How to Create GIFs for Instagram Stories

Adding custom GIFs to your Instagram Stories is one of the best ways to make your content stand out, inject personality into your brand, and boost engagement. While scrolling through the GIPHY library is great, nothing beats having your own set of on-brand animated stickers that your audience can use, too. This guide walks you through several methods for creating your own GIFs, from the super simple to the more professional, so you can start leveling up your Stories today.

The Easy Route: Creating Shareable GIF Stickers with GIPHY

The most direct path to getting your GIFs into Instagram's official sticker library is by using GIPHY, the platform that powers Instagram's GIF search. To become searchable, you need a GIPHY Brand Channel, but anyone can start creating stickers for personal use right away.

Step 1: Get a GIPHY Brand Channel (The Important Part)

If you want people in your audience to find and use your GIFs, this is the most important step. A Brand Channel turns your GIFs from personal uploads into publicly searchable stickers inside Instagram and other apps.

• Create an Account: First, sign up for a regular GIPHY account.
• Upload a Few GIFs: You'll need to upload at least 5-10 original GIFs to your channel before you can apply. These don't have to be perfect, but they should be your own creations.
• Apply for a Brand Channel: Once you have some content, you can find the application form in your account settings. GIPHY is looking for real brands and artists, so use your business email, link to your website, and provide links to your active social media accounts.

The approval process can take some time, from a few days to a few weeks, so it’s best to get this process started as soon as possible. While you wait, you can still follow the steps below to create and upload your GIFs, they just won’t be searchable until you’re approved.

Step 2: Create a GIF Sticker in GIPHY

GIPHY's built-in creation tools are surprisingly powerful and simple to use. The key difference between a regular GIF and a “sticker” is transparency. Stickers have transparent backgrounds, allowing them to be placed over your photos and videos seamlessly in Stories.

1. Go to the Sticker Maker: Log into your GIPHY account and head to the "Create" section, then select "Sticker."
2. Upload Your File: You can upload a variety of file types, including .MP4 videos, transparent .GIFs you made elsewhere, or a series of .PNG images. For example, you could upload a short video of your logo animating or someone on your team waving.
3. Edit and Trim: The tool will let you trim the clip to the perfect length. Remember, GIFs are most effective when they’re short, snappy, and loop smoothly - usually 2 to 4 seconds is ideal.
4. Use the Magic Wand: GIPHY has an automatic background removal tool (it looks like a magic wand) that works best with simple videos where the subject is clearly defined against the background. One click can often create decent transparency. For best results, shoot your video against a plain, solid-colored wall.
5. Add Your Tags: This is how people will find your sticker! Use a mix of specific and general tags. Include your brand name, variations of it, and any campaign-specific tags. Then add broad, searchable terms that describe the sticker’s action or emotion. For a "Good Morning" coffee sticker, you might use tags like: [Your Brand Name], good morning, coffee time, rise and shine, motivation, caffeine.
6. Upload and Wait: Upload the sticker to your channel. Once your brand channel is approved, your sticker will become searchable on Instagram within a day or two.

The Designer's Path: Making High-Quality GIFs in Photoshop or Procreate

For total creative control, professional design software like Adobe Photoshop or Procreate is the way to go. This allows you to create perfectly animated text, custom illustrations, or product animations with flawless transparency.

Creating GIFs with Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop's timeline feature is perfect for creating frame-by-frame GIF animations.

1. Set Up Your Document: Create a new file, ideally around 500x500 pixels. A square format tends to work best. Importantly, make sure your background content is set to Transparent.
2. Open the Timeline Panel: Go to Window > Timeline. In the panel that appears at the bottom, click "Create Frame Animation."
3. Create Your Animation Layers: Each layer in your Photoshop document can act as a different frame of your animation. Create an element on your first layer. Then, in the Timeline panel, click the "New Frame" icon. Make the second layer visible (and hide the first if needed) and make a slight change to a new layer. Repeat this process for each frame of your animation.
4. Set Frame Timing: Below each frame in the timeline, you can set its duration. A value of 0.1 or 0.2 seconds usually works well for a smooth animation. You can also set a different delay for each frame.
5. Set Looping: At the bottom of the timeline panel, make sure the loop option is set to “Forever.”
6. Export for the Web: This is a specific, important step. Go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). In the preset menu, select "GIF 128 Dithered." Most importantly, check the Transparency box. Click save, and your GIF is ready to be uploaded to GIPHY.

Creating GIFs with Procreate on a Tablet

Procreate’s Animation Assist feature makes creating GIFs on an iPad incredibly intuitive.

1. Set up the Canvas: Create a new square canvas (e.g., 1080x1080 pixels). In your Layers panel, uncheck the default "Background color" layer to work with a transparent background.
2. Enable Animation Assist: Go to Actions (the wrench icon) > Canvas > and toggle on "Animation Assist." A timeline will appear at the bottom of your screen.
3. Draw Your Frames: Each layer in your Layers panel now represents a single frame in the animation. Draw your first frame. When you tap "Add Frame" in the timeline, Procreate will create a new layer for you. The "onion skinning" feature helps you see the previous frame faintly so you can draw the next one smoothly.
4. Adjust Settings: In the timeline, you can tap on "Settings" to adjust the frames per second (FPS), onion skin visibility, and set the GIF to loop.
5. Export as Animated GIF: Once you're happy with your animation, go to Actions > Share > and choose "Animated GIF." Be sure to toggle on the "Transparent Background" option before exporting. Save it to your files or camera roll and upload it to GIPHY.

The On-the-Go Method: Copy & Paste GIFs from Your Phone

What if you want to create a fun, spontaneous GIF from a video you just took without making it publicly searchable? There's a clever copy-and-paste workaround for that.

Important Clarification: GIFs made this way are typically not transparent and cannot be uploaded to GIPHY to become searchable stickers in the main library. They exist only as a sticker you manually add to your own story.

Using a Video-to-GIF App

Countless apps, like GIPHY's own mobile app or ImgPlay, can quickly convert a video on your phone into a GIF.

1. Download an App: Find a "Video to GIF" or similar app from your app store.
2. Import and Edit: Open the app and import a video from your camera roll. Trim the video down to a short, loopable moment. Most apps also let you add text, filters, or simple drawing effects.
3. Export and Save: Export the final creation as a GIF and save it to your Photos app.
4. The Copy-Paste Trick: Open your Photos app and find your newly created GIF. Tap the "Share" icon, then tap "Copy." Now, open Instagram, and start creating a new Story. A little sticker pop-up will appear with "Add Sticker" showing your copied GIF. Tap it, and your GIF will be pasted directly onto your Story. If the pop-up doesn’t appear, just open a text box and tap "Paste."

This method is fantastic for one-off B-roll clips, funny reactions, or any quick visual you want to add to your story without going through a full design process.

Final Thoughts

Creating your own Instagram GIFs is a powerful way to define your brand’s visual language, make your content more memorable, and give your community a fun tool to engage with you. Whether you use a simple GIPHY sticker, a beautiful animation from Photoshop, or a quick GIF made on your phone, you're adding a layer of creativity that helps your Stories feel more authentic and dynamic.

Of course, making great content is just one piece of a strong social media strategy. The other is planning and consistency. At Postbase, our visual calendar was built specifically to help you get a clear overview of your entire content plan across all platforms. We make it easy to schedule your posts, Reels, and Stories, so you can plan exactly how and when you’ll weave your new custom GIFs into your weekly content and keep your audience engaged without feeling overwhelmed.