Post to Instagram with Publora

Instagram Post

Create and schedule Instagram posts using the Publora MCP server. Supports image posts, carousels (2-10 images), Reels, and Stories. Requires an Instagram Business account.

Prerequisites

Plans: Free Starter (15 posts/month), Pro, Premium

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

If the MCP server is unavailable or returns errors, use the REST API directly:

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

Authentication: Use x-publora-key header (NOT 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"
  }'

Platform ID Format: instagram-{id} where {id} is from /platform-connections response.

Example IDs: instagram-11223344, instagram-55667788

📖 Full API documentation: docs.publora.com

Plan Limits

Plan	Posts/month	Price
Starter	15	Free
Pro	100/account	$2.99/account/month
Premium	500/account	$9.99/account/month

Platform Limits (API vs Native App)

These limits are specific to the Instagram Graph API and differ from native app limits:

Images

Feature	API Limit
Formats	JPEG only (PNG is NOT supported and will fail!)
Max file size	8 MB
Carousel images	2-10 (native app allows 20)
Aspect ratios	4:5 (portrait) to 1.91:1 (landscape)

Videos

Feature	Reels	Stories	Carousel Videos
Max duration	15 minutes (only 5-90s eligible for Reels tab)	60 seconds	60 seconds
Min duration	3 seconds	3 seconds	3 seconds
Max file size	300 MB	100 MB	300 MB
Formats	MP4, MOV	MP4, MOV	MP4, MOV

Captions

Feature	Limit
Caption length	2,200 characters
Visible before "more"	First 125 characters
Hashtags	30 per post (included in caption)

Rate Limits

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

Available Tools

create_post

Create a new Instagram post.

Parameters:

• 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

Get presigned URL for media uploads.

Parameters:

• 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

Manage scheduled and draft posts.

Video Type Settings (via REST API)

Control how videos are published via platformSettings:

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

Setting	Values	Default	Description
videoType	"REELS", "STORIES"	"REELS"	Determines how videos are published

Note: platformSettings is not available via MCP - use REST API for video type control.

Examples

Single Image Post

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

[Attach JPEG image]

Important: Image must be JPEG format. PNG will be rejected.

Carousel Post

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

Note: Requires 2-10 JPEG images. Cannot mix images and videos in carousels.

Reel

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

Videos default to Reels. Set videoType: "STORIES" via REST API for Stories.

Story

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

Requires platformSettings.instagram.videoType: "STORIES" via REST API.

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

Error	Cause	Solution
"Business account required"	Using Personal/Creator account	Convert to Business account in Instagram settings
"Invalid image format"	PNG or other non-JPEG format	Convert image to JPEG before uploading
"Media upload failed"	File too large or wrong format	Check: images < 8 MB JPEG, videos < 300 MB MP4
"Carousel requires 2-10 items"	Wrong number of images	Ensure 2-10 images for carousel
"Account not connected"	OAuth expired	Reconnect via Publora dashboard
Rate limit (429)	Exceeded 50 posts/day	Wait 24 hours