Instagram Automation with Make.com: Step-by-Step Guide

Using make.com, you can automate Instagram posts, save time, and keep a consistent publishing schedule without manually uploading every piece of content. This guide walks you through how to recreate the automation described in the official tutorial so you can start scheduling and publishing posts more efficiently.

Why Automate Instagram Posts with Make.com

Manually posting to Instagram can be repetitive and error-prone. By building scenarios in make.com, you can prepare content in advance, collect it in a structured way, and publish automatically at the right moment.

With automation you can:

Reduce manual copy-paste work
Coordinate posts across teams
Ensure posts go live on time, even when you are offline
Reuse existing data from spreadsheets, forms, or other tools

The original tutorial on the make.com Instagram post automation guide demonstrates a practical workflow that you can adapt to your own needs.

What You Need Before You Start on Make.com

Before you build your automation scenario in make.com, prepare the following components so the process is smooth from beginning to end.

An active make.com account with access to the scenario editor
An Instagram for Business or Creator account connected to Facebook
A Facebook Page linked to your Instagram account
A place to store upcoming post content, such as a spreadsheet or database
Images or videos that meet Instagram’s content requirements

Once these requirements are met, you can set up a structured flow that automatically moves content from storage to Instagram via make.com.

Planning Your Instagram Workflow in Make.com

Before opening the visual scenario builder, outline what you want your automation to do. The original make.com tutorial focuses on a simple but powerful path: collecting content from a data source and turning each record into an Instagram post.

Common inputs that work well with make.com include:

Google Sheets rows for planned posts
Airtable records with captions and media URLs
Form submissions from your team or clients
Files and metadata stored in cloud drives

Define the key fields you need for each post, such as caption, image URL, posting date, and hashtags. This makes it easier to map data correctly once you are inside the make.com scenario editor.

Creating Your First Instagram Scenario in Make.com

The following steps summarize how to build a basic Instagram posting automation in make.com, inspired by the official tutorial.

Step 1: Create a New Scenario in Make.com

Log in to your make.com dashboard.
Click on the button to create a new scenario.
Open the module selector and search for the app that stores your content, such as Google Sheets or Airtable.
Select a module that watches for new data or retrieves scheduled posts, depending on how you structure publishing.

This first module acts as the trigger or starting point of your automation in make.com.

Step 2: Connect Your Instagram Account in Make.com

Add another module to the canvas and search for Instagram or the relevant Facebook/Instagram connection module supported by make.com.
Choose the action that publishes content, such as creating a photo or video post.
Follow the authorization prompts to connect your Instagram account securely.
Test the connection to make sure make.com can access your account and publish on your behalf.

Once connected, you can map fields from your content source into the Instagram publish action inside make.com.

Step 3: Map Fields from Your Content Source

Mapping ensures that make.com sends the right data from your content store to Instagram. Typical mappings in the scenario editor include:

Caption: Map from a text column or field.
Media URL: Map from a field that contains a direct image or video link.
Hashtags: Map from a dedicated hashtags column, or append them directly in the caption mapping.
Alt text (if available): Map from a description field to improve accessibility.

Use the drag-and-drop interface in make.com to connect each field. Validate that every required field for Instagram is present so the scenario can run without errors.

Step 4: Add Scheduling or Filtering Logic

In the official Instagram automation pattern, you may want to publish posts only when certain conditions are met. Within make.com you can:

Use filters to allow only rows or records with a future publish date.
Schedule the scenario to run periodically, such as every hour or once per day.
Include conditions based on status fields, for example, post only when a record is marked as “Approved”.

This logic ensures that your make.com scenario behaves predictably and does not publish drafts or incomplete content.

Step 5: Test and Activate Your Make.com Scenario

Use sample data from your content source.
Run the scenario once manually in make.com.
Check the execution log to confirm that the modules are processing data correctly.
Verify that the Instagram post appears as expected, with the correct image, caption, and hashtags.
When you are satisfied, switch the scenario to “On” so that make.com runs it automatically.

Always start with a small batch of test records to avoid accidental bulk posting while you refine the automation.

Optimizing Your Instagram Automation on Make.com

After your basic workflow is live, you can improve it using additional modules and logic inside make.com. This helps you keep your publishing consistent and your data organized.

Enhance Content Quality Automatically

Make your make.com scenario smarter by inserting tools that modify or validate content before posting, for example:

Text formatting modules that trim extra spaces or add branded hashtags.
Image resizing modules if your current images are too large or use the wrong aspect ratio.
Content checks that verify required fields such as caption length or media type.

These extra steps help align every Instagram post with your brand guidelines.

Track Performance and Save Logs in Make.com

To keep a history of everything posted through make.com, extend the scenario with logging actions. You can:

Write back the Instagram post ID to the original content record.
Store timestamps and links to published posts in a spreadsheet or database.
Add follow-up modules that notify your team via email or chat when a new post is live.

Having this information linked to your records makes reporting and analysis easier.

Combining Make.com with Other Automation Strategies

Instagram posting rarely exists in isolation. You can combine your scenario from make.com with broader marketing or business automation.

For example, an agency might route client-approved content into a central database, then use make.com to publish across different platforms from the same source data. Consulting partners such as Consultevo can help design more advanced workflows that connect social media, CRM, and analytics.

Because make.com is built as a visual integration platform, you can easily plug new apps into your existing Instagram scenario without rebuilding everything from scratch.

Maintaining and Updating Your Make.com Scenarios

Over time, you may change your content strategy, brand guidelines, or posting frequency. Review your make.com scenarios regularly to keep them aligned with your current practices.

Update field mappings when you add new columns or change your content structure.
Review filters and schedules to match new publishing cadences.
Check connection status for Instagram and other apps after password changes or permission updates.
Monitor execution history to identify and fix any recurring errors.

If you need additional inspiration or configuration details, return to the original Instagram automation tutorial on make.com for reference.

Next Steps with Make.com for Social Media

Once your first Instagram automation is stable, expand your use of make.com into other areas of social media management.

Create scenarios that cross-post content to different networks.
Collect user-generated content and route it into your content calendar.
Trigger internal notifications when posts receive high engagement.
Integrate analytics tools to measure performance and optimize future posts.

By building on the same principles used in the Instagram post automation tutorial, you can turn make.com into the backbone of a scalable, automated social media workflow that saves time while keeping your content consistent and on brand.

Need Help With Make.com?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Make scenarios, work with ConsultEvo — certified workflow and automation specialists.

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