How to post to Instagram from ChatGPT
ChatGPT works through the hosted endpoint and cannot reach your files, so Instagram posts use what is already in your media library or a carousel rendered from text.
How do I post to Instagram from ChatGPT?
Add the planpo.st MCP server to ChatGPT, connect Instagram once in the dashboard, then ask. The first three steps are one-time.
- 1
Create an API key and add planpo.st to ChatGPT
Make a scoped key in planpo.st under Settings. Open Settings, then Connectors, then Create, and enter the MCP URL with a custom Authorization header. ChatGPT connects to remote servers only, so the hosted endpoint is the one route. Whether you see Connectors depends on your plan and on developer mode.
- 2
Confirm the server is connected
Enable the connector in a new chat and ask it to list your connections.
- 3
Connect Instagram
Connect a professional Instagram account in the dashboard under Connections, either through its linked Facebook Page or with Instagram login. When it asks for permissions, leave publishing ticked or posts will fail later.
- 4
Know what the post needs
An Instagram post needs at least one image or video. Captions run to 2,200 characters. Nothing in platformSettings is required; postType picks between a feed post, a Reel and a Story.
- 5
Ask in a ChatGPT conversation
Say what to post and when. ChatGPT finds the Instagram connection, creates the post, and tells you whether it was scheduled or kept as a draft, with the reason.
Settings -> Connectors -> Create
Name: PlanPost
MCP URL: https://mcp.planpo.st/mcp
Auth: Custom header
Header: Authorization
Value: Bearer pk_live_xxxReplace pk_live_xxx with your own key.
Which transport does ChatGPT use?
For ChatGPT there is one way in, the hosted endpoint as a custom connector. Nothing runs on your machine. The key travels in a header on every request and the endpoint keeps no session between them.
- There is no local option here. ChatGPT connects to remote MCP servers only, so use the hosted endpoint.
- Connector support has moved around between ChatGPT plans. If you cannot see the option, check OpenAI's current documentation rather than assuming the endpoint is at fault.
The full walkthrough is on the ChatGPT setup page.
What can ChatGPT do on Instagram?
It can publish single images, carousels of up to 10 items, Reels and Stories, and invite up to 3 collaborators on image and carousel posts. It cannot publish a post without media or make a caption link clickable.
Image or carousel
1 to 10One image is a feed post, two to ten attachments are a carousel. JPEG is what Instagram accepts; PNG files are converted on the way.
Reel
postType "reel" with one video. coverImageTime picks the cover frame, in seconds.
Story
postType "story" with one image or one video.
Collab post
up to 3platformSettings.instagram.collaborators takes Instagram usernames. Works on image and carousel posts.
Instagram needs an image or video on every post, and that is the one awkward part of this pairing. ChatGPT connects to the hosted endpoint only and cannot PUT a file from your machine to an upload URL. Two routes work: upload the file in the planpo.st dashboard and let ChatGPT pick it with list_media, or ask for a carousel rendered from text with render_carousel.
Which settings does a Instagram post take?
Instagram reads four settings. Two of them, isReel and isStory, are older flags that postType now sets for you, so in practice an agent sends postType plus the two optional ones.
| Field | Allowed values | If you leave it out | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| postType | "post", "reel" or "story" | "post" | Takes precedence over the flags below. A vertical video, or one of 90 seconds or less, is published as a Reel even when this says "post". |
| platformSettings.instagram.isReel | true or false | Set from postType | If it disagrees with an explicit postType it is ignored and the response carries post_type_flag_ignored. |
| platformSettings.instagram.isStory | true or false | Set from postType | Same rule as isReel. Prefer postType "story". |
| platformSettings.instagram.coverImageTime | Seconds into the video | Instagram picks the frame | Reels only. 0 counts as not set. |
| platformSettings.instagram.collaborators | Up to 3 usernames, with or without @ | No collaborators | Single-image and carousel posts only. A fourth name is dropped, and the field is not sent for Reels or Stories. |
| media, platformMedia.instagram | 1 to 10 items. JPEG or PNG images, MP4 or MOV video | None, required | No media saves the post as a draft with media_required. More than 10 fails at publish. |
| platformContent.instagram | Caption, 2,200 characters or fewer | The shared content | A URL in the caption returns a link_not_clickable warning. More than 30 hashtags returns hashtags_over_limit. |
What do I type to post to Instagram from ChatGPT?
Plain requests work. Each example lists the tool calls ChatGPT makes in response.
1. Carousel from something you wrote
You say
Use the copy we just worked out above. Turn it into a 6-slide Instagram carousel in my brand kit and schedule it for Wednesday 18:00.
