Guide
How to post to Instagram and Facebook at the same time
Instagram and Facebook belong to the same company, so it is easy to assume a post that works on one works on the other. Mostly it does. The exceptions are video, links, text-only posts and which kind of account you post from, and each one can quietly turn a cross-post into a missing post. Here are your options and the rules that matter.
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Three ways to do it
- Share from Instagram as you postOnce the two are linked in Meta’s Accounts Center, Instagram can share a post to Facebook at the moment you publish it. It is the quickest route if you post by hand and only use these two apps.
- Meta’s own plannerMeta Business Suite can schedule to a Facebook Page and the Instagram account linked to it. A good fit if Instagram and Facebook are the only places you post.
- A scheduler that covers your other platforms tooIf the same post should also reach Bluesky, X or TikTok, a tool such as Bloom schedules it to all of them from one composer and fits it to each. Bloom publishes to Instagram and your Facebook Page on the free plan.
Whichever you choose, the rules below are the platforms’ own, so they apply to all three.
Where Instagram and Facebook differ
| Facebook Page | ||
|---|---|---|
| Account apps can post to | Professional account (Business or Creator) | A Page you manage, not a personal profile |
| Post without media | No, a photo or video is required | Yes, text alone works |
| Caption length | Up to 2,200 characters | Long posts are fine |
| Several photos | A carousel of up to 10 | Up to 10 photos in one post |
| Video | A single video posts as a Reel; videos can also sit in a carousel | One video, on its own |
| Links in the text | Not clickable | Clickable |
| Naming others | Tag up to 20 people and invite up to 3 collaborators | Name up to 10 other Pages; no app can tag a person |
Those are the rules as Bloom applies them on 11 October 2026. The sections below are what they mean in practice.
Video: the rule that catches people out
A single video works everywhere: it becomes a Reel on Instagram and a video post on your Facebook Page. The trouble starts when a post mixes a video with photos. Instagram turns that into a carousel with the video as one of the items. Facebook takes a video on its own, so the photos beside it don’t go to Facebook at all.
Bloom tells you when that happens: the Facebook result says how many attachments were left off. Better to decide before you schedule. If the video is the point, post it alone. If the photos are the point, leave the video for its own post, or for a scheduled Reel another day.
Video also takes longer to go live than a photo. Both Instagram and Facebook download the file and prepare it after it is sent, which can take a few minutes, so a video scheduled for 6:00 may appear at 6:03.
Text-only posts and links
Facebook Pages are happy with text alone: an announcement, opening hours, a question for your followers. Instagram refuses a post without a photo or video. If you want a text update on both, add an image for Instagram, even a simple graphic with the main line on it, or send the text to Facebook only.
Links are the other split. On Facebook a link in the text is clickable. On Instagram it is just text, so “link below” strands people. Keep the URL in the Facebook version and write “link in bio” for Instagram, with the link really in your bio or on a link-in-bio page you keep current. In Bloom you can rewrite either version before it is scheduled, so the two can differ in exactly that one line.
Getting the accounts right
Apps can only publish to an Instagram professional account, Business or Creator. Switching a personal account is free in Instagram’s settings, and your posts and followers stay the same. Bloom can connect it with your Instagram login, so a Facebook Page isn’t needed for Instagram itself.
On Facebook, apps can only post to Pages, never to a personal profile. If you have been posting as yourself, create a Page for the brand or the work; it is free and takes a few minutes. You connect it to Bloom through Meta’s own sign-in screen, and you can connect more than one Page or Instagram account if you run several.
Bloom only posts what you wrote and scheduled. It doesn’t like, follow, comment or send messages, and you can disconnect either account at any time, in Bloom or in Meta’s settings. More on that on the security page.
Keep each version at home
Posting the same thing to both is normal; what tends to fall flat is a post that clearly ignores the platform it is on. Three small habits help:
- Lead with the point. Instagram shows only the start of a caption before “more”, so the first line has to work alone.
- Hashtags on Instagram. That is where people search them. Keep your saved sets for the Instagram version.
- Check the first week. Open both apps after your first few cross-posts. Did the video reach Facebook? Did the Instagram caption say “link below”? Fix the pattern once and the rest of the month follows it.
For more than these two platforms, read how to post to multiple social media platforms at once or how to post to Bluesky and Instagram together.
Frequently asked questions
Can I post to Instagram and Facebook at the same time?
Yes. Instagram can share to a linked Facebook account as you post, Meta Business Suite can schedule to both, and schedulers such as Bloom publish to both from one post, along with your other platforms.
Why didn’t my photos go to Facebook with my video?
A Facebook post carries a video on its own. When a post mixes a video with photos, Facebook gets the video and the photos are left off. Instagram turns the same mix into a carousel.
Can apps post to a personal Facebook profile?
No. Meta only lets apps publish to Facebook Pages. Create a free Page for your brand or work and connect that.
Do I need an Instagram business account to post to both?
You need a professional account, either Business or Creator. Both are free, and switching keeps your posts and followers.
Is it free to schedule Instagram and Facebook posts together?
In Bloom, yes. Scheduling and automatic publishing for Instagram and Facebook Pages is on the free plan. Pro ($4.99 a month) adds storage and automatic X posts.
Write it once. Bloom posts it everywhere.
Connect your accounts, schedule your first post and let Bloom publish it. The free plan includes automatic posting to Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky.
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