This guide will walk you through the process of connecting Make.com to Instagram for automated posting of photos, reels, and carousels. By following these steps, you’ll streamline your social media management and enhance your online presence effortlessly.
Connecting Make.com to Instagram
Connecting Make.com to Instagram is a straightforward process. First, ensure you have an Instagram professional or business account. This is crucial because personal accounts won’t allow you to create the necessary connections. If you haven’t switched your account type yet, go to your Instagram settings and make the change.
You also need a Facebook account linked to your Instagram account. Visit facebook.com/settings and navigate to linked accounts to set this up if you haven’t done so already.
Setting Up Your Airtable Base
Next, I created a simple Airtable base. This base is where I add the text, images, and videos for my posts. It’s essential to have a structure that allows you to select post types—photo, reel, or carousel. When I want to post, I change the status to “ready for posting.” This triggers the Make.com automation to take over.
Creating the Instagram Connection
To create the Instagram connection in Make.com, I start by typing “Instagram” and then selecting the option to create a photo post. It’s essential to remember that the photo must be a publicly accessible URL. This means you can’t use links from Google Drive or Dropbox.
I link the photo from a public Airtable URL, which allows Instagram to fetch it directly. There are other platforms to host images, such as bunny.net or your own server, which can also work well.
Photo Post Requirements
When preparing a photo post, ensure that the URL is accessible. I selected the photo URL and used the caption field for the post text. After setting this up, I tested the connection by running the automation. It took a few moments, but it successfully posted to Instagram.
Testing the Photo Post
After configuring the photo post, I ran a test to see if everything worked correctly. I selected “run once,” and within seconds, the post appeared on my Instagram account. This immediate feedback is helpful when setting up the automation.
Once the post goes live, I go back to Airtable to update the status of the record to “published.” This ensures that my Airtable base reflects the current status of my posts.
Creating the Instagram Connection for Reels
With the photo post working, I moved on to setting up the connection for reels. Similar to the photo post, I needed to create a new route for the reel in Make.com. I specified the filter by setting “post type equals real post.” This helps ensure that the automation knows how to handle different types of posts.
Video Post Requirements
For video posts, the requirements are similar to photos. The video URL must also be publicly accessible, and like photos, it can’t be stored on Google Drive or Dropbox. I set the video URL to pull directly from Airtable, just as I did with the image URL.
After entering the caption and leaving other options blank, I saved the setup. I ensured the status was set to “ready for posting” before running the test.
Testing the Reel Post
Upon running the automation for the reel, I noticed it took a little longer to process. This delay is normal as Instagram fetches the content. After the automation completed, I verified that the reel was successfully shared on my Instagram profile.
Creating a Carousel Post
After successfully testing photo and reel posts, I proceeded to set up a carousel post. This type of post combines images and videos, so I had to ensure the connection was set up correctly. I again created a new route in Make.com, setting the post type to “carousel post.”
Carousel Post Requirements
For carousel posts, I selected multiple items, which can include both images and videos. The setup is similar to the previous post types, but I needed to make sure that I was selecting the correct media types. I could either add these manually or use a mapping function for dynamic content.
I selected the image URL and the video URL, ensuring that both were properly linked. The caption could again be the post text from Airtable, while the location ID was left blank for this test.
Testing the Carousel Post
After configuring the carousel post, I ran the automation. It took a bit longer than the previous tests as both media items were being processed. I encountered an error due to incorrect video dimensions, so I quickly uploaded a new video that met Instagram’s requirements.
After re-running the test with the new video, the carousel post successfully appeared on my Instagram feed. It was rewarding to see the image and video combined as intended.
Setting Up Reels Posting
To set up reels posting, I followed a similar process to the photo posts. I created a new route in Make.com for reels. Here, I specified that the post type should equal “reel post.” This distinction is vital as it directs the automation to handle reels correctly.
Requirements for Video Posts
Video posts share some requirements with photo posts. The video URL must be publicly accessible, meaning I can’t use links from platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox. For my setup, I pulled the video URL directly from Airtable, ensuring it was ready for posting.
After entering the caption and leaving any additional options blank, I saved the setup. I needed to ensure that the status was set to “ready for posting” before testing the automation.
Testing the Reel Post
When I ran the automation for the reel, I noted that it took a bit longer than the photo posts. This delay is normal since Instagram processes the content. After the automation finished, I checked my Instagram profile to confirm the reel was posted successfully.
Creating Carousel Posts
With photo and reel posts in place, I turned my attention to carousel posts. A carousel allows for a combination of images and videos, so I had to ensure that everything was set up correctly in Make.com. I created a new route, specifying the post type as “carousel post.”
Carousel Post Requirements
Setting up carousel posts involves selecting multiple media items, including both images and videos. I ensured that I was selecting the correct media types. I could add these items manually or utilize a mapping function for dynamic content, which is a more advanced feature.
For this setup, I opted to add items manually. I linked the image URL and the video URL from Airtable, just like I did for the previous post types. The caption was pulled from the post text, and I left the location ID blank for this test.
Testing the Carousel Post
After configuring the carousel post, I ran the automation. It took longer to process compared to the previous tests because both media items needed to be uploaded. Initially, I encountered an error due to incorrect video dimensions, so I uploaded a new video that met Instagram’s requirements.
After re-running the test with the updated video, the carousel post appeared successfully on my Instagram feed. Seeing the image and video together as intended was quite satisfying.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
While automating Instagram posting can save time, issues may arise. Here are some common problems and their solutions.
Incorrect URL Issues
A common issue is using the wrong URL type. Always ensure that your media URLs are publicly accessible. If the URL comes from a platform like Google Drive or Dropbox, it won’t work. Instead, use links from Airtable or other hosting services.
Image and Video Requirements
Instagram has specific requirements for image and video dimensions. If your media doesn’t meet these standards, the post won’t go through. Always check Instagram’s latest guidelines for acceptable dimensions before uploading.
Update Status in Airtable
Sometimes, the status in Airtable doesn’t update correctly after a post. To fix this, ensure that your Make.com scenario includes an update record function after each post. This way, you’ll always have the correct status reflected in your Airtable base.
Exploring More Automation Options
Once you’ve mastered the basics of Instagram automation, there are many more possibilities to explore. I created additional automations to enhance my workflow further.
Scheduling Posts
One of the most beneficial automations I implemented is scheduling posts. By setting a specific time for posts to go live, I can ensure my content reaches my audience at optimal times. I use Airtable to set the desired posting time and integrate this with Make.com to trigger the post accordingly.
Engagement Tracking
I also set up automations to track engagement metrics. By connecting Instagram to a Google Sheet, I can automatically log likes, comments, and shares for each post. This data helps me understand what content resonates with my audience.
Cross-Posting to Other Platforms
Expanding my reach, I created automations to cross-post content to other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. This way, I can maintain a consistent online presence without duplicating my efforts.
