How to Cross-Post from Facebook to Instagram

Sharing your content from Facebook to Instagram seems like it should be simple, but getting it right can save you a mountain of time. If you're tired of manually uploading the same photo or video to both platforms, you've come to the right place. This guide will walk you through exactly how to set up and use cross-posting, share best practices to make your content effective on both platforms, and help you reclaim hours in your week.

First Things First: What is Cross-Posting?

Cross-posting is the practice of sharing the same piece of content across multiple social media platforms. For our purposes, it means creating a post once and having it publish to both your Facebook Page and your Instagram profile. The goal is efficiency - to create once and publish twice without doubling your workload.

This isn't just about saving time, it's about maintaining a consistent brand presence. When your followers see you on both platforms, cross-posting helps keep your messaging, visuals, and posting frequency aligned. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. Simply dumping the exact same content everywhere without any adjustments is a common mistake that can make your posts look out of place. We’ll cover how to avoid that.

Before You Begin: Connect Your Facebook and Instagram Accounts

You can’t cross-post if your accounts don’t know each other exist. The first step is to link your Instagram account to your Facebook Page through the Meta Business Suite. This is a one-time setup that unlocks all cross-posting capabilities.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Log in to Meta Business Suite: Go to business.facebook.com. If you manage a Facebook Page for your business or brand, you have access to this.
2. Go to Settings: On the bottom-left sidebar, click the "Settings" gear icon.
3. Navigate to Business Assets: In the settings menu, look for "Business Assets."
4. Add Assets and Select Instagram: Click the blue "Add Assets" button and choose "Instagram Account." You’ll be prompted to accept some terms and then click "Claim Instagram Account."
5. Log in to Instagram: A new window will pop up asking you to log into the Instagram account you want to connect. Enter your username and password, and you're all set.

Once connected, you’ll see your Instagram account listed under your Business Assets. This simple setup is the foundation for everything that follows.

How to Cross-Post from Facebook to Instagram: The Step-by-Step Guide

With your accounts linked, you can now create a single post that goes live on both platforms. The best way to do this is directly within the Meta Business Suite, which serves as your central command center.

Step 1: Open the Content Composer

From the Meta Business Suite homepage, click the blue "Create Post" button. This will open the content composer, where you’ll build your post.

Step 2: Select Your Placements

At the top of the composer, under "Post to," you'll see your connected accounts. This is where you tell Meta where you want your content to go. Check the box for both your Facebook Page and your Instagram account.

You can instantly see previews on the right-hand side of the screen, showing you how your post will look in the Facebook Feed and the Instagram Feed.

Step 3: Add Your Media (Photos or Videos)

Click the "Add photo" or "Add video" button to upload your creative asset. A few things to keep in mind:

• Image Formats: Square (1:1 aspect ratio) images work beautifully on both platforms. If you use a landscape or portrait image, check the preview to make sure it doesn't get awkwardly cropped on either platform.
• Video Formats: For standard feed posts, horizontal (16:9) or square (1:1) video is fine. If you're creating a Reel, you MUST use a vertical video (9:16 aspect ratio).

Step 4: Craft and Customize Your Captions

This is the most important step for effective cross-posting. Below the media uploader, you’ll see a text box for your caption. By default, the text you write here will be used for both Facebook and Instagram. But you should always take a moment to customize it.

Above the text box, you'll see tabs for "Facebook" and "Instagram." Click each one to tailor the text for that specific platform.

Why is this so important?

• Links: You can include clickable links in a Facebook post, but links are not clickable in an Instagram caption. For Instagram, you need to direct people to the "link in bio" instead. Your Facebook caption might say, "Click the link to learn more: [URL]," while your Instagram version should say, "Learn more at the link in our bio!"
• Hashtags: Hashtags are king on Instagram, where using 1-30 is common practice. On Facebook, however, a post filled with hashtags can look cluttered or spammy. It's better to use just 1-3 relevant hashtags on Facebook, if any at all.
• Tagging Accounts: The @mention handle for a brand might be different on Facebook than it is on Instagram. Double-check that you're using the right one for each platform.
• Tone and Length: Instagram users often prefer shorter, more direct captions. Facebook gives you more room for longer-form storytelling if it fits your brand.

