| name | instagram-automation |
| description | Automate Instagram tasks via Rube MCP (Composio): create posts, carousels, manage media, get insights, and publishing limits. Always search tools first for current schemas. |
| risk | unknown |
| source | community |
| date_added | 2026-02-27 |
Instagram Automation via Rube MCP
Automate Instagram operations through Composio's Instagram toolkit via Rube MCP.
Prerequisites
- Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
- Active Instagram connection via
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit instagram
- Always call
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas
- Instagram Business or Creator account required (personal accounts not supported)
Setup
Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.
- Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
- Call
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit instagram
- If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Instagram/Facebook OAuth
- Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows
Core Workflows
1. Create a Single Image/Video Post
When to use: User wants to publish a single photo or video to Instagram
Tool sequence:
INSTAGRAM_GET_USER_INFO - Get Instagram user ID [Prerequisite]INSTAGRAM_CREATE_MEDIA_CONTAINER - Create a media container with the image/video URL [Required]INSTAGRAM_GET_POST_STATUS - Check if the media container is ready [Optional]INSTAGRAM_CREATE_POST or INSTAGRAM_POST_IG_USER_MEDIA_PUBLISH - Publish the container [Required]
Key parameters:
image_url: Public URL of the image to postvideo_url: Public URL of the video to postcaption: Post caption textig_user_id: Instagram Business account user ID
Pitfalls:
- Media URLs must be publicly accessible; private/authenticated URLs will fail
- Video containers may take time to process; poll GET_POST_STATUS before publishing
- Caption supports hashtags and mentions but has a 2200 character limit
- Publishing a container that is not yet finished processing returns an error
2. Create a Carousel Post
When to use: User wants to publish multiple images/videos in a single carousel post
Tool sequence:
INSTAGRAM_CREATE_MEDIA_CONTAINER - Create individual containers for each media item [Required, repeat per item]INSTAGRAM_CREATE_CAROUSEL_CONTAINER - Create the carousel container referencing all media containers [Required]INSTAGRAM_GET_POST_STATUS - Check carousel container readiness [Optional]INSTAGRAM_POST_IG_USER_MEDIA_PUBLISH - Publish the carousel [Required]
Key parameters:
children: Array of media container IDs for the carouselcaption: Carousel post captionig_user_id: Instagram Business account user ID
Pitfalls:
- Carousels require 2-10 media items; fewer or more will fail
- Each child container must be created individually before the carousel container
- All child containers must be fully processed before creating the carousel
- Mixed media (images + videos) is supported in carousels
3. Get Media and Insights
When to use: User wants to view their posts or analyze post performance
Tool sequence:
INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_USER_MEDIA or INSTAGRAM_GET_USER_MEDIA - List user's media [Required]INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_MEDIA - Get details for a specific post [Optional]INSTAGRAM_GET_POST_INSIGHTS or INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_MEDIA_INSIGHTS - Get metrics for a post [Optional]INSTAGRAM_GET_USER_INSIGHTS - Get account-level insights [Optional]
Key parameters:
ig_user_id: Instagram Business account user IDmedia_id: ID of the specific media postmetric: Metrics to retrieve (e.g., impressions, reach, engagement)period: Time period for insights (e.g., day, week, lifetime)
Pitfalls:
- Insights are only available for Business/Creator accounts
- Some metrics require minimum follower counts
- Insight data may have a delay of up to 48 hours
- The
period parameter must match the metric type
4. Check Publishing Limits
When to use: User wants to verify they can publish before attempting a post
Tool sequence:
INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_USER_CONTENT_PUBLISHING_LIMIT - Check remaining publishing quota [Required]
Key parameters:
ig_user_id: Instagram Business account user ID
Pitfalls:
- Instagram enforces a 25 posts per 24-hour rolling window limit
- Publishing limit resets on a rolling basis, not at midnight
- Check limits before bulk posting operations to avoid failures
5. Get Media Comments and Children
When to use: User wants to view comments on a post or children of a carousel
Tool sequence:
INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_MEDIA_COMMENTS - List comments on a media post [Required]INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_MEDIA_CHILDREN - List children of a carousel post [Optional]
Key parameters:
media_id: ID of the media postig_media_id: Alternative media ID parameter
Pitfalls:
- Comments may be paginated; follow pagination cursors for complete results
- Carousel children are returned as individual media objects
- Comment moderation settings on the account affect what is returned
Common Patterns
ID Resolution
Instagram User ID:
1. Call INSTAGRAM_GET_USER_INFO
2. Extract ig_user_id from response
3. Use in all subsequent API calls
Media Container Status Check:
1. Call INSTAGRAM_CREATE_MEDIA_CONTAINER
2. Extract container_id from response
3. Poll INSTAGRAM_GET_POST_STATUS with container_id
4. Wait until status is 'FINISHED' before publishing
Two-Phase Publishing
- Phase 1: Create media container(s) with content URLs
- Phase 2: Publish the container after it finishes processing
- Always check container status between phases for video content
- For carousels, all children must complete Phase 1 before creating the carousel container
Known Pitfalls
Media URLs:
- All image/video URLs must be publicly accessible HTTPS URLs
- URLs behind authentication, CDN restrictions, or that require cookies will fail
- Temporary URLs (pre-signed S3, etc.) may expire before processing completes
Rate Limits:
- 25 posts per 24-hour rolling window
- API rate limits apply separately from publishing limits
- Implement exponential backoff for 429 responses
Account Requirements:
- Only Business or Creator Instagram accounts are supported
- Personal accounts cannot use the Instagram Graph API
- The account must be connected to a Facebook Page
Response Parsing:
- Media IDs are numeric strings
- Insights data may be nested under different response keys
- Pagination uses cursor-based tokens
Quick Reference
| Task | Tool Slug | Key Params |
|---|
| Get user info | INSTAGRAM_GET_USER_INFO | (none) |
| Create media container | INSTAGRAM_CREATE_MEDIA_CONTAINER | image_url/video_url, caption |
| Create carousel | INSTAGRAM_CREATE_CAROUSEL_CONTAINER | children, caption |
| Publish post | INSTAGRAM_CREATE_POST | ig_user_id, creation_id |
| Publish media | INSTAGRAM_POST_IG_USER_MEDIA_PUBLISH | ig_user_id, creation_id |
| Check post status | INSTAGRAM_GET_POST_STATUS | ig_container_id |
| List user media | INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_USER_MEDIA | ig_user_id |
| Get media details | INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_MEDIA | ig_media_id |
| Get post insights | INSTAGRAM_GET_POST_INSIGHTS | media_id, metric |
| Get user insights | INSTAGRAM_GET_USER_INSIGHTS | ig_user_id, metric, period |
| Get publishing limit | INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_USER_CONTENT_PUBLISHING_LIMIT | ig_user_id |
| Get media comments | INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_MEDIA_COMMENTS | ig_media_id |
| Get carousel children | INSTAGRAM_GET_IG_MEDIA_CHILDREN | ig_media_id |
When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.
