Instagram and Facebook channel guide

Connect the right Meta accounts, publish supported formats, and troubleshoot Analytics and Inbox access.

Instagram and Facebook use separate BlendDuck channel connections even when the same person administers both through Meta. Connect each destination you intend to publish to, then verify its account name and avatar before scheduling content.

Account requirements

Channel	Connect this	Confirm before connecting
Instagram	An Instagram professional account	You can authorize third-party publishing for that account.
Facebook	A Facebook Page	Your Meta login has a Page task that permits content creation.

A personal Facebook profile is an authorization identity, not a publishing destination. If BlendDuck returns no Pages, ask a Page owner to grant the correct Meta role and reconnect.

Connect a Meta channel

Sign in to the intended Meta account in another browser tab.
Open Dashboard → Channels.
Choose Instagram or Facebook, then select Connect.
On Meta's authorization screen, keep the account and Page permissions that BlendDuck requests.
Select the intended professional account or Page when more than one target is returned.
Back in BlendDuck, verify the displayed name and avatar.
Publish a low-risk test before adding the channel to a large campaign.

Connect Instagram and Facebook separately. Granting Facebook Page access does not silently create an Instagram connection, or the other way around.

Publish to Instagram

Instagram publishing requires media. Text-only posts and threads are not available, while single-media posts and 2–10 item carousels are supported.

Format	Current BlendDuck behavior
Image post	One image and an optional caption of up to 2,200 characters.
Carousel	Between 2 and 10 images or videos. Mixed image/video carousels are supported.
Reel	One video, up to 180 seconds, with an optional caption. Processing continues after upload.
Story	One image or video; Story video must be 60 seconds or shorter. Captions are not sent as Story text.
Trial Reel	One video. Choose manual graduation or performance-based automatic graduation.

People tags are available only on a single automatically published image post. Use no more than 20 valid Instagram usernames and place each tag on the image. People tags are not sent with Stories or videos.

Publish to a Facebook Page

Facebook Page posts can contain text only, one image, or one video. BlendDuck does not currently send threads or more than one media item.

A text post must contain a non-empty message.
An image post can include an optional caption.
A video is published as a Reel. The composer checks for a 9:16 video at least 540 × 960 pixels and between 4 and 60 seconds.
Reel publishing can remain in processing while Meta finishes the upload. Do not submit a duplicate unless the first operation is marked failed.

Analytics and Inbox

Instagram Analytics includes posts, Stories, and follower history. Facebook Analytics includes Page posts and followers. Provider processing can delay new metrics by up to 48 hours, so a newly published item can appear before its insights.

Inbox availability requires additional Meta review and permissions:

Instagram can sync comments and messages, reply or send messages, hide comments, and delete supported items. Reactions, voice messages, group chats, and outbound media are not available here.
Facebook can sync comments and messages, reply or send messages, react, hide, and delete when the Page grants the required access. Outbound attachments are not enabled.

Use the capability shown on the connected channel. A successful publishing connection does not prove that Inbox review has also been approved.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Resolution
No Facebook Page is returned	Confirm your Meta account has content-creation access to the Page, then reconnect and grant all requested Page permissions.
Instagram connection is missing	Confirm the target is a professional account and authorize the Instagram-specific connection.
Instagram says media is required	Attach one supported Reel/Story media item or a 2–10 item carousel; text-only publishing is not supported.
Facebook rejects multiple images	Reduce the post to one image or publish the album in Facebook natively.
A Reel stays processing	Wait for the provider status check. Inspect the failure reason before retrying.
Analytics or Inbox is absent	Reconnect to grant newly added scopes; if it remains absent, the Meta app or account may still lack review access.

See Media preparation for common upload checks and Social Inbox for workspace access and conversation handling.