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Dropslate Docs

Instagram

Dropslate publishes to Instagram through the Instagram Graph API via Facebook Login for Business - Meta’s requirement for any scheduling tool, not a Dropslate choice. The account must be a Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook Page; a personal account cannot be connected. Publishing is a two-step container flow: Dropslate creates a media container from your file, waits until Instagram reports it ready, then publishes it.

Account requirements

Section titled “Account requirements”
  • An Instagram Business or Creator account (Instagram → Settings → Account type).
  • The account linked to a Facebook Page you manage.
  • Analytics needs the insights permission; an account connected before insights shipped shows Reconnect on the Analytics page until it is connected again.

Connect

Section titled “Connect”
  1. Accounts → Networks → Instagram → Connect.
  2. Sign in to Facebook; on Meta’s screen pick the Page and the Instagram account linked to it, and approve the permissions.
  3. The Instagram account appears under Your channels.

What you can publish

Section titled “What you can publish”

Pick the Content type in the Instagram tab:

  • Reel - one video. Caption, up to 3 collaborators, a cover frame (Use video frame at mm:ss) and Share to feed.
  • Post - one JPEG image. Caption and alt text.
  • Carousel - 2 to 10 images or videos. Caption and alt text.
  • Story - one image or video, no caption. The text field is hidden; base text is not sent (text_not_applicable in the plan says so).

From the API and MCP: perPlatform.instagram with contentType, collaborators, altText, coverMs Since 1.3.0; a caption for Instagram alone goes in overrides.instagram.

The Instagram tab in the composer: Content type (Reel, Post, Carousel, Story), Caption with Same as base, Collaborators, Alt text and Cover.

Limits

Section titled “Limits”
Content typeMediaTextTitleTagsOtherNotes
Reel
1 file
video: mp4, mov, up to 300 MB, duration 3 s–15 min, aspect 9:16, width up to 1920 px, 23–60 fps
2,200 characters——
links not clickable
up to 30 hashtags
up to 20 mentions
up to 3 collaborators
9:16 fills the screen; other shapes get bars.
Up to 30 hashtags and 20 mentions.
Links in the caption are not clickable.
Post
1 file
image: jpg, jpeg, up to 8 MB, aspect 4:5–1.91:1, width 320 px–1440 px
2,200 characters——
links not clickable
alt text 1,000 characters
up to 30 hashtags
up to 20 mentions
up to 3 collaborators
JPEG only, up to 8 MB.
From 4:5 (portrait) to 1.91:1 (landscape).
Carousel
2–10 files
video: mp4, mov, up to 300 MB, duration 3 s–15 min, aspect 9:16, width up to 1920 px, 23–60 fps
image: jpg, jpeg, up to 8 MB, aspect 4:5–1.91:1, width 320 px–1440 px
2,200 characters——
links not clickable
alt text 1,000 characters
up to 30 hashtags
up to 20 mentions
up to 3 collaborators
2 to 10 photos or videos.
Story
1 file
video: mp4, mov, up to 100 MB, duration 3 s–1 min, aspect 9:16, width up to 1920 px, 23–60 fps
image: jpg, jpeg, up to 8 MB, aspect 0.10–10.00, width 320 px–1440 px
no text——
no links
Stories carry no caption.
Video up to 60 seconds and 100 MB.

Source: developers.facebook.com/docs/instagram-platform/instagram-graph-api/reference/ig-user/media · checked 2026-09-15

Network-specific behaviour

Section titled “Network-specific behaviour”
  • Container flow. After the container is created, Dropslate polls its status and publishes only when Instagram says it is ready; a slow file takes a minute or two longer than the scheduled time.
  • 9:16 fills the screen for a Reel or Story; another shape shows with bars. The media card marks it shows with changes rather than refusing it.
  • Feed posts take JPEG only, from 4:5 to 1.91:1; an image outside that range is refused (aspect_unsupported).
  • Links in the caption are not clickable.
  • Hashtags and mentions count against their own limits (30 and 20) inside the caption.
  • Collaborators are added by handle and must accept on Instagram; the post is live before they do.
  • Location tagging and user tags are not in this version.

Common errors

Section titled “Common errors”
Error Cause Fix
?connect=refused, or no account listed after connecting No Business or Creator account linked to the Page, or the Page permission was declined. Convert the account, link it to the Page, connect again.
aspect_unsupported in the plan The image is outside 4:5–1.91:1 for a feed post. Crop it, or post it as a Story.
media_kind A video chosen for a Post, or an image for a Reel. Change the content type.
instagram_token_rejected Instagram no longer accepts the token. Reconnect.
instagram_permission_missing A permission was removed on the Facebook side (role on the Page changed). Reconnect and grant every permission asked.
instagram_rate_limited Instagram’s own daily publishing limit for the account - see Publishing limits. The post retries later on its own; otherwise Retry the next day.
failed while “still processing” Instagram did not finish the container in time. Retry; a second failure usually means the file itself is invalid for that type.
Section titled “Related”