Here’s a practical example:

Imagine you're promoting a new blog post.

Facebook Caption: "Just published a deep dive on how to create a content calendar that actually works for your business. We cover everything from initial brainstorming to long-term planning. Check it out here and let us know what you think: [yourbloglink.com/post]"

Instagram Caption: "Tired of wondering what to post every day? 😴 Our new guide breaks down how to build a content calendar that'll keep you organized and consistent. Tap the link in our bio for the full guide! #SocialMediaTips #ContentStrategy #MarketingPlan"

See the difference? Same core message, but optimized for where it's being shared.

Step 5: Schedule or Publish Your Post

Once you’re happy with your preview, you have a few options at the bottom right:

• Publish Now: The post will go live on both platforms immediately.
• Schedule: A calendar will pop up, letting you choose the exact date and time for the post to be published. This is perfect for batching your content creation and planning ahead.
• Save as Draft: If you're not ready to publish or schedule, you can save your work and come back to it later.

Select your desired option, click the button, and you’re done! You've successfully created and scheduled a cross-post.

Cross-Posting Instagram Stories and Reels

What about temporary content like Stories or viral content like Reels? The process is a little different but just as valuable.

Cross-Posting Stories

The easiest way to cross-post Stories is directly from the Instagram app. You can set it up to happen automatically, so you don't even have to think about it.

1. On Instagram, go to your profile and tap the three-line menu in the top right.
2. Tap Settings and Privacy >, Sharing and Remixes.
3. Under "Share your story to Facebook," toggle the option on.

That's it! From now on, whenever you post an Instagram Story, it will automatically be shared to your Facebook Story as well. Keep in mind that some interactive stickers, like the "Add Yours" sticker or polls, might not function perfectly on Facebook, so it's always good to check.

Cross-Posting Reels

When you create a Reel inside the Instagram app, you'll see an option on the final share screen to "Recommend on Facebook." Turning this on will push your Reel to Facebook users who may be interested, widening your reach substantially. You can also turn this on by default by going to Settings and Privacy >, Sharing and Remixes and enabling "Recommend Reels on Facebook."

Alternatively, you can schedule Reels from the Meta Business Suite just like a regular post. Simply choose "Create Reel" instead of "Create Post." This is the best method if you want to plan your video content calendar in advance.

Best Practices for Smart Cross-Posting

To get the most out of cross-posting, it's not just about doing it - it's about doing it thoughtfully. Here are a few final tips to make your content shine on both platforms.

1. Tweak Don't Just Repeat

We've said it before, but it's worth saying again: Always customize your captions. Tailoring your text, hashtags, and calls-to-action for each platform is the single biggest thing you can do to improve performance.

2. Understand the Platform Vibe

Instagram is a highly visual, aesthetic-driven platform. Facebook is more community-focused and conversational. A text-heavy, link-filled post might do well on Facebook but will likely fall flat on Instagram’s feed. Match your content style to the platform's expectations.

3. Check Your Previews Religiously

The preview pane in Meta Business Suite is your best friend. Use it to catch formatting errors, awkward image crops, or captions that are too long before you hit publish.

4. Engage Natively on Each Platform

After your post is live, don't forget to check for comments and messages on both Facebook and Instagram. Engagement should happen natively within each app. Replying promptly signals to a platform’s algorithm that your content is valuable and should be shown to more people.

5. Analyze Performance Separately

In Meta Business Suite, you can view the analytics for each post and see how it performed on Facebook versus Instagram. Pay attention to this data. You might find that video content gets far more engagement on Facebook, while single images do better on Instagram. These insights can help refine your strategy over time.

Final Thoughts

Cross-posting from Facebook to Instagram is a powerful way to streamline your social media workflow, maintain brand consistency, and free up valuable time. By linking your accounts in the Meta Business Suite and thoughtfully customizing your content for each platform, you can work smarter, not harder.

The native tools do a fine job, but we built Postbase because we kept running into the frustrations that Meta’s tools don't solve - like constantly having to re-authenticate accounts or dealing with clunky video scheduling. We made it our mission to create a platform with rock-solid, reliable connections and a calendar-first approach designed for today’s video-heavy content, so you can schedule everything in one visual dashboard and trust that it will be published correctly every time.