Common errors when posting on Instagram

It may happen that when posting on Instagram in the scheduler an error message is displayed. Below, we show you the most common ones and recommendations to solve them.

💡 We recommend you check your account status from the Instagram app to verify if you have any alerts. More details here

➡️ (#10) The user is not an Instagram Business.

Only business accounts can self-publish stories on Instagram. Professional creator accounts must post through notifications. This error indicates that you are trying to self-publish a story with a creator account. If you want to change the account type, check the article Account type on Instagram.


➡️ The user cannot be tagged in this media.

This error indicates that the collaborator could not be added to the post. It may be due to the following reasons:
Due to a limitation in the Instagram API, private accounts or accounts with age restrictions are not eligible as collaborators. You can check the steps to verify if your account has age restrictions configured here.

The collaborator's account must be public and active for at least 30 days.

The collaborator’s account may have violated Instagram’s policies; this can be checked in account status by clicking on the three bars on the profile in the "more information and help" section.


➡️ The video format is not supported. Please check spec for supported streams format.

The error indicates that the video does not meet the correct parameters. Check your video settings, it is common that the audio or video bit rate exceeds the maximum supported. The maximum audio bit rate is 128 kbps and the video bit rate is 25000 kbps. If they exceed the limit, you will have to modify the parameters to plan in Metricool. Access a free online converter here.


➡️ (#10) Application does not have permission for this action.

It is due to a permissions issue to post to Instagram automatically. You can fix it by following these steps:

Log in to the dashboard.
Disconnect your Facebook page and Instagram account.
Reconnect your Facebook page and your associated Instagram account will be automatically connected.
Accept all Facebook permissions.

When finished you will be able to post on Instagram automatically as normal.


➡️ Instagram was disconnected

This error indicates that the Instagram account is not connected, so we cannot publish. Reconnect the Instagram account, remembering that the connection to Metricool is made through Facebook permissions. See how to connect Instagram here.


➡️ Media is still being processed

This error is reported by Instagram when they do not process the request to publish, that is, from Metricool we make several retries but finally Instagram rejects the request to publish and returns the error. Normally this error is due to an overload on their servers.

Recommendations for these cases would be to retry the post later or try posting directly from Instagram (as it is possible that not all of their servers are affected). As a suggestion, reducing the weight of attachments could help minimize a post being rejected. However, it will always depend on the side of the social network, who should process our request to post.


➡️ Instagram API Fatal: check that the video complies with Instagram requirements.

This error indicates that the Instagram API did not process the video. In this case, you should check the video parameters, you can check all the requirements here. It is common that the audio or video bit rate exceeds the maximum supported. The maximum audio bit rate is 128 kbps and the video bit rate is 25000 kbps. If they exceed the limit, you will have to modify the parameters to plan in Metricool. Access a free online converter here.

If the parameters are correct, recommendation would be to try posting later, as sometimes Instagram servers may be overloaded or temporarily down.


➡️ Cannot Create Media: Fatal.

This error (like the previous one) indicates that the Instagram API did not process the video. In this case, you should check the video parameters, you can check all the requirements [here]https://help.metricool.com/en/article/image-and-video-requirements-pyf6om/#1-instagram). It is common that the audio or video bit rate exceeds the maximum supported. The maximum audio bit rate is 128 kbps and the video bit rate is 25000 kbps. If they exceed the limit, you will have to modify the parameters to plan in Metricool. Access a free online converter here.

If the parameters are correct, the recommendation would be to try posting later, as sometimes Instagram servers may be overloaded or temporarily down.


➡️ Media upload has failed with error code 2207026.

This error also indicates that the Instagram API did not process the video. In this case, you should check the video parameters, you can check all the requirements [here]https://help.metricool.com/en/article/image-and-video-requirements-pyf6om/#1-instagram). It is common that the audio or video bit rate exceeds the maximum supported. The maximum audio bit rate is 128 kbps and the video bit rate is 25000 kbps. If they exceed the limit, you will have to modify the parameters to plan in Metricool. Access a free online converter here.

If the parameters are correct, the recommendation would be to try posting later, as sometimes Instagram servers may be overloaded or temporarily down.


➡️ The Instagram post was published with some warnings: Could not set all collaborators.

⚠️ Private Instagram accounts cannot be tagged

This error indicates that your post has been published, but all collaborators could not be added. The main causes could be:
The username is invalid or incorrect: if you tag an invalid collaborator, the post will be published omitting the incorrect collaborator.
You are tagging accounts that have been active for less than 30 days: make sure to tag collaborators who have public Instagram accounts that have been active for at least 30 days. Private or age-restricted accounts cannot be considered due to Instagram API limitations.
You are tagging accounts with more than 2 policy violations:Instagram may restrict some accounts for violating its policies. Collaborator accounts can only have a maximum of 2 policy violations. The collaborator must appeal to Instagram.
You are trying to tag more than 3 accounts:You can tag a maximum of 3 collaborators on each post (either image or video) due to Instagram API limitations.
Collaborator does not accept the tag: the collaborator must accept the mention for it to appear in the Instagram post. If the collaborator does not accept it or rejects it, the content will be published without a collaborator.


➡️ An unexpected error has occurred. Please retry your request later.

This message indicates an unexpected error. Instagram does not provide further details. The recommendation would be to try to post later. If the error persists, please contact us via chat.


➡️ The Instagram account is restricted.

Instagram (and also Facebook) can apply restrictions to accounts completely or only for API publishing. Possible causes are usually for detecting a security breach (login from multiple devices), excessive posting (content may be considered spam) and using platforms to post that are not authorized by the Meta API.

The suspension is usually temporary and can be total or affect only API publishing. Here are some recommendations:

Manual posting: log in to the Instagram app and try posting. If it works, usually retrying from Metricool in a couple of days usually works, however it will always depend on Instagram lifting the suspension to the publication through its API for third parties.
Renew permissions: If after waiting you still can't publish, some users find it works to renew the permissions granted to Metricool:

Log in to Facebook.com and make sure to select your personal profile at the top right.
Remove Metricool from Enterprise integrations


Reconnect your Instagram account from the dashboard


➡️ We restricted certain activity to protect our community. Tell us if we make a mistake.

This error message means that Instagram has detected something unusual in your account activity. Instagram's security algorithm is designed to detect red flags in our activities. If we like too many posts in a short time, try to send a copied message to too many people, follow too many accounts in one day, or post content that violates Instagram's rules, our accounts may be limited.

The suspension is usually temporary and can be total or affect only in the publication by API. Here are some recommendations:

Check Business Manager : to see if you have any warnings (access from here).
Temporary break: If your account is under restrictions, take a short break from Instagram to allow their algorithm to reset and lift the restrictions.
Set password from a new device: If you change your password, you indirectly tell Instagram that you are the true owner of this account and that you are not a bot. It is important that you reset your password from a device that you have not used before to access Instagram, otherwise it will not work.
Avoid unauthorized third-party apps: These types of apps violate Instagram's terms of use and may cause account restrictions, meaning that certain actions will be limited or even restricted.
Report the problem to Instagram : If the error persists and you believe it is a bug or that your account has been unfairly restricted, you can report the problem to Instagram through the app. Go to your profile, tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner, then tap “Settings”. Scroll down and select “Help”, followed by “Report a problem”. Explain the situation and focus on the features that became unavailable, requesting a review of your Instagram account to try again later.
Contact Instagram support: Contact Instagram support. More details here.


💡 You can find more information about the bugs in the Instagram developer documentation.

If you get a different error, please contact us via support chat

Updated on: 16/04/2025