Is it Safe to Schedule Instagram Posts?

Firstly let’s talk about scheduling. You can automate Instagram posts by using a third-party app like Flick, or by using Instagram’s own scheduling tool on Facebook (though it does have some limitations!). On Flick, you are able to schedule static posts, carousels and Reels, as well as view the best times to post according to your performance. You can also import your top-performing hashtags, write your caption, and publish across multiple platforms, so you don’t have to worry about posting on weekends or at unsociable hours!

In short, the answer is yes – as long as you are using a tool that plays by Instagram’s rules.

When you use a tool that complies with Instagram’s guidelines and rules, the easiest way to tell that it is safe is all about how you log in. If you are redirected to Instagram or Facebook’s sign-in screen directly in their app or browser (rather than only having to log in to a third-party app), then it is likely the scheduler you are using is safe as they have access to Instagram’s API.

As long as you are using a scheduler or tool that complies with Instagram’s guidelines and rules, you won’t get banned. If you’re worried about getting shadowbanned on Instagram, read our Instagram on how to stop that from happening, here!

We may be biased, but Flick’s scheduling tool not only allows you to schedule Reels, Carousels, Videos, and more across Instagram, but you can also schedule across Facebook (more platforms coming too!). What’s more, is that you can view your best posting times, and have access to your top-performing hashtags for your account based on their historical performance (which helps grow your reach) and analytics across your account – all part of one profile.

You might notice that you are unable to post on a scheduler in the same way that you can when you post directly to Instagram. For example, on a scheduler, you won’t be able to adjust or change your thumbnail on a Reel, or access Instagram’s music library to pick a new track. This is all because of what Instagram’s API allows third-party apps access to. You can read about the Instagram API here, but in short, it is just Instagram’s interface and rulebook – it’s constantly changing and developing, so these features will probably be available in the future but they just aren’t right now!

Now you know that it’s safe to schedule on Instagram, why not check out our scheduler?

To schedule a post using Flick, you’ll need to have your Facebook account connected to the app (if you’re already subscribed, this should be the case anyway!).

You can then navigate to the post scheduler, where you should see a blank calendar, just asking for content to be scheduled into it.

You can view the calendar by week or by month, and you are also able to drag and drop media to create a library of content to choose from. Once you’ve scheduled a post, you can filter by ‘used’ and ‘unused’ content, in case you happen to be a little forgetful.

Within the scheduler, to create a post, just navigate to the calendar and tap ‘New Post’. You can also just drag a piece of content from the library into the calendar where you’d like it scheduled for.

From here, you can select which platforms you want to create your post for. You can either select one platform or create a ‘multi-platform’ post if you repurpose content across your different accounts. Currently, you can schedule for Facebook and Instagram – but TikTok, Twitter and LinkedIn will be coming soon!

Here, you are able to get crafty with your caption and import your saved hashtags from Collections you have already created in Flick (which are optimized to your account for the highest chance of Reach and eyes on your posts). More on how to find hashtags that will actually grow your account, here.

Once you’ve drafted up your caption, you can edit your thumbnail (if posting a video), trim your video and tag other accounts. This is also where you can insert a location tag, or schedule a first comment depending on where you publish your hashtags. From here, you can schedule your post, or save it as a draft (useful if you don’t yet have the content to publish yet, and you’re using a placeholder).

Flick will show you your best times to post according to your account when you select a date and time for your post to go out and will notify you whether the post will be auto-published or scheduled via a push notification. If for any reason your post cannot be scheduled, we will let you know via email or notification, so you can always stay on top of your account. Even if you select your content to go out on ‘auto’, you will still be sent a notification when it’s gone live, so you can check it out, and edit anything you might want to change.

In case you run multiple accounts, you can also link these to Flick in order to switch between accounts, keeping all your scheduling calendars in one place.