How to Allow Collabs on Instagram

Want to team up with other creators on Instagram and share the reach, engagement, and credit on a single post? The Instagram Collabs feature is designed for just that, letting you co-author Feed posts and Reels with other accounts. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about allowing and setting up Instagram Collabs, troubleshooting common issues, and using the feature to grow your brand creatively.

What Exactly is an Instagram Collab Post?

Instead of one person posting and having to tag another with an "@ mention" in the caption, an Instagram Collab makes both users co-authors of the same piece of content. When you use this feature, you create a single post - a Feed photo, carousel, or Reel - that appears on the profile grids of everyone involved. It's a native feature designed to make partnerships cleaner, more transparent, and more effective.

Here's why it's so powerful:

• Shared Ownership: Both usernames are displayed right in the post header, giving equal credit to each collaborator.
• Combined Engagement: All the likes, comments, and saves are pooled together on the same post. This consolidation not only looks impressive (hello, social proof!) but also signals to the Instagram algorithm that the content is valuable, potentially boosting its visibility.
• Exponential Reach: When you collaborate, you aren't just posting to your followers - you're posting to theirs, too. The post simultaneously appears in the feeds of both audiences, dramatically amplifying your reach and exposing your brand to new potential followers.
• Authentic Partnerships: Collabs feel more like a true partnership than a simple paid promotion or a tag. It shows your audiences that you are genuinely working together, building trust and authority in your niche.

Imagine a fitness coach and a nutritionist co-authoring a Reel about a healthy post-workout meal. With a Collab post, the content lives on both of their profiles, they share all the engagement, and both of their communities benefit from the expert advice.

How to Allow and Set Up Instagram Collabs (Step-by-Step Guide)

Ready to create your first Collab post? The process is straightforward and integrated directly into the normal posting workflow. Follow these steps to get it done.

Step 1: Get Your Account Ready

The Collabs feature is primarily for Professional accounts (Business or Creator profiles). While some Personal accounts might have access, it's not always reliable. To give yourself the best chance, make sure you're using a Professional account.

If you have a Personal account, switching is easy and free:

1. Go to your profile and tap the three lines in the top-right corner.
2. Select Settings and Privacy > Account type and tools.
3. Tap Switch to professional account and follow the prompts.

Crucially, your account must be public. Private accounts cannot send or receive Collab invitations.

Step 2: Create a New Post or Reel

Start creating content just like you normally would. Tap the "+" icon at the bottom of the screen and choose "Post" or "Reel." Upload your photo(s) or video, make your edits, apply filters - everything up to the final sharing screen remains the same.

Step 3: Invite Your Collaborator

This is where the magic happens. After you've written your caption and are on the final screen before publishing, follow these steps:

1. Tap on Tag people.
2. On the next screen, you'll see an option to Invite collaborator. Tap it.
3. Use the search bar to find and select the Instagram account(s) you want to collaborate with. You can invite up to three other accounts to co-author a post or Reel with you.
4. Once you've selected your collaborator(s), an "Invited" label will appear next to their name. You can position their tag on the photo or video and then tap Done.

Step 4: Publish and Wait for Acceptance

With your collaborators invited, you're ready to hit "Share." As soon as you publish, the post will appear on your profile grid. At this stage, only you are listed as the author.

Your collaborators will receive a notification and a direct message requesting they accept the collaboration. Once they accept, their username will be added to the header, the post will appear on their profile grid, and it will be distributed to their followers. If they decline, the invite is simply removed, and the post remains yours alone.

What to Do if You Receive a Collab Invitation

Being on the receiving end is even easier. If someone invites you to collaborate on a post, you'll be notified in two places:

• A pop-up notification from the Instagram app.
• In your Direct Messages, where you'll see a request to join the post.

To accept, just tap the "Review" button on the post, which will be visible in your DMs. You'll have the option to "Accept" or "Decline." If you hit accept, the post is instantly shared on your profile grid and with your audience, and you are added as a co-author. It's that simple.

Troubleshooting: Why Can't I Invite a Collaborator on Instagram?

Sometimes, the "Invite Collaborator" button might seem to fail, or you can't find the user you're looking for. Here are the most common reasons why and how to fix them.

Reason 1: They Have a Private Account

This is the most frequent roadblock. The Collabs feature only works between public Instagram accounts. If the person you're trying to invite has a private profile, you won't be able to select them as a collaborator. They'll need to switch their account to public to accept the invitation.

Reason 2: They've Restricted Tags and Mentions

Users have control over who can tag them, and these permissions extend to Collab invitations. If someone has disabled tags from accounts they don't follow, you won't be able to invite them unless you're on their follower list.

They can check this in Settings and Privacy > Tags and mentions. They'll need to have tagging permissions set to either "Allow tags from everyone" or "Allow tags from people you follow" for the collaboration to work.

Reason 3: One of the Accounts is "New"

Sometimes, very new Instagram accounts have certain features, including Collabs, temporarily limited. This is often a measure to prevent spam. If your account or your partner's account is only a few days or weeks old, you might just need to wait a while and continue using the app normally until the feature is unlocked.

Reason 4: Your App is Out of Date

It's a simple fix but a common culprit. Instagram frequently rolls out updates, and using an older version of the app can cause some features to stop working. Head to the App Store or Google Play Store and check if an update is available for Instagram.

Reason 5: A Temporary Instagram Glitch

Let's be honest: sometimes, Instagram just acts a little buggy. If you've checked all of the above and it's still not working, try the classic solutions: fully close and restart the app, or log out and log back into your account. This often clears up minor, temporary glitches.

Best Practices for Successful Instagram Collaborations

Just knowing how to use the feature isn't enough. A successful collaboration is born from great strategy. Here are a few tips to make your partnerships shine.

Choose Partners with Audience Overlap

The most effective collaborations happen between creators or brands whose audiences share interests. A rock climbing gear brand collaborating with a landscape photographer makes sense. A vegan chef collaborating with a local farm makes sense. Look for partners whose followers would genuinely be interested in what you have to offer, and vice versa.

Communicate Before You Invite

Nothing is worse than receiving a surprise Collab invitation for content you had no input on. Always message your potential partner before you start creating. Discuss the concept, the format (Reel vs. post), the caption, and a potential posting time. A successful collaboration is a joint effort from start to finish.

Create Content That Adds Unique Value

The collaboration should result in something neither of you could have made as effectively on your own. Two photographers could collaborate on a tutorial showing their different editing styles. A brand and a creator could do an "ask me anything" session about product development. Give your combined audiences something unique that arises from your partnership.

Commit to Engaging with Both Audiences

Once the post is live, the work is a joint responsibility. Make an agreement that both you and your collaborator will actively respond to comments for the first few hours (or days). Seeing creators interact with each other and their shared audiences in the comments reinforces the feeling of a true, engaged partnership.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to allow and use Instagram Collabs is a straightforward way to tap into one of the platform's most effective growth tools. By co-authoring content, you're not just sharing a post - you're sharing audiences, building credibility, and creating content that serves both of your communities at once.

Managing these partnerships, however, can quickly add layers of complexity to your content calendar. Trying to coordinate post ideas, schedule publications that align with your partner's schedule, and track performance can feel like a job in itself. At Postbase, we designed a simple, visual calendar so you can see your entire content strategy at a glance, allowing you to easily map out collaborations and see how they fit with the rest of your planned content. By reliably scheduling everything ahead of time, you can give your partners a clear picture of when content will go live, making the coordination process smooth and professional.