Instagram Collab posts let a public account invite other Instagram accounts to co-author a Feed post or Reel. In Loomly, add the collaborators while preparing the Instagram version of the post, then schedule it alongside the rest of your content.
How Instagram Collab posts work
A Collab post is not the same as an @mention or an image tag. The original author creates the post and remains its primary author. Instagram then sends an invitation to each account named as a collaborator. The post becomes a Collab post for an invited account only after that account accepts the invitation.
Instagram currently allows the original author to invite up to five collaborators. That is up to six accounts in total when you include the original author.
- The original author must have a public account.
- A public original author can invite either public or private accounts as collaborators.
- Each invited account can accept or decline the invitation.
- The original author can add or remove collaborators through Instagram after the post is published.
Do not promise a partner a shared post until they have accepted the invitation. A Collab invitation is an Instagram action that the invited account controls.
What you need before scheduling
For direct publishing from Loomly, connect an Instagram Business or Creator account through its associated Facebook Page. Accounts connected by username use reminder-based manual publishing instead. Collab posts are supported for eligible Instagram Feed posts and Reels; they are not available for Instagram Stories in Loomly.
Before you build the post, agree on the final media, caption, disclosure language if applicable, and the exact Instagram usernames for every collaborator. This avoids changing the plan after the post is scheduled or after an invitation is sent.
How to schedule an Instagram Collab post in Loomly
- Create a new post in the Loomly calendar that contains the connected Instagram account.
- Select Instagram and add the media for a Feed post or Reel.
- Open the Instagram Fine-tune Content panel.
- Find the collaborators field and enter each collaborator's exact Instagram username.
- Add no more than five collaborators.
- Review the Instagram-specific caption, media, and any other available publishing settings.
- Confirm that Loomly has selected direct publishing. If the account is connected by username or the media is not eligible, use the manual publishing reminder.
- Schedule the post or submit it for approval.
Loomly sends the collaborator usernames with the Instagram post at publishing time. Instagram handles the invitations and acceptance flow after the post is published.
Plan for acceptance before the post goes live
Tell each collaborator when the post is scheduled and ask them to watch for Instagram's invitation. Acceptance is not automatic, and it may happen after the post is live. If a time-sensitive campaign needs every collaborator displayed from the start, obtain confirmation before scheduling and check the published post after the invitations are sent.
Keep the original post owner clear in your working brief. That account is the primary author and controls collaborator changes on Instagram after publishing.
Collab posts, @mentions, and user tags
- Collab post: an invitation for another account to co-author a Feed post or Reel.
- @mention: a reference to an account in the caption or a comment.
- User tag: a tag placed on an Instagram image.
You can use these features together when that makes the post clearer, but they serve different purposes. An @mention or user tag does not create a Collab post, and adding a collaborator does not replace useful caption context.
Useful Collab post formats
Choose a format where both parties have a clear role in the content. Common examples include co-marketing announcements, creator partnerships, event recaps, product demonstrations, interviews, and customer stories. The format matters less than having a shared message, approved assets, and a collaborator who has agreed to accept the invitation.
Instagram Collab post checklist
- Publish from a public original author account.
- Use a Feed post or Reel, not an Instagram Story.
- Enter exact usernames and invite no more than five collaborators.
- Use a Page-connected Business or Creator account for direct publishing from Loomly.
- Use a reminder when the account is connected by username or the post must be published manually.
- Check the published post and the collaborator acceptance status in Instagram.
