Claude + Instagram
Post to Instagram with Claude
Claude posts to Instagram through Socialync's MCP server. Add https://mcp.socialync.io/mcp as a custom connector in Claude.ai, sign in, and Claude can publish an image post now or schedule a Reel, through your own Instagram account, with you confirming each post.
About five minutes the first time. Free plan, no card. The video below is the whole thing, start to finish.
Five steps, once
- 1
Connect Instagram to Socialync
Create a free Socialync account (no card), open Settings, then Connections, and connect Instagram. Instagram's API publishes to professional accounts (Business or Creator); switching a personal account takes a minute in the Instagram app.
- 2
Add the connector in Claude
Claude.ai: Settings, then Connectors, then Add custom connector, paste https://mcp.socialync.io/mcp, click Connect, sign in to Socialync, pick the brand. Claude Code: one command, below. Claude Desktop: paste the config from the connector guide with an API key from your Socialync API Keys page.
claude mcp add --transport http socialync https://mcp.socialync.io/mcp - 3
Publish an image post now
Drop the image into the chat and say "post this to Instagram" with your caption, or ask Claude to write one. Claude validates against Instagram's limits, shows you the caption, image, and platform, and publishes the moment you say yes.
- 4
Schedule a Reel
Upload the video in Socialync first (a video file cannot travel through a chat), then tell Claude "schedule the Reel from my library for Friday at 6pm". Claude lists your media, picks the file, and schedules it. A public video URL works too.
- 5
Check the queue from either side
The post shows up in your Socialync calendar like any other. Ask Claude what is scheduled this week, delete or reschedule from the chat, or do it in the app. Same queue.
Config snippets for Claude Desktop and Cursor: connector guide.
What Claude can do on Instagram through Socialync
Publishing is the headline. The queue, the drafts, and your numbers are in the same conversation.
Image posts and carousels
One image or up to 10. Publish now or schedule, same caption everywhere or a rewrite per platform.
Reels
Scheduled from media already in your Socialync library, or from a public video URL. Never instant, because Instagram processes video for a few minutes.
Drafts you approve in the app
When you would rather see it before it goes, Claude saves a draft and you approve it on the drafts page in Socialync.
Instagram plus the other seven
Same message can go to Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, and YouTube. One publish counts as one post.
Queue management
List what is scheduled, delete a post, reschedule it, or check whether last night's post went out and where.
Analytics and top posts
Last 7 or 30 days of views, likes, comments, saves, and follower change, plus your top posts, before you write the next one.
Which Claude
Claude.ai
Settings, Connectors, Add custom connector, paste the URL, Connect. OAuth, no keys. The most native MCP experience right now.
Claude Code
One command in the terminal, then /mcp to authorize in the browser. Handy when your content lives next to your code or your build-in-public notes.
Claude Desktop
Edit the config file with the snippet from the connector guide and an API key from your Socialync API Keys page. Desktop cannot run the browser OAuth flow yet.
Claude Agent SDK and custom agents
Send the API key as a Bearer header. Same 22 tools, same human-in-the-loop rules: your agent drafts, a person confirms.
The limits, stated plainly
- Instagram needs an image or a video on every post. A text-only post fails validation before it reaches Instagram.
- Video is scheduled, never instant. Instagram processes uploads for a few minutes.
- 5 AI-created posts a day per brand on free, 10 on paid, to stay under Meta's spam thresholds.
- Free plan: 5 posts a month, 2 months of scheduling. Paid from $20/month: unlimited posts, 12 months.
- Claude writes the caption itself. Socialync's own AI caption generator is a paid-plan feature and a separate thing.
- Nothing publishes without you. Claude confirms in the chat, or saves a draft you approve in the app.
Frequently asked questions
Does Claude post to Instagram without asking me?
No. Before publishing, Claude has to show you the exact caption, images, platforms, and time and get a yes in the chat. If you would rather review it visually, ask for a draft and approve it in the Socialync app. Nothing goes out silently.
Can Claude post Instagram Reels?
Yes, as a scheduled post. Claude cannot receive a video file in the chat, so upload it in Socialync, then ask Claude to schedule the Reel from your library. A public video URL also works. Video is scheduled rather than instant because Instagram takes minutes to process it.
Does Claude need my Instagram password?
No. You connect Instagram to Socialync once with OAuth, and Claude connects to Socialync with OAuth. Claude never sees a password, and you can revoke its access any time from Connected apps in Socialync.
Is this free?
Yes to start. The free plan is $0 with no card, 5 posts a calendar month, up to 5 connected accounts, 2 months of scheduling, and MCP included. Paid plans start at $20/month with unlimited posts and 12 months of scheduling.
Claude.ai, Claude Code, or Claude Desktop?
All three work. Claude.ai and Claude Code use OAuth (paste the URL, sign in). Claude Desktop reads a config file with an API key. Claude.ai is the smoothest if you just want to post; Claude Code makes sense if you already live in the terminal.
Does it work with a personal Instagram account?
Instagram's API only publishes to professional accounts (Business or Creator). Switching is free and takes a minute: Instagram app, Settings, Account type and tools, Switch to professional account.
Does the same setup work in ChatGPT?
Yes. Same server, added under Developer mode in ChatGPT connectors. The ChatGPT version of this walkthrough has its own page.
Keep going
Schedule Instagram posts with ChatGPT
The same five steps in ChatGPT, Developer mode connector included.
Best MCP for posting to Instagram
What an Instagram MCP server has to get right, and how the options compare.
Post to all 8 platforms with Claude
Instagram is one of eight. Same caption, every platform, one message.
Connector guide for every client
Claude.ai, Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT, Grok Bot, config snippets included.