How to Sync a Post from Facebook to Instagram

Sharing the same piece of content from your Facebook Page to your Instagram account should be straightforward, but navigating Meta's ecosystem can feel like trekking through a jungle without a map. This guide clears the path for you. Here, you'll learn exactly how to sync your accounts the right way and publish new content to both platforms at once using one simple workflow. We’ll also cover some essential best practices that separate savvy social media managers from beginners, helping you post efficiently without sacrificing quality.

First Things First: Connect Your Facebook Page and Instagram Account

Before you can sync anything, you need to tell Meta that your Facebook Page and Instagram profile are officially linked. This is a one-time setup that unlocks a ton of cross-platform features, including sharing posts. You can do this from either the Instagram app or your Facebook Page.

Connecting From Your Facebook Page Settings

This is the most direct way to get set up if you're already managing your business on a computer.

1. Navigate to your Facebook Business Page and look for the menu on the left side. Click on Settings.
2. In the Settings menu, find and click on Linked Accounts.
3. You’ll see options for Instagram and WhatsApp. Click Connect Account next to the Instagram icon.
4. A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm that you want to connect. Click Connect and then log into the Instagram account you wish to link. (Important: Make sure your Instagram account is set up as a Professional Account, either Business or Creator. You cannot link a personal Instagram profile to a Facebook Business Page.)
5. Once you’ve logged in successfully, your accounts will be linked. You're ready to start crossposting.

Connecting From the Instagram App

If you live and breathe on your mobile device, you can establish the same connection directly within the Instagram app.

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile. Tap the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner to open the menu, then select Settings and Privacy.
2. Scroll down and tap on Accounts Center. This is Meta's central hub for managing your profiles.
3. At the top, you'll see your currently connected profiles. Tap on Add accounts.
4. Log into the Facebook account that has administrative access to the Facebook Page you want to link. Once you're logged in, Instagram will automatically suggest linking the profiles.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm the connection. You can also manage your sharing and login settings from this screen later on.

Once your accounts are linked through either method, you officially have the green light to share content across both platforms.

The Best Way to Sync a New Post: Meta Business Suite

Meta Business Suite is the free, official tool designed to help you manage your Facebook Page and Instagram business profile from one central dashboard. When it comes to creating a new post for both platforms simultaneously, this is the command center.

Step-by-Step Guide to Crossposting a New Post

Follow these steps to craft and schedule a single post that will appear on both your Facebook Page feed and your Instagram grid.

Step 1: Open the Content Creator

Navigate to business.facebook.com and make sure you're on the right business account if you manage more than one. In the left-hand navigation menu, click on Content, or just look for the big blue "Create post" button near the top.

Step 2: Select Your Platforms

The post composer will open. The very first option at the top is Post to:. This is where you’ll see icons for your connected Facebook Page and Instagram profile. Make sure there is a checkmark next to both. If you only want to post to one, you can simply uncheck the other.

Step 3: Add Your Media

Next, click on the Add photo or Add video button to upload your creative. This is a good time to remember that what looks good on Facebook might get awkwardly cropped on Instagram. A 1:1 square image or a 4:5 vertical portrait image tends to be a safe bet for performing well on both platforms' feeds.

Step 4: Craft Your Captions and Customize Them

Start by writing your main caption in the Text box. This is the text that, by default, will go to both platforms. However, this is where most people miss a huge opportunity. Right above the text box, you'll see tabs for Facebook and Instagram. This allows you to customize the post for each platform without starting over.

• For Facebook: You can include clickable links directly in the caption. This is the place to add a link to a blog post, a product page, or a registration form.
• For Instagram: Since links don't work in Instagram feed captions, you should remove any URLs and replace them with a call-to-action like "Link in bio." You can also use this tab to add Instagram-specific hashtags that may not be relevant on Facebook and tag other Instagram accounts.

Customizing is the key to making crossposting work. One-size-fits-all content performs poorly, tailored content thrives.

Step 5: Preview Your Post

Before you publish, use the preview panel on the right side of the screen. You can toggle between the Facebook Feed preview and the Instagram Feed preview. This is your final chance to see how your media will look, how your chosen captions will appear, and if anything seems out of place on one platform versus the other. Did a long Facebook paragraph look wrong on Instagram? Now is the time to fix it.

Step 6: Publish or Schedule

Once you’re happy with the preview, you have three options at the bottom of the screen:

• Publish now: The post will go live on both platforms immediately.
• Schedule: Click the drop-down arrow to select a future date and time for your post to go live. Business Suite may even recommend optimal times based on when your audience is most active.
• Save as draft: If you're not quite ready, you can save it to finish later.

That's it! You've successfully created and synced a properly customized post across both Facebook and Instagram from a single screen.

What About Posts Already Live on Facebook?

This is a common point of confusion. What if you've already published a post on Facebook and later decide you want it on your Instagram feed? Unfortunately, you cannot retroactively sync or crosspost a live Facebook feed post to your Instagram feed. The workflow in Business Suite is only designed for creating *new* content.

Your options for an existing Facebook post are limited:

1. Repost it manually. The simplest solution is often the best. Download the image or video from your Facebook post, and create a brand new post natively on Instagram. This gives you full control over the caption, tagging, and location settings in the Instagram app.

2. Share it to Your Instagram Story. This is the only built-in "sharing" function for live posts. From the Facebook app, you can share a public Facebook post to your Instagram Story. It will appear as a clickable sticker that sends users back to the original Facebook post. This works great for temporary promotions or announcements, but it does *not* create a permanent post on your Instagram grid.

Smart Crossposting: Best Practices to Follow

Saving time with crossposting is great, but to make your content actually successful, follow a few best practices. Automation without strategy is just fancy spam, efficiency with intent is smart marketing.

Adjust for Different Audiences and Tones

Your Facebook audience might be slightly older, appreciate detailed informational captions, and engage with external links. Your Instagram audience, meanwhile, is likely more visual, responds to shorter, punchier captions, and lives in a world driven by hashtags and creator collaborations. Always use the customization feature in Business Suite to slightly adjust your tone, CTA, and hashtag strategy for each platform.

Format for Vertical Viewing

While Facebook can handle horizontal (landscape) images and videos just fine, Instagram is fundamentally a vertical-first platform. A beautiful wide-angle photo can look tiny and unimpressive sandwiched between to full-screen vertical visuals in the Instagram feed. To maximize compatibility, create your visuals in either a 1:1 square or a 4:5 portrait aspect ratio. This ensures your content looks great on both platforms without awkward cropping.

Check Your Tags and Links Every Time

It’s easy to write a caption like, "Check out our partner, @BrandName!" But the user handle might be different on Facebook than it is on Instagram. Always double-check that you're tagging the correct profile on each respective platform. Similarly, a CTA saying "Click the link above!" will work on Facebook, but will fall completely flat on Instagram where the user has to go to your link in bio. These small details show your audience you’re paying attention.

Final Thoughts

With fully connected accounts and the mindful use of Meta Business Suite, syncing posts between Facebook and Instagram moves from being a clumsy chore to a streamlined part of your workflow. The key lies not just in using the tool, but in taking those extra few seconds to customize your content, making sure your message feels native and thoughtful on every platform you post to.

While Meta's built-in scheduler handles the basics well for Facebook and Instagram, we built Postbase for creators and brands who are tired of juggling apps for their *entire* social presence. We know modern social media is also about TikToks, Shorts, LinkedIn, and Stories, and that you need one reliable tool to plan, publish, and analyze everything. We designed our visual calendar and scheduling workflow to handle today’s video-heavy reality without the glitches, constant disconnects, and outdated interfaces we grew tired of using ourselves.