Instagram Upload API

This section details how to upload photos, videos, reels, stories, and carousels to Instagram using the API.

Base URL

https://api.multi-upload-tool.com/api/v1

Authentication

All requests require an API Token in the header: x-api-key: YOUR_API_TOKEN

Requirements

Instagram Video Requirements

• Container Format: MOV or MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14), no edit lists, moov atom at head.
• Audio Codec: AAC, 48 kHz max, 1-2 channels, 128 kbps.
• Video Codec: HEVC or H264, progressive scan, closed GOP, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling.
• Video Bitrate: VBR, max 25 Mbps.
• Frame Rate: 23-60 FPS.
• Resolution: Max width 1920px.
• Aspect Ratio: 0.01:1 to 10:1 (Recommended 9:16 to avoid cropping).
• Duration: 3 seconds to 15 minutes.
• File Size: Max 300 MB.

Instagram Photo Requirements

• Formats: PNG, JPEG, GIF.
• File Size: Max 8 MB.
• Media Types: IMAGE (Feed), STORIES (JPEG only — see Publish a Story).
• Carousels: Up to 10 images/videos.

Validation & Limits

The API enforces the following constraints. Some limits are recommended by Instagram (via their Platform documentation ); others are enforced by us before submission.

Upload Photo

Upload a single photo or a story to a connected Instagram account.

Endpoint

POST /upload

Content-Type

multipart/form-data

Parameters

Query Parameters

Body Parameters

Example Request (Photo)

curl -X POST https://api.multi-upload-tool.com/api/v1/upload \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -F "accountId=cmf3k9x2a0001l408q7vbn2hd" \
  -F "photo=@/path/to/image.jpg" \
  -F "title=Hello Instagram! #vibes" \
  -F "media_type=IMAGE" \
  -F "location_id=123456789"

Upload Video

Upload a single video, reel, or video story to a connected Instagram account.

Endpoint

POST /upload

Content-Type

multipart/form-data

Parameters

Query Parameters

Body Parameters

Example Request (Video/Reel)

curl -X POST https://api.multi-upload-tool.com/api/v1/upload \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -F "accountId=cmf3k9x2a0001l408q7vbn2hd" \
  -F "video=@/path/to/video.mp4" \
  -F "title=My new reel! 🎥" \
  -F "media_type=REELS" \
  -F "cover_url=https://example.com/cover.jpg"

Upload Carousel

Upload a carousel (album) containing up to 10 photos and/or videos.

Endpoint

POST /upload

Content-Type

multipart/form-data

Parameters

Query Parameters

Body Parameters

Note on music: The Instagram Platform API does not allow attaching music from Instagram’s library to a carousel (or to any other media type). There is no audio_id / music_id parameter — this is an Instagram-side limitation. To add a song from the Instagram music library, open the published post in the Instagram app and add music there.

Example Request (Carousel)

curl -X POST https://api.multi-upload-tool.com/api/v1/upload \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -F "accountId=cmf3k9x2a0001l408q7vbn2hd" \
  -F "photo=@/path/to/photo1.jpg" \
  -F "photo=@/path/to/video2.mp4" \
  -F "photo=@/path/to/photo3.jpg" \
  -F "title=My mixed media dump 📸🎥"

Example Response

{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Upload queued successfully",
  "data": {
    "uploadId": 789,
    "status": "pending",
    "jobId": "job_456"
  }
}

Publish a Story

Set media_type=STORIES and the post goes to the account’s story instead of the feed. Same endpoint, same connection — nothing extra to authorise.

A story is not a short post, and Instagram’s API is strict about it:

• One media, and only these formats: a JPEG image up to 8 MB — a PNG is refused — or an MP4/MOV video of 3 to 60 seconds, up to 100 MB.
• No caption. Instagram drops the text. We accept title/description so the same request shape works, but nothing is sent.
• No collaborators, no location. Both are refused with a 400. Stickers (location, link, poll, mention) only exist in the Instagram app; the API publishes the media alone.
• No AI label. is_ai_generated is not a story parameter. If you send is_aigc, the story publishes without it — the flag describes the content, and a bulk post may legitimately carry it for another platform.
• It lasts 24 hours, then it is gone. There is no permanent URL, and a story never appears in Analytics.

What can be checked before anything is stored (media count, collaborators, location) is refused immediately with a 400. Format, size and duration are checked once the file is in hand; a story that breaks one of them fails with the reason, without retrying — the same file would fail the same way again.

Example Request (Story)

curl -X POST https://api.multi-upload-tool.com/api/v1/upload \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -F "accountId=cmf3k9x2a0001l408q7vbn2hd" \
  -F "media_type=STORIES" \
  -F "video=@/path/to/story.mp4"

In a bulk upload, use instagram_as_story=true instead of media_type: media_type applies to every platform of the batch, while instagram_as_story only turns the Instagram accounts’ posts into stories.