Good news: Instagram has finally lifted its API limitations for auto-publishing Stories.
What does that mean for you? You can now schedule Instagram Stories and have them published automatically by Kontentino - no reminders, no manual posting (if you choose Direct Publishing).

In this article, you’ll learn:

The difference between Direct Publishing and Manual Publishing
The pros and cons of each method
Media requirements for Direct Publishing
How to publish Stories step by step using both methods

⚠️ Instagram publishing limit

Instagram allows a maximum of 50 scheduled posts per profile within 24 hours via third-party tools.
This limit applies to all post types (Story, Post, Reel, Carousel).
Each media item in a Carousel counts as one post.

First steps

Set your Instagram account to Business

Your Instagram profile must be a Business account. Instagram does not allow Personal or Creator accounts to connect via the API.
Follow the steps in this article to switch to a Business account.

Connect your Instagram profile to Kontentino

Open the Profile selector
Click Add new
Choose Instagram
Select the profile you want to connect

If you run into connection issues, follow the steps in this article.

Direct Publishing

What is Direct Publishing?

With Direct Publishing, Kontentino publishes your Instagram Stories automatically at the scheduled time.
You simply upload your media, set the posting time, and you’re done.

⚠️ Important: While Instagram now supports auto-publishing Stories, some API limitations still apply.

Direct Publishing does not support:

Text overlays
Stickers
Music
Location
Tagging
Other native Instagram Story features

If you need full creative control, use Manual Publishing instead.

How to publish Stories using the Direct Publishing method?

1. Create a new post

Select your Instagram profile in the Calendar
Hover over a day and click the + button
or
Use Create → Post in the left navigation panel

2. Select "Story" as the post type

The Direct Publishing method is selected by default.

3. Upload your files

Attach your files:

from your device
from your Media Library
using the Kontentino AI image generator

You can add multiple files to create a Story sequence. Reorder media using drag & drop.

Media requirements for Direct Publishing

❗Please take note of the following requirements when uploading your media.

4. Schedule the Story

Set the date and time
Save the post
Send it for approval (if needed)
Click Schedule

Your Story (or Story sequence) will be published automatically at the selected time.

Manual Publishing

What is Manual Publishing?

Manual Publishing gives you full creative freedom.
You schedule the Story in Kontentino, then finish and publish it manually using the Kontentino mobile app.

This method is ideal if you want to:

Add text, stickers, music, locations, or tags
Make last-minute creative tweaks in Instagram

📱 The Kontentino mobile app is required for Manual Publishing.

How to publish Stories using the Manual Publishing method?

1. Create a new post

Select your Instagram profile in the Calendar
Hover over a day and click the + button
or
Use Create → Post in the left navigation panel

2. Select Story and switch to Manual Publishing

Choose Story as the post type
Change the publishing method from Direct to Manual

3. Upload your files

Attach your files:

from your device
from your Media Library
using the Kontentino AI image generator

Adding multiple media files allows you to create sequences. The selected media can be reordered by dragging and dropping.

4. Schedule the Story

Set the date and time
Save the post
Send it for approval (if required)
Click Schedule

⚠️ If you see an error in the Post completion section saying the mobile app is required, make sure:

The Kontentino mobile app is installed and up to date
You’re signed in to the correct Kontentino account
Push notifications are enabled in your phone settings

Push notifications

A push notification is sent 5 minutes before publishing
It goes to the user who scheduled the post
You can change the recipient via the three dots in the push notification tooltip → Change a user

5. Publish the Story

Tap the push notification
You’ll be redirected to the scheduled post in the Kontentino mobile app
Click Publish manually
- Media downloads to your device
- Post text is copied to your clipboard
Instagram opens automatically
(make sure you’re logged into the correct account)
Select the media and publish:
- As-is
  or
- Enhance it with Instagram features (text, music, stickers, tags, location, etc.)