Claude Code + Instagram
Publish Reels & Carousels with AI
Post Instagram Reels, photo carousels, Stories, and single images directly from your terminal using Claude Code. The Upload-Post skill manages Instagram's Graph API complexity including container-based publishing, so you never deal with upload tokens or status polling. Teams automating Instagram publishing report a 68% reduction in content distribution time.
Install in Seconds
$ npx skills add Upload-Post/upload-post-skill Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any AI coding agent that supports skills.
What You Can Post to Instagram
Just Tell Your Agent
Once you've installed the skill and set your API key, simply ask Claude Code in plain English. No API calls needed.
✓ Reel published to Instagram
✓ First comment posted
Post URL: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKx3...
Features for Instagram
Reels Upload
Publish Instagram Reels up to 15 minutes long directly from Claude Code. The API handles Instagram's container-based upload flow, status polling, and publishing confirmation automatically. Reels generate 22% more engagement than standard feed posts on average.
Photo Posts
Upload single photos to the Instagram feed with captions, hashtags, and location tags. Supports JPEG and PNG formats with automatic resizing to Instagram's 1080px optimal width while preserving aspect ratios between 4:5 and 1.91:1.
Mixed Carousels
Create carousel posts combining both photos and videos in a single swipeable post. Upload up to 10 media items per carousel with individual alt text for each slide. Mixed carousels receive up to 1.4x more reach than single-image posts according to platform data.
Stories
Publish photos and videos to Instagram Stories programmatically. Stories reach a different segment of your audience than feed posts and expire after 24 hours, making them ideal for time-sensitive announcements and behind-the-scenes content.
First Comment Automation
Automatically post a first comment on your Instagram uploads immediately after publishing. Use this for hashtag strategies, call-to-action links, or engagement prompts without cluttering your main caption. The comment is posted within seconds of the content going live.
Analytics & Insights
Track impressions, reach, saves, and engagement rate for every Instagram post published through the API. Access performance data programmatically to optimize your content strategy and identify which formats drive the most audience growth.
How It Works
Install the Skill
Run the install command in your terminal. The skill is added to Claude Code instantly.
Connect Instagram
Link your Instagram account on the Upload-Post dashboard and create a profile with your API key.
Publish from Claude Code
Tell your AI agent to post content to Instagram. It handles formatting, uploading, and publishing automatically.
Also Works With
Frequently Asked Questions
Install the Upload-Post skill with "npx skills add Upload-Post/upload-post-skill", then tell Claude Code to upload a video as a Reel. For example: "Post my-reel.mp4 to Instagram with the caption 'Summer collection lookbook'". The skill sends your video to the Upload-Post API, which manages Instagram's container-based publishing flow: creating a media container, uploading the video, polling for processing completion, and publishing. Most Reels are live within 60 seconds.
Yes. The Upload-Post skill supports Instagram's mixed carousel format, which allows you to combine photos and videos in a single swipeable post. Provide up to 10 media files (any mix of images and video clips) and the API assembles them into a carousel container. Each item can have its own alt text for accessibility. This is handled through Instagram's Graph API carousel endpoints, fully managed by the skill.
When uploading content to Instagram, include a "first_comment" parameter with your desired comment text. The Upload-Post API publishes your post first, then immediately posts the comment on the newly created media. This is commonly used to separate hashtags from captions, add call-to-action links, or prompt engagement. The comment appears within seconds of the post going live, so it shows as the first interaction on your content.
Yes. Pass a "scheduled_time" parameter in ISO 8601 format (e.g., "2026-04-10T14:00:00Z") to schedule any Instagram post for future publication. The Upload-Post API queues the content server-side and publishes it at the designated time. Scheduling works for Reels, photos, carousels, and Stories. You can schedule an entire week of content in a single Claude Code session.
The skill supports four Instagram content types: Reels (videos up to 15 minutes), Photos (single feed images), Carousels (up to 10 mixed photos and videos in one swipeable post), and Stories (24-hour ephemeral content). Each type is published through Instagram's Graph API using the container-based publishing flow. The Upload-Post API abstracts the differences between content types, so you use the same simple interface regardless of format.
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