How to Schedule Instagram Reels and Auto-Publish Them
A Reel takes time to make, so its publish time deserves a plan. This guide explains how to prepare a Reel, schedule it, and let it publish without a phone in your hand.
What a scheduled Reel needs
Automatic publishing uses the official Instagram API. The API works only with an Instagram Business or Creator account with a link to a Facebook Page.
Each scheduled Reel needs these parts:
- A vertical video in a 9:16 format.
- A cover frame, which shows on your profile grid.
- A caption. The caption is optional, but most Reels use one.
- A date and a time.
Prepare all four parts before you open your scheduling tool. The scheduling step then takes only a few minutes.
Prepare the video
Export the video in a vertical 9:16 frame, for example 1080 × 1920 pixels. Storylink accepts a Reel video that meets these limits:
- Format: MP4 with H.264 video.
- Length: 3 seconds to 15 minutes for Instagram.
- File size: up to 1 GB.
Keep text away from the edges of the frame. Instagram puts the caption, the account name, and the action buttons over the lower part of a Reel.
Use only music and other audio that you have the right to use. If you are not sure, use your own audio or audio from a licensed library.
Choose a cover frame
The cover is the still image that people see on your profile grid. A clear cover tells a visitor what the Reel is about before they tap it.
- Pick a frame with a sharp image and no motion blur.
- Pick a frame where the main subject is in the center.
- If the cover has text, make the text large and short.
Compare the cover with your other grid images. A consistent style makes the profile easier to scan.
Write the caption
Instagram shows only the start of a long caption. The rest stays hidden until a viewer taps it. Put the main message in the first line.
A caption can have up to 2,200 characters. Most Reels need far fewer. Use the caption to give context, to ask a question, or to tell viewers what to do next.
Write the caption before the scheduling day. Read it again on the day before it publishes, and correct any dates or prices that changed.
Pick a publish time
Publish a Reel when your followers are likely to be online. The first hours after publication give the Reel its first viewers.
Your own results are the best guide to the right time. Compare the reach of Reels that you published at different times of day. Change only the time, and keep the type of content the same.
The method is the same as for stories. Read how to find the best time to post Instagram Stories.
Publish the same Reel to Facebook
You can publish one Reel to Instagram and to your Facebook Page at the same time. This needs a Facebook Page with a link to the Instagram account.
Facebook has a shorter length limit for Reels. In Storylink, a Reel that also goes to Facebook can be up to 90 seconds long. If your video is longer, trim it or publish it to Instagram only.
For more about this, read how to cross-post Instagram to Facebook.
How Storylink does it
Storylink schedules Reels in the same calendar as stories and posts. It publishes each Reel automatically at the time you choose.
- Open the Storylink calendar and click a day.
- Select Reel as the schedule type.
- Click Upload video and select your video.
- Click Choose cover frame, select the frame you want, and click Use this frame.
- Type your caption.
- Set the date and time in the When field.
- Under Publish to, select Instagram Reel, Facebook Reel, or both.
- Click Schedule reel.
Storylink shows an error message if a video breaks a limit. For example, it shows a message when a video is not 9:16 or is too long for Facebook.
After the Reel publishes, Storylink collects its views, reach, likes, comments, saves, and shares. The Analytics page lists your top Reels next to your top stories and posts.
For a Reel that you post on a regular rhythm, use a repeating schedule. Read how to schedule recurring Instagram posts.
Put this into practice with Storylink
Free forever to start. No card required.