Because the option always appears in Metricool, but it will only work if Instagram has enabled the feature for your account. If it’s not active, publishing will fail.
How to Publish Instagram Trial Reels in Metricool
Updated last month
Trial Reels are a new Instagram format that lets you test how a Reel performs before publishing it permanently on your feed. Trial Reels are shown exclusively to people who don’t follow your account (non-followers), so you can analyze initial performance without impacting your existing audience.
Not all Instagram accounts have access to this feature: availability depends entirely on Instagram.
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Good to know
The requirement is that Instagram has enabled Trial Reels for your account. Instagram rolls out access account by account.
In Metricool, the option will always appear, but if Instagram hasn’t enabled the feature for your account, publishing will fail.
Collaborators (Collabs) can’t be added to this type of content.
Trial Reels are shown only to non-followers during the testing period.
Sharing the Trial Reel with your audience
Instagram lets you decide what happens to your Trial Reel after its initial publication.
If you enable Share automatically with everyone, Instagram will evaluate the Trial Reel’s performance during the first 72 hours.
If it gets a high number of views during that period, it will automatically be shared with your full audience.
If you don’t enable this option, the Trial Reel won’t be shared automatically, even if it performs well. You’ll need to manage it directly from Instagram.
This feature depends entirely on Instagram. Metricool always attempts the Trial Reel, and Instagram decides at that moment whether your account has access, based on its own gradual, account-by-account rollout.
How to publish a Trial Reel from Metricool (step by step)
Click + Create new post and select Instagram as the social network.
In the content type dropdown, choose Trial Reel.
Add your caption and upload the video.
Configure the Share automatically with everyone option after the trial period.
Select the date and time (skip this step if you want to publish right away).
Choose how to complete the post (schedule, save as draft, etc.) — and you’re done!
How can I check if my account can publish Trial Reels?
The only reliable check is trying to publish: Metricool always attempts the Trial Reel, and Instagram decides at that moment whether your account has access. You can try from Metricool, or from the Instagram app directly if you prefer: if the Trial Reel option shows as enabled there, Instagram has activated the feature for your account.
The Trial Reels option always appears in Metricool during content creation, but it only works once Instagram has enabled it for your account. If you get an error when publishing, it means Instagram hasn’t activated this feature for your account yet, regardless of your follower count.
FAQs
Why do I see the Trial Reels option in Metricool if Instagram won’t let me publish them?
Who sees a Trial Reel during the testing period?
Users who don’t follow your account (non-followers). Instagram analyzes early performance without showing it to your regular audience.
Do users know they’re watching a Trial Reel?
No. They’ll see it as a regular Reel and won’t know it’s in a testing phase.
Where can I see my Trial Reels on Instagram?
They’re visible only to you on your profile, in the drafts section. They don’t appear publicly on your feed while they’re in testing.
Can a Trial Reel appear elsewhere on Instagram even if it’s not on my profile?
Yes. Instagram states it may appear in other places, such as:
audio, filter, or location pages used in the Reel,
or if someone shares it via DM.
Can I add collaborators (Collabs) to a Trial Reel?
No. Instagram doesn’t allow collaborators for this format.
What happens after the 72-hour testing period?
If you selected the automatic option and performance meets Instagram’s internal criteria, the Reel will be published automatically on your feed.
If you chose the manual option, you’ll be able to decide whether to publish it or not.
Can I switch from manual to automatic after scheduling the Trial Reel?
No. Instagram doesn’t allow you to change the publishing mode once the Trial Reel has been created.
Why does the error You reached maximum number of trial reels that is allowed to be published by Content Publishing API appear?
You reached maximum number of trial reels that is allowed to be published by Content Publishing API appear?This error can appear for two different reasons, even though Instagram shows the same message in both cases:
You’ve reached the maximum number of Trial Reels allowed by Instagram within a certain period of time.
Your Instagram account doesn’t have the Trial Reels feature enabled.
Even if you can select the Trial Reel option in Metricool, Instagram only allows publishing Trial Reels from accounts where this feature is enabled. If the account isn’t eligible, the Instagram API returns this same error.
Additional resources
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