InstagramInstagramSocial

Stage an Instagram post — create its media container

instagram.instagram.media.container.create

Stage an Instagram post by creating the media container it will be published from

Price: freeAt provider cost
Success rate: —No success-rate data yetNo success-rate data yet
Latency p50: ——
Last verified: —Not verified yet

POSThttps://toolswitch.dev/v1/tools/instagram.instagram.media.container.createPreview

Uses platform quota
Synchronous response
Reads public data

Parameters

step 1 of the publish flow. Needs instagram_content_publish (treg's `post` capability — a `read` connection 403s here) and returns {id: <container id>}. A VIDEO container is not ready when this returns: poll instagram.media.container.status until status_code is FINISHED before publishing, or the publish call fails. Stories have no carousel — publish each story as its own container

Parameter	Type	Required	Description	Example
Path parameters
`ig_user_id`	string	Required	numeric Instagram professional account id — the same one instagram.user.profile takes	`17841400000000000`
Query parameters
`caption`	string	Optional	up to 2,200 characters and 30 hashtags. On a carousel the caption belongs on the PARENT container — set it on a child and the post publishes captionless	`Three things we learned this week.`
`children`	string	Optional	CAROUSEL parent only: comma-separated child container ids, 2 to 10 of them, in display order	`17890000000000001,17890000000000002`
`image_url`	string	Optional	public JPEG URL. Use this OR video_url, never both	`https://example.com/photo.jpg`
`video_url`	string	Optional	public MP4 URL	`https://example.com/clip.mp4`
`media_type`	string	Optional	omit for a plain feed image; REELS for a video in the feed, STORIES for a 24-hour story, CAROUSEL for the parent container that groups children	`REELS`
`location_id`	string	Optional	a Facebook Page id that has a location
`thumb_offset`	integer	Optional	video only — milliseconds into the clip to take the cover frame from	`0`
`collaborators`	string	Optional	JSON array of @handles invited as collaborators; not allowed on stories
`is_carousel_item`	boolean	Optional	true on each child container of a carousel; children carry no caption and are never published on their own	`true`

Path parameters
ig_user_idstringRequired
numeric Instagram professional account id — the same one instagram.user.profile takes
Example: 17841400000000000
Query parameters
captionstringOptional
up to 2,200 characters and 30 hashtags. On a carousel the caption belongs on the PARENT container — set it on a child and the post publishes captionless
Example: Three things we learned this week.
childrenstringOptional
CAROUSEL parent only: comma-separated child container ids, 2 to 10 of them, in display order
Example: 17890000000000001,17890000000000002
image_urlstringOptional
public JPEG URL. Use this OR video_url, never both
Example: https://example.com/photo.jpg
video_urlstringOptional
public MP4 URL
Example: https://example.com/clip.mp4
media_typestringOptional
omit for a plain feed image; REELS for a video in the feed, STORIES for a 24-hour story, CAROUSEL for the parent container that groups children
Example: REELS
location_idstringOptional
a Facebook Page id that has a location
thumb_offsetintegerOptional
video only — milliseconds into the clip to take the cover frame from
Example: 0
collaboratorsstringOptional
JSON array of @handles invited as collaborators; not allowed on stories
is_carousel_itembooleanOptional
true on each child container of a carousel; children carry no caption and are never published on their own
Example: true

Code samples

Replace $TOOLSWITCH_KEY with the key you created in the console.

Preview

curl -X POST 'https://toolswitch.dev/v1/tools/instagram.instagram.media.container.create' \
  -H "X-Toolswitch-Key: $TOOLSWITCH_KEY"

import os
import requests

response = requests.request(
    "POST",
    "https://toolswitch.dev/v1/tools/instagram.instagram.media.container.create",
    headers={"X-Toolswitch-Key": os.environ["TOOLSWITCH_KEY"]},
)
response.raise_for_status()
print(response.text)

const response = await fetch("https://toolswitch.dev/v1/tools/instagram.instagram.media.container.create", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "X-Toolswitch-Key": process.env.TOOLSWITCH_KEY ?? "",
  },
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
console.log(await response.text());

This gateway API is in preview; its URL and authentication may change. The example parameters are sample data. Calls are billed at free, including the service fee.