How to post to Instagram from Hermes Agent
From a chat app there is no file to hand over, so Hermes works with your planpo.st media library or renders a carousel from the text you send.
How do I post to Instagram from Hermes Agent?
Add the planpo.st MCP server to Hermes Agent, 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 Hermes
Make a scoped key in planpo.st under Settings. Add an MCP server by local command in Hermes: npx with the arguments -y planpost-mcp and PLANPOST_API_KEY in its environment. New servers are disabled by default in Hermes, so enable planpost after adding it.
- 2
Confirm the server is connected
Ask Hermes to list your planpo.st connections. If it has no such tool, the server is still disabled.
- 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 chat app or the desktop app
Say what to post and when. Hermes finds the Instagram connection, creates the post, and tells you whether it was scheduled or kept as a draft, with the reason.
Add an MCP server by local command:
Command: npx
Args: -y planpost-mcp
Env: PLANPOST_API_KEY=pk_live_xxxReplace pk_live_xxx with your own key.
Which transport does Hermes Agent use?
For Hermes use the local command. Hermes documents SSE for remote servers and the planpo.st endpoint speaks streamable HTTP, so a URL connection is something to test on your version, not to assume. Enable the server after adding it.
- Hermes manages MCP servers from its settings and a CLI, and servers can be added by URL or by local command. The local command above is the tested path.
- Hermes documents SSE for remote servers. Our hosted endpoint speaks streamable HTTP, which is the newer transport, so verify a URL connection against your Hermes version before relying on it and use the local command if it does not connect.
- MCP servers you add are disabled by default in Hermes until you enable them, which is deliberate on their side.
The full walkthrough is on the Hermes Agent setup page.
What can Hermes Agent 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. When you message Hermes from a chat app, the file is not on a disk it can PUT to an upload URL. Two routes work: upload the file in the planpo.st dashboard and let Hermes 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 Hermes Agent?
Plain requests work. Each example lists the tool calls Hermes Agent makes in response.
1. Carousel from something you wrote
You say
Take the idea from my last message. 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
Use the last video I uploaded to planpo.st. 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
Use the last image I uploaded to planpo.st. 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 Hermes Agent?
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.
Added is not enabled
HermesHermes keeps new MCP servers switched off until you enable them. If the agent answers as though planpo.st does not exist, that is why.
Use the local command
HermesHermes documents SSE for remote servers and the planpo.st endpoint speaks streamable HTTP. The local npx command is the tested path.
Can Hermes Agent 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.
Hermes Agent and Instagram: questions people ask
- Can Hermes upload an image from my machine for Instagram?
- Not directly. When you message Hermes from a chat app, the file is not on a disk it can PUT to an upload URL. Upload the file in the dashboard and Hermes 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 Hermes 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 Hermes applies with update_post.
- Can I post to Instagram from Telegram or Slack?
- Yes, that is the point of Hermes. The same agent answers in the chat apps it is connected to and on the desktop, with the planpo.st tools behind it in each. Keep it on drafts or approval, so a mistyped message costs you a bad draft and nothing more.
- Can Hermes use the hosted endpoint?
- Test it against your Hermes version before relying on it. Hermes documents SSE for remote servers and our endpoint is streamable HTTP. The local command works regardless and reaches Instagram the same way.
Keep going
Instagram from other agents
Other networks from Hermes