iMan

Automate Instagram stories publishing from Google Sheets with Meta Graph API

# Automated Instagram Stories from Google Sheets ## 🚀 What it Does This workflow **automates posting Instagram Stories** directly from a list of video URLs in a Google Sheet. Simply add a video link to the sheet, and this template will schedule and post it for you. It's designed to be a "set it and forget it" solution for your content strategy. **Key Features:** * **Fully Automated:** Runs on a schedule to post new content without manual intervention. * **Simple Content Management:** Manage your entire video queue from one Google Sheet. * **Smart & Safe:** Automatically avoids posting duplicate content by tracking what has already been published. * **Randomized Posting:** Shuffles the video list to ensure varied content is posted, not just the first one on the list. ----- ## 📋 Pre-Setup Requirements Before you start, you'll need a few things. This is the most important part of the setup\! 1. **Instagram Business Account:** A personal account won't work. It must be a Business or Creator account. 2. **Facebook Page:** Your Instagram Business Account must be connected to a Facebook Page. 3. **Meta Developer Account:** This is required to create an "App" that gives n8n permission to post on your behalf. 4. **A Publicly Accessible Place to Host Videos:** This is critical. The video URLs you use must be direct links to the video file. * ✅ **Good Sources:** Shopify file storage, Amazon S3, a WordPress site with a valid SSL certificate (`https://...`). * ❌ **Unreliable Sources:** Google Drive and Dropbox share links **will not work** because they are not direct links to the video file itself. ----- ## ⚙️ Step-by-Step Setup Guide Follow these three parts carefully. Once done, you won't have to touch the configuration again. ### Part 1: Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Configuration This section generates the keys and IDs you need to allow n8n to communicate with Instagram. 1. **Create a Meta App:** * Go to [Meta for Developers](https://developers.facebook.com/) and create a new app. * **Detailed Guide:** [Meta's Official Guide to Creating an App](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/development/create-an-app/) 2. **Configure App Permissions:** * In your new app's dashboard, add the "**Instagram Graph API**" product. * Under "Permissions," you will need to grant `instagram_basic`, `instagram_content_publish`, `pages_show_list`, and `pages_read_engagement`. 3. **Find Your Instagram Business Account ID:** * You'll need this ID for the workflow. 3.1. **Log in:** to your Instagram account. 3.2. **Click on your Profile:** in the menu on the left. 3.3. **Click:** "Edit Profile" at the top. 3.4. Under the **"Settings"** heading, click **"See more in Accounts Center"**. 3.5. **Select:** your intended Instagram profile. 3.6. In the URL, your Instagram Business Account ID will be displayed after `/profiles` in a numerical format. **Example:** `https://accountscenter.instagram.com/profiles/[YOUR_ID]/?theme=dark` 4. **Generate a Long-Lived Access Token:** * An access token is like a password for n8n to use. A standard one expires quickly, so you need a long-lived one. * **Official Guide:** [Meta's Guide to Generating a Long-Lived Token](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/facebook-login/guides/access-tokens/get-long-lived/) ----- ### Part 2: Google Sheet Preparation This is where you'll manage your video content. 1. **Create a Google Sheet:** You can make a new one or use our template to get started quickly. * **Download Template:** [Instagram Videos Template.xlsx](https://imanetworks.ch/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Instagram-Videos-Template.xlsx) 2. **Set Up Columns:** Your sheet **must** have these two columns with these exact names: * `source_url`: This is where you will paste the direct URL to your video file. * `posted_story`: Leave this column **empty**. The workflow will automatically fill it with `true` after a video is successfully posted. 3. **Get the Sheet ID:** In your Google Sheet URL, copy the long string of letters and numbers from the middle: `https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/`**`[THIS_IS_THE_SHEET_ID]`**`/edit` ----- ### Part 3: n8n Workflow Configuration Now, let's connect everything inside your n8n workflow. 1. **Fill the `⚙️ Configuration Hub` Node:** * **IG\_BUSINESS\_ID:** Paste the Instagram ID you found in Part 1. * **SHEET\_DOC\_ID:** Paste the Google Sheet ID you found in Part 2. * **SHEET\_TAB\_NAME:** Enter the exact name of the tab in your Google Sheet (e.g., "Instagram Videos"). 2. **Connect Your Credentials:** * **Google Sheets:** In the `📊 Fetch Videos from Sheet` node, create a new credential and connect your Google Account. * **Facebook Graph API:** In the `📤 Create Story Container` node, create a new credential. Use the **App ID**, **App Secret**, and the **Long-Lived Access Token** you generated in Part 1. You will use this same credential for the other Facebook/Instagram nodes. 3. **Activate the Workflow:** * First, test it by clicking the "Execute Workflow" button on the `🚀 Manual Start` node. * Once you confirm it works, **activate the workflow** using the toggle at the top of the screen. The `⏰ Auto Schedule` node is set to run daily by default, but you can change the time to whatever you like. ----- ## 🤔 Troubleshooting * **Error: "(\#10) This endpoint requires the 'instagram\_content\_publish' permission"**: Your Meta App is missing the correct permissions. Go back to the app settings in the Meta Developer dashboard and add it. * **Error: "Unsupported post request" or Video Processing Fails**: This is almost always an issue with the video URL. Ensure it's a **direct link** and not from a service like Google Drive. Paste the URL into your browser—it should immediately start playing the video, not take you to a preview page. * **Error: "Sheet not found"**: Double-check that your `SHEET_DOC_ID` and `SHEET_TAB_NAME` in the Config node are perfectly correct (it's case-sensitive\!). * **Workflow runs but doesn't post**: Make sure you have rows in your Google Sheet where the `posted_story` column is empty. If all are marked `true`, it has nothing new to post. @iMan https://imanetworks.ch/