How to Schedule an Instagram Story in Creator Studio

Scheduling your Instagram Stories is one of the easiest ways to stay consistent, save a ton of time, and post when your audience is most active. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, using Meta’s own tools. We'll cover everything from linking your accounts to customizing and scheduling your first Story.

First, A Quick Clarification: Creator Studio vs. Meta Business Suite

You might be searching for "Creator Studio," but it's important to know that Meta has officially merged most of its features into a more comprehensive platform called Meta Business Suite. Think of Meta Business Suite as the new and improved home for managing your Facebook and Instagram presence.

So, while you might have started by looking for Creator Studio, the path to scheduling Instagram Stories now runs directly through Meta Business Suite. The good news is that the process is more streamlined and the tools are much more integrated. Any guides referencing the old Creator Studio layout will be outdated, so you're in the right place to learn the current method that actually works.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

Before you can begin scheduling, there are a few prerequisites you need to have in place. It only takes a few minutes to check these off, and doing so will make the rest of the process smooth sailing. You'll need:

• An Instagram Professional Account: You can't schedule Stories for a personal profile. Your account must be set up as either a Business or a Creator account. You can switch this in your Instagram settings under 'Account' -> 'Switch to Professional Account' if you haven’t already.
• A Connected Facebook Page: Your Instagram professional account must be linked to a Facebook Page that you manage. Meta's tools require this connection to function properly. You can link these in the 'Settings' section of either app.
• Proper Permissions: You need to have admin or editor access to the connected Facebook Page to use the Business Suite for scheduling.

How to Schedule an Instagram Story: A Step-by-Step Guide

Once you’ve confirmed your accounts are set up correctly, you’re ready to start scheduling. Follow these steps to get your Stories planned and ready to go.

Step 1: Go to Meta Business Suite

Navigate to business.facebook.com and log in. If you manage multiple assets, make sure you’ve selected the correct business account from the dropdown menu on the left-hand side. You should land on a dashboard that gives you an overview of your Facebook Page and connected Instagram account.

Step 2: Find the “Create Story” Button

From the main menu on the left, click on either “Planner” or “Content.” Both will get you where you need to go, but the Planner view is especially helpful for visualizing your upcoming content.

In the top right corner of the Planner, you’ll see a blue “Create” button. Click it, and from the dropdown menu, select “Create Story.” Alternatively, you can find a specific day on the calendar and click the dropdown arrow next to "Create Post" to select "Create Story."

Step 3: Select Your Instagram Account

A pop-up window will appear. At the top, under “Post to,” you’ll see options for your Facebook Page Story and your Instagram Story. Uncheck the Facebook option if you only want to schedule to Instagram, or keep them both checked to post to both platforms simultaneously. For this guide, we’ll focus just on Instagram.

Step 4: Upload Your Photos or Videos

Click the “+ Add Media” button to upload the content for your Story. You can upload up to 10 photos and videos at once, which will be scheduled as a multi-slide Story in the order you upload them. Remember that Instagram Stories are formatted with a 9:16 vertical aspect ratio, so it's best to create your content in this size (1080px by 1920px) to avoid weird cropping.

Step 5: Edit and Customize Your Story

This is where you bring your Story to life. On the right side of the screen, you’ll see a preview of your Story. Above it are a few simple editing tools. You can’t access all of Instagram’s native features, but you get the essentials.

• Crop: Meta Business Suite provides three cropping options: Original, Square (1:1), and Vertical (9:16). Stick with Vertical to ensure your media fits the Story format perfectly.
• Text: Click the "Text" icon to add text overlays. You can choose from a few different fonts, change the text color, and add a background highlight, similar to the native Instagram app. You can also drag the text box to reposition it.
• Stickers: This is arguably the most powerful feature. You can add stickers to your Story, including the all-important Link Sticker! This allows you to schedule Stories that drive traffic directly to your website, blog, or product pages. Just click "Stickers," select the link sticker, and enter your destination URL.

Step 6: Preview Your Story

Before you schedule, take a moment to double-check the preview on the right. If you’ve uploaded multiple slides, click through each one to confirm the order and check your edits. This is your last chance to catch any typos or awkward crops before it goes live.

Step 7: Schedule Your Story

Once you’re happy with how it looks, look below the media upload area on the lower left. You’ll see the scheduling options. Instead of keeping it on “Share Now,” click the dropdown arrow and select “Schedule.”

Step 8: Choose Your Date and Time

A calendar and clock will appear. Select the exact date and time you want your Story to be published. Meta will even suggest "Active Times" based on when your followers have been most engaged in the past, which is a great starting point if you're unsure when to post. After choosing your time, click “Save.”

Step 9: Click “Schedule Story”

The final step! The blue button in the bottom right will now say "Schedule Story." Click it, and you're done. Your Story is officially scheduled. You'll be taken back to the Planner, where you can see your new Story pop up on the calendar at the date and time you selected.

Limitations & Best Practices to Keep in Mind

While scheduling Stories in Meta Business Suite is a game-changer, it’s not exactly the same as posting natively from your phone. Here are a few things to remember.

What You Can't Do in Meta Business Suite:

• No Interactive Stickers: You will not find the Poll, Quiz, Question, or Countdown stickers. These still need to be posted natively through the Instagram app.
• No Native Music Library or Filters: You can't add Instagram's trending audio or apply its augmented reality (AR) filters to your content from within the scheduler. All audio and visual effects must be edited into your video before you upload it.
• No Product Tagging: At present, you cannot tag products from your Instagram Shop when scheduling a Story. This also needs to be done natively.

Best Practices for Maximum Impact:

• Combine Scheduled and Spontaneous Content: Use the scheduler to cover your foundational content - like promotions, announcements, and regularly scheduled series. This frees you up to post more personal, in-the-moment content natively, creating a perfect balance of polish and authenticity.
• Batch Your Content Creation: To really maximize your efficiency, set aside a few hours once a week to create and schedule all your promotional Stories. This "batching" method means you’re not scrambling for content every day.
• Plan Your Stories in a Sequence: Instead of thinking in single slides, plan mini-narratives across 3-5 slides. Tell a story that has a beginning, a middle, and a call-to-action (like a swipe-up link) at the end.
• Don’t Forget the Call-to-Action: Take full advantage of the Link Sticker. Whether you're driving traffic to a new blog post, a product page, or a sign-up form, make sure your scheduled Stories are working for your business goals.

Final Thoughts

Scheduling your Instagram Stories through Meta Business Suite is a simple yet powerful way to free up valuable time, reach your audience when they're most active, and maintain a consistent brand presence without being glued to your phone. By mastering this process, you can focus more on creating great content and less on the logistics of posting it.

As we help teams build their social media presence, we know that while native tools like Meta Business Suite are a great starting point, the challenges don’t end there. Juggling different content formats for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts, and dealing with frustrating limitations can still eat away at your day. That’s why we built Postbase from the ground up for the way social media actually works *today* - video-first, multi-platform, and rock-solid reliable, so you can schedule everything in one place with confidence.