How to Enable Gifts on Instagram

Ready to let your audience show their appreciation with more than just a like or comment? Instagram Gifts are a fantastic way for creators to monetize their content directly from the fans who love it most. This guide will walk you through exactly what Instagram Gifts are, who is eligible to use them, and the step-by-step process to get them enabled on your Reels.

What Exactly Are Instagram Gifts?

Think of Instagram Gifts as a digital tip jar built right into your Reels. They're a monetization feature that allows your followers to send you virtual tokens of appreciation, which then translate into real-world earnings for you. The system is powered by an in-app currency called "Stars."

Here’s how it works from the viewer's perspective:

• A viewer watching one of your Reels loves your content and wants to show extra support.
• They tap the "Send Gift" icon displayed on your Reel.
• They choose a gift from a menu of animated options, each with a different "Star" value. The gifts have fun names like "GG," "Awesome," or "Clapping Hands."
• The viewer purchases a Star pack with real money and sends the gift.
• The gift animation plays over your Reel for everyone to see, along with the sender's username.

For you, the creator, this translates into a share of the revenue generated from those Stars. It’s a direct way for your most engaged followers to support your work, helping you fund your creative projects, buy better equipment, or simply earn a living from your passion. At the moment, this feature is available exclusively for Instagram Reels, making it a powerful incentive to focus on creating excellent short-form video content.

Are You Eligible to Receive Instagram Gifts? The Creator Checklist

Before you can start receiving gifts, Instagram needs to make sure your account meets certain criteria. This isn't just about having an account, it’s about being an established creator in good standing. Run through this checklist to see if you qualify.

1. You Need a Professional Account

Gifts are a monetization tool, and these are reserved for Professional (Creator or Business) accounts. If you're still using a Personal account, you’ll need to make the switch. It's free and gives you access to analytics and other handy tools in addition to monetization features.

How to check and switch: Go to your profile, tap the three-line menu, then navigate to Settings and privacy >, Account type and tools >, Switch to professional account.

2. Minimum Follower Count

While Meta’s specific requirements can change, the general baseline to be eligible for gifts is having at least 5,000 followers. This number signals to Instagram that you have an established community around your content.

3. Age Requirement

To enable and receive payments from monetization features legally, you must be at least 18 years old.

4. Geographic Location

Instagram Gifts are not available in every country. The feature has been rolling out globally, but you need to be a resident of an eligible country. Currently, this includes the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and more. The list is always expanding, so check your Professional Dashboard to see if it’s available in your region.

5. Policy Compliance

This is a big one. Your account must be in compliance with Instagram’s Partner Monetization Policies and Community Guidelines. In simple terms, this means your content must be original, non-controversial, and can't feature things like hate speech, misinformation, or violence. Accounts with a history of policy violations may find it difficult to get approved for monetization features.

If you check all these boxes, you're ready to move on to the setup process!

How to Enable Gifts on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you've confirmed your eligibility, turning on Gifts is a fairly simple process right within the Instagram app. Follow these steps carefully, paying close attention to the financial setup, to make sure you get paid.

Step 1: Go to Your Professional Dashboard

From your main profile page, tap the "Professional dashboard" link located right below your bio. This is your central hub for all things related to analytics, tools, and monetization.

Step 2: Find the "Gifts" Monetization Tool

Inside the Professional Dashboard, look for a section called "Your tools" or "Monetization." You should see an option labeled "Gifts." If it's available for your account, it will have a "Set up" button next to it. Tap that button to get started.

Step 3: Add Your Payout Information

This is the most critical part of the setup. You can't get paid without giving Instagram the information it needs. You’ll be prompted to set up a payout account. Be prepared to provide:

• Your Full Legal Name and Address: This must match your legal documents.
• Your Business Information: Select your business type (e.g., Individual/Sole Proprietor, LLC). Most individual creators will choose "Individual."
• Taxpayer Information: You’ll need to provide your Social Security Number (SSN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) for tax reporting purposes.
• Payout Method: Choose how you want to be paid. You can typically link a bank account for direct deposit or a PayPal account.

Double-check every detail here. A small typo in your name or bank account number can cause significant delays in receiving your earnings. Once submitted, your information will be reviewed and approved.

Step 4: Confirm and Start Creating

After your payout information is successfully submitted and verified, the Gifts feature will be turned on for your account. From this point forward, the "Send Gift" button will automatically appear on all new Reels you publish. Note that it generally doesn't apply retroactively to your old content, only to videos posted after you’ve successfully enabled the feature.

Maximizing Your Earnings with Instagram Gifts: Strategies That Work

Just turning on the feature isn't enough. To encourage your followers to send gifts, you need a strategy. Here are some effective tactics to make this feature a meaningful revenue stream.

Consistently Create High-Value Reels

This is the foundation of everything. People send gifts to reward content they find exceptionally entertaining, educational, or inspiring. Focus on:

• Helpful Tutorials: Teach your audience how to do something valuable. From "how to edit a photo on your phone" to "how to bake the perfect sourdough," tutorials build gratitude.
• Emotional Storytelling: Share personal stories or moments that create a connection. Vulnerable and authentic content often resonates deeply with viewers.
• Top-Tier Entertainment: If you're a comedian, musician, or dancer, make your Reels an absolute must-watch. Create content that makes people laugh out loud or stop what they're doing to watch.

Remind Your Audience That Gifts Are Enabled

Don't just assume people will notice the little gift icon. Gently remind them that they can support you in this new way.

• A Verbal Call-to-Action: At the end of a particularly helpful Reel, you could say something like, "If you found this useful, you can now support my work by sending a gift! Thanks so much for being here."
• Use a Text Overlay: Add a simple, non-intrusive text overlay in your Reel that says "Gifts are appreciated!"
• Make an Announcement in Your Stories: Create a separate Story letting your community know that Gifts are now on and explaining what they are and how they help you continue creating content.

Engage with Everyone Who Sends a Gift

Positive reinforcement is powerful. When someone takes the time and money to send you a gift, acknowledge them! Your dashboard will show you who has sent gifts.

• Reply to Their Comment: If they left a comment, thank them publicly in your reply.
• Send a DM: A quick "Hey, just noticed you sent a gift on my last Reel - thank you so much, I really appreciate the support!" goes a long way.
• Story Shout-Outs: If you get a lot of gifts on one Reel, you could do a quick Story thanking everyone who contributed. This makes supporters feel seen and encourages others to join in.

Track Your Performance

Regularly visit your Professional Dashboard to see your approximate earnings from Gifts. Notice which Reels are generating the most support. Is there a certain topic, style, or format that resonates most? Use that data to inform your future content strategy. That's how you turn a small trickle of earnings into a consistent flow.

Final Thoughts

Enabling Instagram Gifts provides a direct and meaningful way for your followers to support the content you work hard to create. By confirming your eligibility and following the straightforward setup process, you can open up a new revenue stream and strengthen the bond with your community.

Once you have Gifts enabled, keeping that stream of high-quality Reels flowing is the next challenge. For our team, planning and scheduling our video content is where Postbase becomes indispensable. We built it specifically for today’s short-form video world, helping us visually plan our Reels calendar and schedule content reliably without worrying about posts failing. It lets us focus on creating great stuff instead of fighting with clunky tools.