How to Post on Instagram (2026 Guide)

To post on Instagram: tap the plus icon in the top right, pick Post, select your photo or video, choose a crop, add a caption, then tap Share. That covers the feed. Reels, Stories, and desktop posting each work slightly differently, and the sizes matter more than most people realise because Instagram compresses anything that does not fit.

How to post a photo or video to your feed

1. Tap the plus icon in the top right, then select Post.
2. Choose a photo or video from your camera roll, or tap the camera icon to shoot one.
3. Pick your crop. Tap the expand arrows in the bottom left to keep the original aspect ratio instead of a square.
4. Tap Next, apply a filter or adjust brightness and contrast if you want to.
5. Tap Next again, write your caption, tag people, add a location, and add the post to a topic if prompted.
6. Tap Share.

How to post multiple photos in one post

On the media picker, tap the Select multiple icon, the two overlapping squares. Tap up to 20 photos or videos in the order you want them to appear, since the numbers you tap set the sequence. Carousels use the aspect ratio of the first item for every slide, so crop the first one carefully or everything after it gets forced into that shape.

How to post a reel

1. Tap the plus icon and select Reel.
2. Record in app, or upload a vertical video from your camera roll.
3. Trim the clip, add audio from the music library, and add text or stickers.
4. Tap Next, write the caption, and pick a cover frame. The cover is what shows on your profile grid.
5. Leave Also share to feed on unless you want the reel to stay out of your grid.
6. Tap Share.

Instagram post sizes that avoid compression

• Square post: 1080 x 1080 pixels, 1:1.
• Portrait post: 1080 x 1350 pixels, 4:5. This takes the most vertical space in the feed, so it is the default choice for reach.
• Landscape post: 1080 x 566 pixels, 1.91:1.
• Reel and Story: 1080 x 1920 pixels, 9:16. Keep text inside the middle 1080 x 1420 so the interface does not cover it.
• Profile grid crop: Instagram shows a 4:5 crop of every post on the grid, so avoid putting anything critical at the far left or right edge.

How to post from a computer

1. Go to instagram.com and log in.
2. Click Create in the left sidebar, the plus icon.
3. Drag your file in or click Select from computer.
4. Crop, then click Next, apply adjustments, click Next again.
5. Write the caption, add alt text under Accessibility, then click Share.

Desktop supports photos, videos, carousels, and reels. It does not support Stories. For scheduling, use Meta Business Suite instead, which is free and lets you queue feed posts and reels weeks ahead.

How to post a story

Swipe right from your feed or tap your profile picture with the plus badge. Shoot or upload, add text, stickers, music, or a link sticker, then tap Your story to publish or Close friends to limit it. Stories expire after 24 hours unless you add them to a Highlight from the viewer screen.

Writing a caption that does something

• Put the hook in the first line. Instagram truncates after about 125 characters and everything past that needs a tap.
• Ask for one specific action. "Comment GUIDE and I'll send it" outperforms "link in bio" because it costs one tap instead of three.
• Keep hashtags to three to five relevant ones. Blocks of thirty stopped helping years ago.
• Add alt text under Advanced settings. It helps accessibility and gives Instagram more context about the image.

Turn the comments into something you keep

The comment-a-keyword ask works because comments are one tap and they feed the algorithm at the same time. The part most people skip is the follow through. Answering every comment by hand does not scale past a post that performs.

Comment-to-DM automation sends the link privately to everyone who comments your keyword, within seconds, and can capture an email before delivering it. Comment to DM automation covers the setup and the step by step guide takes about 4 minutes end to end.