Instagram scheduler
Schedule Instagram posts, Reels and Stories
Plan a week of Instagram in one sitting. Lemonpost publishes every post, carousel, Reel, and Story through the official Instagram API.
7 days free.Cancel anytime.
An Instagram post from a candle shop, New autumn scents are in, with its hashtags in the first comment. A note says it is scheduled with a first comment for Tue 9:00 AM.
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Loved by brands and customers 💛
Every Instagram format, scheduled
Every format publishes on its own, Stories included.
Posts and carousels
Photos, videos, or carousels of up to 10 slides. Tag people and add up to three collaborators.
Reels
Pick a custom cover and choose whether the Reel also shows in your feed.
Stories
Queue Stories next to your feed content so your profile stays active every day, not just the days you remember to post.
The composer with the Instagram tab open: the post goes out as a Reel that also shows in the feed, with hashtags in the first comment and a collaborator invited.
Turn comments into DMs, automatically
Anyone who comments your keyword, like SCENT, gets a DM with your link.
One inbox
Comments and DMs from Instagram sit next to your other platforms.
Comment-to-DM automations
Story replies can trigger it too, and each DM carries up to three link buttons.
Reply privately
Answer a public comment with a private DM when it's about an order.
A comment-to-DM automation for an Instagram account: a comment with the keyword SCENT gets an automatic DM with a link button to shop Cedar & Smoke.
New automationHow to schedule Instagram posts
Connect your Instagram account
Use Instagram's own login with a Business or Creator account. We never see your password.
Create your post
Add media and a caption, then pick a post, carousel, Reel, or Story.
Pick a time
Drop it on the calendar or into your queue. It goes out on time.
7 days free.Cancel anytime.
Why schedule Instagram posts in advance?
Posting in the moment sounds nice until it's 9 pm and you still haven't posted. Scheduling turns Instagram from a daily chore into a weekly session: you batch your content when you have the energy, and Lemonpost handles the publishing.
Consistency beats intensity
Instagram rewards accounts that show up regularly, not accounts that post five times one week and vanish for three. A schedule keeps your feed active through busy weeks, holidays, and the days when you'd rather do anything else. Batching a week of content in one sitting is the easiest way to get there.
Post when your followers are online
There's no magic hour that works for every account. Your best time to post is when your own audience is active, and that's different for a bakery in Oslo and a creator in Austin. Lemonpost's analytics shows your best posting times per channel, so you schedule into real windows instead of guessing from generic charts.
No, scheduling doesn't hurt your reach
Posts published through the official Instagram API look exactly like posts published from the app, and Instagram treats them the same. What moves your reach is showing up consistently with content people want to watch. A scheduler helps with the first half and frees up time for the second.
Instagram sizes and specs, at a glance
What Instagram accepts for each format. Worth bookmarking.
| Format | Recommended size |
|---|---|
| Feed post (square)The classic. Works everywhere. | 1080 × 1080 pxAspect ratio: 1:1 |
| Feed post (portrait)Takes up the most feed space, so it usually earns the most attention. | 1080 × 1350 pxAspect ratio: 4:5 |
| Feed post (landscape)Fine for wide shots, but smallest on screen. | 1080 × 566 pxAspect ratio: 1.91:1 |
| CarouselUp to 10 slides. Photos and video can mix in one carousel. | Same as feed postsAspect ratio: 1:1 or 4:5 |
| ReelUp to 90 seconds when scheduled. Set a custom cover in Lemonpost. | 1080 × 1920 pxAspect ratio: 9:16 |
| StoryUp to 60 seconds per story. | 1080 × 1920 pxAspect ratio: 9:16 |
- File types: JPG or PNG for photos, MP4 or MOV for video.
- Captions: up to 2,200 characters and 30 hashtags. Lemonpost can put the hashtags in your first comment instead.
- Instagram's profile grid previews posts at 3:4, so keep faces and text near the center of portrait posts.
Post to every platform, not just Instagram
Lemonpost publishes to Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest and YouTube. Write your post once, customize it per platform, and fill nine calendars in the time one used to take.
Who schedules Instagram with Lemonpost?
Creators
Batch a week of Reels and posts in one sitting, then get back to making things.
Agencies
Every client's Instagram in one place, with approvals on Growth and Pro.
Small businesses
Keep your Instagram active in the gaps between running the actual business.
Instagram scheduling, answered
How do I schedule Instagram posts in advance?
Connect your Instagram account, create your post in Lemonpost, and pick a date and time. Lemonpost publishes it automatically through the official Instagram API. You can schedule days, weeks, or months ahead, as far out as you like to plan.
Can I schedule Instagram Reels and Stories?
Yes. Lemonpost schedules feed posts, carousels with up to 10 slides, Reels, and Stories. Reels can have a custom cover image, and you choose whether they also show on your feed.
Is it safe to use an Instagram scheduler?
It is when the tool publishes through Instagram's official API, which Lemonpost does. You connect through Instagram's own login, we never ask for your password, and scheduled posts follow the same rules as posts made in the app.
Do I need an Instagram Business or Creator account?
Yes. Instagram's API only allows scheduling for Business and Creator accounts. Switching from a personal account is free and takes about a minute in the Instagram app's settings.
Does scheduling posts affect the Instagram algorithm?
No. Posts published through the official API are treated exactly like posts published by hand. If anything, scheduling helps, because posting consistently is one of the clearest signals the algorithm rewards.
What's the best time to post on Instagram?
Whenever your audience is online, which is different for every account. Lemonpost builds a best-time heatmap from your own posts on each channel. For starting windows by weekday, see our Instagram posting times guide.
Can I schedule the first comment on an Instagram post?
Yes. Write it when you compose the post and Lemonpost publishes it right after the post goes live. Most people use it for hashtags, so the caption stays clean.
Can I manage multiple Instagram accounts?
Yes, one per brand. Each brand connects one Instagram account, so a second account gets its own brand, and every plan includes unlimited brands and seats. Plans count connected accounts across all platforms: 5 on Creator, 15 on Growth, and 40 on Pro.
How is Lemonpost different from Meta Business Suite?
Meta Business Suite is free and fine if you only post to Instagram and Facebook. Lemonpost covers nine platforms in one composer and adds a posting queue, an inbox with comment-to-DM automations, approvals on Growth and Pro, and posting from AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT.
Can I try Lemonpost for free?
Yes. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, and you can cancel anytime. Plans start at $29 a month, you pay for connected accounts, and seats are unlimited on every plan.
Can I schedule Instagram collab posts?
Yes. Add up to three collaborators when you compose a feed post or Reel. They get Instagram's usual collab invite when the post goes live, and it appears on both profiles once they accept. Collaborators need public Business or Creator accounts, and Stories don't support collabs.
Can I tag people in scheduled posts?
Yes. Tag any Instagram username on your photos and place the tag exactly where you want it on the image, even on a specific slide of a carousel. Tags work on photos, not on Stories.
Can I choose a cover image for scheduled Reels?
Yes. Set a custom cover when you schedule the Reel, so your grid stays tidy without editing the post afterwards.
Can I schedule Instagram posts from my phone?
Yes. Lemonpost runs in your browser and installs on your phone like a regular app. And since publishing happens on our servers, your phone doesn't need to be on when the post goes out.
What happens if a scheduled post fails?
It stays on your calendar marked as failed, with the reason from Instagram, and we email you so you can fix it and try again. If you posted to several platforms and one fails, the others still go out.
Fill next week's Instagram calendar today
Batch your posts, Reels, and Stories in one sitting, and Lemonpost publishes them on time.
- 7 days free
- Cancel in Settings, no call
- Unlimited seats on every plan