Requirements
Before connecting, make sure your Instagram account is a Business or Creator account — personal accounts cannot use the publishing API. To convert, open the Instagram app → Settings → Account → Switch to Professional Account.
Setup Steps
1. Navigate to Settings → Connections
In your Sphot One dashboard, go to Settings → Connections and click Connect Instagram.
2. Authorise on Facebook/Instagram
You will be redirected to the Facebook OAuth screen. Log in with the account that manages your Instagram. Sphot One requests the following permissions:
- instagram_basic — read your profile and media
- instagram_content_publish — publish Reels and photos on your behalf
- pages_read_engagement — read post insights for analytics
- pages_manage_posts — required by Meta for publishing
Sphot One never posts without your explicit approval in the review step, unless you enable auto-publish in Settings → Connections.
3. Select Your Instagram Account
If you manage multiple pages, select the Instagram account you want to connect. Click Confirm.
4. Verify the Connection
Back in Settings → Connections, you should see a green Connected status with your Instagram username. The connection is now live.
Re-authorising After Token Expiry
Instagram access tokens expire after approximately 60 days. When your token expires:
- You will see a Reconnect button in Settings → Connections.
- Click Reconnect and complete the OAuth flow again.
- Scheduled reels resume publishing automatically after reconnection.
You can set up an email reminder in Settings → Notifications to be warned 7 days before expiry.
Common Errors
| Error | Cause | Fix | |---|---|---| | "Account type mismatch" | Your Instagram is a personal account | Convert to Business or Creator in the Instagram app | | "Permission denied" | A required scope was declined during OAuth | Reconnect and accept all requested permissions | | "Token expired" | 60-day token TTL reached | Click Reconnect in Settings → Connections | | "Rate limit exceeded" | Too many API calls in a short window | Wait 1 hour and retry; contact support if it persists | | "Content publish error" | Instagram rejected the video format | Ensure output is H.264 MP4, 9:16 aspect ratio, under 1 GB |
Disconnecting
To disconnect your Instagram account, go to Settings → Connections → Disconnect. This stops all publishing from Sphot One to that account. Your existing published reels on Instagram are not affected.