How to Approve a Collaborator on Instagram

So, you've received that exciting notification: another creator wants you to co-author an Instagram post. Approving that request is the key to sharing the post, reach, and engagement across both of your profiles. This guide will walk you through exactly how to approve a collaborator on Instagram, what to do if you run into trouble, and how to make the most of your shared post once it goes live.

What is the Instagram Collab Feature, Anyway?

Before getting into the steps, it’s worth refreshing on why this feature is such a powerful tool for creators and brands. The Instagram Collab feature allows two different accounts to co-author a single Feed post or Reel. When one user creates the post, they can invite another account to be a "collaborator." If that second user accepts, the post shows up on both of your profile grids, has a shared view count, a shared like count, and a shared comment thread. Your usernames both appear at the top of the post, side-by-side.

The benefits are immediate:

• Expanded Reach: Your content is served to both your audience and your collaborator's audience, instantly doubling its potential exposure.
• Shared Social Proof: All likes, comments, and views are consolidated into one public count. A post that gets 500 likes on your profile and 500 on theirs will display as having 1,000 likes for everyone, which can improve its visibility in the algorithm.
• Authentic Partnerships: It’s a transparent and streamlined way to execute brand collaborations, creator partnerships, and event promotions without messy or duplicative posting. For user-generated content, it lets a brand co-sign and feature a customer’s post directly.

At its core, it’s about sharing ownership and a wider spotlight. Once the invitation is sent, however, the process moves over to the collaborator for approval.

The Invitation Is Sent: What Happens Next?

When someone invites you to collaborate on an Instagram post, you'll be notified in two places. This is a common point of confusion, so knowing where to look is half the battle.

1. A Direct Message (DM): The primary notification arrives as a DM from the account that invited you. The message will clearly state, "[Username] invited you to be a collaborator on their post." with a preview of the content.
2. Your Activity Feed: You will also see a standard notification in your Activity feed (the heart icon) that says the same thing: "[Username] invited you to collaborate on a post."

Tapping the notification from either location will take you to the same place, where you can kick off the approval process. The original creator cannot continue to edit the post heavily once the invites are out, and the post is live on their feed awaiting your approval. Your action is the final step to making it a true collaboration.

How to Approve a Collaborator on Instagram: Step-by-Step

Accepting a collaboration request is straightforward once you know where to click. Follow these simple steps to approve the invitation and get the post live on your own profile.

Step 1: Locate and Review the Invitation

First, find the invitation sent by your collaborator.

• Head to your Direct Messages and open the message thread from the other account. You’ll see a pane in the chat that says, "View Invite."
• Alternatively, go to your Activity feed (the heart icon in the top right corner) and find the notification about the collaboration.

Once you find it, tap the "Review" button. This will take you to the post itself, with a pop-up at the bottom of the screen giving you your options.

Step 2: Accept or Decline the Request

After clicking "Review", you’ll be presented with a clear choice. Instagram will show a small banner over the post with buttons that say:

• Accept
• Decline

Assuming you want to move forward with the collaboration, tap the blue "Accept" button. Instagram may pop up one additional confirmation screen to make sure you understand the post will be shared on your profile. Acknowledge it, and you're done.

Step 3: See the Post Appear on Your Profile

What happens after you hit "Accept" is immediate.

• The post will instantly appear on your own profile grid. By default, it will be placed chronologically, as if you had published it when the original creator did.
• Both of your usernames will now be displayed in the post header, showing followers that it’s a joint post.
• All of the existing likes and comments (from the time it was on the original creator's profile alone) will now appear on the post for your audience as well, and all new engagement will be shared.

As a best practice, it's a good idea to communicate with the original poster and let them know you’ve accepted. That way, they are aware the campaign is fully live and can move forward with any other promotional plans.

Common Collab Questions and Troubleshooting

Sometimes the process doesn't go as smoothly as planned. Here are answers to a few common questions and issues that can arise when approving a collaborator request.

I can't find the collaborator invitation. What should I do?

If you know an invite was sent but you don't see it, there are a few things to check:

• Check your DMs first. The most reliable place to find the invitation is in a direct message from the person who invited you. Sometimes activity notifications get buried.
• Confirm you have a Public, Professional Account. Only public Creator or Business accounts on Instagram can participate in collaborations. If your account is set to Private, you won't be able to accept an invitation.
• Ask them to resend it. Sometimes there can be a temporary glitch. The sender may be able to go back into the post, remove their original invite, and then send it again. Restarting your app can also help clear minor bugs.

Can I remove myself as a collaborator after I've already accepted?

Yes, you can. If you later decide you no longer want the post on your profile, you have full control over removing yourself.

1. Navigate to the collaboration post.
2. Tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner of the post.
3. Select "Stop Sharing."

This will permanently remove the post from your profile grid and your name from the header. The post will remain on the original creator's profile as a standard post. This action cannot be reversed, and you would need to be re-invited to collaborate again.

How many collaborators can be on a single Instagram post?

Initially, Instagram allowed for only one collaborator. The platform has since expanded this functionality. As of late 2023, you can add up to three collaborators on a single Feed post or Reel. This is perfect for larger group projects, brand campaigns featuring multiple creators, or announcements involving several partners.

What happens if I click "Decline"?

If you tap "Decline," the invitation is canceled. The post will remain live on the original poster's feed as a regular post, without your name or any tie to your account. The creator who invited you will receive a notification that you've declined the collaboration request.

Beyond Hitting 'Accept': Strategies to Maximize Your Collab

Approving the request is just the beginning. To make the most out of a collaboration, you should treat the content as if it were your own. Here’s what successful collaborators do right after hitting "Accept."

Engage with Both Audiences in the Comments

Don't be a passive collaborator. Jump into the comments section right away to answer questions, thank followers for their feedback, and engage with your partner’s audience. This shows both communities that you are actively involved and makes the partnership feel more genuine. Shared engagement is a key benefit, so make sure you're contributing.

Share the Post to Your Own Stories

Your job isn't done just because the post is on your grid. Give it an extra push by sharing the new collaboration post directly to your Instagram Story. You can use stickers (like the "New Post" sticker), add some text providing context about the collaboration, or even run a poll asking what your audience thinks. This strategy drives attention to the post from your most engaged followers and boosts its early momentum.

Cross-Promote Where It Makes Sense

Consider whether you can draw attention to the new collaboration from your other channels. A quick tweet, a mention in your newsletter, or even a short-form video on TikTok pointing people to your new Instagram post can amplify the reach well beyond Instagram’s borders.

Check the Post Insights

Both the original creator and the collaborators can view the post insights. Take a look at the analytics a few days after the post goes live. Pay attention to the reach, impressions (especially from non-followers), shares, and saves. This data will tell you how effective the partnership was and give you valuable information for future collaborations.

Final Thoughts

Approving an Instagram collaboration is a simple process that unlocks powerful ways to expand your reach and work with other creators and brands. By following the easy steps to accept the request and taking an active role in promoting the post, you transform a simple feature into a meaningful growth opportunity for your account.

Seamlessly planning your content partnerships is a huge part of a successful social media strategy. At Postbase, we built our visual calendar to give you a clear overview of not just your own content, but your collaborative posts too, so you can map out entire campaigns at a glance. When you can reliably schedule posts and manage all your engagement for every platform in one organized inbox, it makes your partnerships more effective and a lot less chaotic.