Creator account
2. Create a Facebook Page (if you don't have one)
3. Connect your Instagram account to your Facebook Page

Converting to a Business Account

1. Open Instagram and go to Settings
2. Select Account
3. Tap Switch to Professional Account
4. Choose Business or Creator
5. Follow the prompts to complete setup

Connecting Your Account

1. Go to Profiles in your Cue dashboard
2. Click Connect Account on a profile
3. Select Instagram
4. You'll be redirected to Facebook to authorize access
5. Select the Facebook Page connected to your Instagram account
6. Grant Cue permission to post on your behalf
7. You'll be redirected back to Cue automatically

Your credentials are never shared with Cue.

Disconnecting

To disconnect your Instagram account, go to your profile and click Disconnect next to the Instagram connection. This revokes Cue's access to your account.

You can also revoke access from Facebook Settings under Business Integrations.

Content Limits

Instagram enforces the following limits on posts:

Cue automatically validates your content before publishing to prevent errors.

Publishing a Post

curl -X POST https://api.oncue.so/v1/posts \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cue_sk_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "profileId": "prf_abc123",
    "platforms": {
      "sac_instagram1": {
        "items": [{ "content": "Beautiful sunset from today'\''s adventure!" }]
      }
    },
    "publishNow": true
  }'

const response = await fetch("https://api.oncue.so/v1/posts", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Bearer cue_sk_your_key_here",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    profileId: "prf_abc123",
    platforms: {
      sac_instagram1: {
        items: [{ content: "Beautiful sunset from today's adventure!" }],
      },
    },
    publishNow: true,
  }),
});

Schedule for Later

curl -X POST https://api.oncue.so/v1/posts \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cue_sk_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "profileId": "prf_abc123",
    "platforms": {
      "sac_instagram1": {
        "items": [{ "content": "Scheduled Instagram post" }]
      }
    },
    "scheduledAt": "2024-01-20T09:00:00-05:00"
  }'

const response = await fetch("https://api.oncue.so/v1/posts", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Bearer cue_sk_your_key_here",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    profileId: "prf_abc123",
    platforms: {
      sac_instagram1: {
        items: [{ content: "Scheduled Instagram post" }],
      },
    },
    scheduledAt: "2024-01-20T09:00:00-05:00",
  }),
});

First Comment

Add an automatic first comment to your Instagram post. This is commonly used for hashtags or supplementary information that you don't want in the main caption.

curl -X POST https://api.oncue.so/v1/posts \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cue_sk_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "profileId": "prf_abc123",
    "platforms": {
      "sac_instagram1": {
        "items": [
          { "content": "Beautiful sunset from today'\''s adventure!" },
          { "type": "comment", "content": "#sunset #photography #travel #nature #photooftheday" }
        ]
      }
    },
    "publishNow": true
  }'

const response = await fetch("https://api.oncue.so/v1/posts", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Bearer cue_sk_your_key_here",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    profileId: "prf_abc123",
    platforms: {
      sac_instagram1: {
        items: [
          { content: "Beautiful sunset from today's adventure!" },
          { type: "comment", content: "#sunset #photography #travel #nature #photooftheday" },
        ],
      },
    },
    publishNow: true,
  }),
});

The first comment is posted immediately after your main post is published. If the comment fails, your main post will still be published successfully.

Response

{
  "data": {
    "id": "pst_xyz789",
    "profileId": "prf_abc123",
    "content": "Beautiful sunset from today's adventure!",
    "status": "queued",
    "scheduledAt": null,
    "createdAt": "2024-01-15T10:00:00Z",
    "updatedAt": "2024-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  },
  "message": "Post queued for publishing to 1 platform(s)"
}

Error Handling

Instagram API errors are translated into user-friendly messages:

Common Issues

"Reconnect required" error

• Your access token has expired or been revoked
• Go to your profile and reconnect your Instagram account

"Business account required" error

• Instagram API only supports Business and Creator accounts
• Convert your account in Instagram settings

"Facebook Page not connected" error

• Your Instagram account must be connected to a Facebook Page
• Link your Instagram to a Facebook Page in Page settings

"Caption too long" error

• Your caption exceeds 2,200 characters
• Shorten your caption or move hashtags to the first comment

"Invalid media format" error

• Instagram requires specific image dimensions and formats
• Use JPEG or PNG for images
• Ensure aspect ratio is between 4:5 and 1.91:1

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

"No Instagram accounts found"

• Ensure your Instagram is a Business or Creator account
• Verify your Instagram is connected to a Facebook Page
• Select the correct Facebook Page during authorization

Cannot redirect to Facebook during OAuth

• Check your internet connection
• Try using a different browser
• Disable browser extensions that might block redirects

"Permission denied" during authorization

• Ensure you grant all requested permissions
• Select the Facebook Page connected to your Instagram

Publishing Issues

Posts not appearing on Instagram

• Check if your post is still in "queued" status
• Wait a few minutes - media processing may take time
• Check the post's platform status for error details

Media fails to upload

• Verify image meets dimension requirements
• Check file size is under limits
• Ensure image format is JPEG or PNG

Hashtags not working

• Maximum 30 hashtags per post
• Avoid banned or restricted hashtags
• Place hashtags in caption or first comment

Best Practices

Content Guidelines

• Use high-quality images (1080x1080 minimum)
• Write engaging captions that tell a story
• Include a call to action
• Use hashtags strategically (5-10 relevant tags)

Timing

• Post when your audience is most active
• Use Instagram Insights to find optimal times
• Maintain consistent posting schedule

Visual Consistency

• Develop a recognizable visual style
• Use consistent filters or editing
• Plan your grid layout in advance

Further Reading

• Instagram Business Help Center
• Instagram Graph API Documentation
• Facebook Business Suite