Tool calls
list_brand_kits()
generate_carousel({ content: "<source text>", platform: "instagram", maxSlides: 6 })
render_carousel({ slides: [...], family: "<id>", brandKitId: "<kit id>" })
get_carousel_render({ id: "<render id>" })
create_post({ content: "<caption>", media: [<6 assets>], connectionIds: ["<instagram id>"], schedule: "wednesday 18:00" })Six slides rendered server-side as images, saved to the media library and scheduled as one carousel. The render tops out at 10 slides, which is also Instagram's cap.
2. A Reel with a chosen cover
You say
Find the latest video in my planpo.st media library. Schedule it as an Instagram Reel on Friday 19:00 with the cover taken 3 seconds in.
Tool calls
list_media({ type: "video" })
create_post({ content: "<caption>", postType: "reel", platformSettings: { instagram: { coverImageTime: 3 } }, media: [<video>], connectionIds: ["<instagram id>"], schedule: "friday 19:00" })One scheduled Reel. The video has to be MP4 or MOV; anything else is refused with the format named.
3. A collab post
You say
Find the latest image in my planpo.st media library. Post it to Instagram tomorrow 11:00 as a collab with @partnerstudio, caption about the joint launch.
Tool calls
list_media({ type: "image" })
create_post({ content: "<caption>", platformSettings: { instagram: { collaborators: ["partnerstudio"] } }, media: [<image>], connectionIds: ["<instagram id>"], schedule: "tomorrow 11:00" })An image post that invites the other account as a collaborator. They still have to accept the invite in Instagram before it shows on their profile.
What stops a Instagram post from ChatGPT?
The tag on a card is the code that comes back in the tool result.
No media, no post
media_requiredA text-only post that targets Instagram is saved as a draft. If the same post also goes to X or LinkedIn, give Instagram its own attachments in platformMedia.instagram.
Image rules
JPEG, at least 320 pixels wide, 8 MB or smaller, aspect ratio between 4:5 and 1.91:1. PNG is converted to JPEG. GIF and WebP are refused.
10 items per carousel
Eleven attachments fail at publish with the count in the error. Trim the set before scheduling.
Short or vertical video becomes a Reel
A portrait video, or any video of 90 seconds or less, is published as a Reel whatever the post type says. Instagram does not take those as feed video.
Caption links do not work
link_not_clickableInstagram shows the URL as plain text. The create call warns about it and still schedules the post.
30 hashtags
hashtags_over_limitPast 30 the response carries a warning with the count.
If Connectors is missing, it is the plan
ChatGPTCustom connector availability has moved between ChatGPT plans and settings. When the option is not there, check OpenAI's current documentation before assuming the endpoint is broken.
Can ChatGPT tell me what a Instagram post earned?
Partly. A caption link on Instagram is not clickable, so a tracked link in a caption has nothing to click and the post earns no attributed revenue from it. The clickable places are the bio link and Story link stickers, and the Instagram guide covers how those are tracked. get_revenue_overview returns totals either way, and for shops selling through Instagram the other end is usually Shopify.
ChatGPT and Instagram: questions people ask
- Can ChatGPT upload an image from my machine for Instagram?
- Not directly. ChatGPT connects to the hosted endpoint only and cannot PUT a file from your machine to an upload URL. Upload the file in the dashboard and ChatGPT finds it with list_media, or have it render one: render_carousel makes branded images from text.
- Which image formats does it accept for Instagram?
- JPEG, and PNG which is converted to JPEG before upload. GIF and WebP are refused. Images must be at least 320 pixels wide, 8 MB or less, and between 4:5 and 1.91:1.
- Why did my video post as a Reel?
- Because it was vertical or no longer than 90 seconds. Instagram accepts those as Reels only, so the publisher routes them there.
- What happens when ChatGPT sends a Instagram post that breaks a rule?
- It is told at once. The usual case on Instagram is a post with no image or video: the post is kept as a draft and the tool result carries media_required plus the fix, which ChatGPT applies with update_post.
- Is there a local option for ChatGPT?
- No. ChatGPT talks to remote MCP servers, so it uses https://mcp.planpo.st/mcp with your API key in a header. The endpoint is stateless and every request carries the key. Posting to Instagram works the same as from any other client.
- Can I limit what ChatGPT is allowed to do?
- Yes, with the API key. Keys are scoped, so a key without posts:write can read your Instagram schedule and not change it, and a key set to require approval turns every post into a request you approve.
Keep going
Instagram from other agents
Other networks from ChatGPT