How do I create Instagram collab posts?

With Instagram collaborator posts, you can schedule & publish posts with up to 5 Instagram users directly from Sprout.

How it works

1. Open Compose from the main navigation.
2. Select an Instagram profile.
3. Select Invite Collaborators under Instagram Options.
4. Input the handle of a profile you'd like to invite as a collaborator and select them from the dropdown
5. After selecting the profile from the dropdown, Sprout will automatically verify if the profile exists natively on Instagram and is eligible for a Collaborator Invite. 
   • Note: Private Accounts and Age-Restricted Accounts are not eligible for Collab invitations via Instagram's API and will be flagged as invalid
6. If a profile is flagged as invalid or you want to verify that you've entered the intended profile, you can click the profile handle in Sprout to check the profile natively within Instagram
7. Once you've verified your collaborator profiles and scheduled the post, you will be able to view the scheduled post on your calendar. These posts will show with a + representing the other profiles.  

FAQs

Will the invitation be sent to the collaborator upon saving in Compose?
No. The invitation is sent at the time of publishing, not when the post is saved or scheduled.

How do I know if the collaborator was added?
Once published, check your Sprout Calendar. Hover over the post to see collaborator names and their status (accepted, rejected, or pending). Allow up to 24 hours for the status to update.

Why is the Collaborator profile I selected showing as invalid in the Compose window? 
This could be due to one of the following reasons: 

• The profile is a Private Account. Instagram does not allow private accounts to be collaborators.

• The profile is an Age-Restricted Account. Accounts with age gates cannot be tagged as collaborators via the API.

• The profile name entered has a typo or no longer exists. You can click the handle in Sprout to review and search for the profile natively in Instagram. This will help to confirm the exact handle needed for your invitation in Sprout. 

I can see the profile exists natively but it was marked invalid in Sprout. How do I determine if the profile is private or restricted?

If you are logged into Instagram as a profile that actively follows the other profile, this can make it difficult to quickly spot if the profile is a private or age-restricted account. In this case, we would recommend copying the address for the profile (from the handle in Sprout) and opening this within a private browsing window such as Google Chrome's incognito. This would allow you to see the profile as an Instagram user who is not actively following the account and has not completed any age verifications. 

Why can't my collaborator find the request?
First, confirm the post didn't fail due to the collaborator's profile settings. Then tell the collaborator to check:

• Their Instagram inbox for a message from you
• Their notifications section on Instagram
• The post itself (they can accept directly from the post)

I added a collaborator but don't see it on the sent post. Where is it?
If the collaborator declined or rejected the request, it won't be displayed on the sent post.

Can I cancel a pending collaborator invitation?
No. Once a post is published with a collaborator invitation, the invitation cannot be cancelled from Sprout. The collaborator must accept or decline on Instagram.

Do comments from collab posts appear in Sprout's Inbox?
If the collab post was published by Profile A in collaboration with Profile B, comments will only appear in Sprout's Inbox for Profile A (the author/creator of the post).

Can I add collaborators from Sprout's mobile app?
No. Collab post creation is only available on web. On native Instagram, adding collaborators is available on mobile.

Can I see metrics and track posts I was invited to collaborate on in the Post Performance Report?
No, not at this time. Collab posts from a profile not connected in Sprout in which you are invited as a collaborator are not currently included in the Post Performance Report. However, we are working closely with Meta to introduce this capability in the near future. Please keep an eye on our Release Notes for future developments!