Instagram collab post: how it works and how to make one

What an Instagram collab post is

Instagram Collabs let you co-author posts with other accounts. The creator of a post can invite another account as a collaborator. If the collaborator accepts, their username will be added to the post and the post will be shared with their followers. It will also show on their profile, so the same post sits on two grids at once.

Instagram's help page puts it this way: The post’s header will attribute the content to both accounts. Likes and comments are pooled on that single post. Accounts that accept the invite can see all likes and comments on the post, so there is one comment thread to answer instead of two.

Collabs work on feed posts and on reels. For reels, Instagram describes the same feature as a way to co-create reels with other accounts, and says You can add multiple collaborators to your reel. For feed posts, you can add up to 5 collaborators. Stories are different: You can't add collaborators to your stories.

Collab post, tag or mention: what changes

A tag and a collab both put another account's name on your post. The difference is who sees it. When you tag or mention someone, that photo or video won't be shared with your followers. When they accept a collab invite, the post goes to their followers too.

How to do a collab post on Instagram

Instagram's help article for collab posts is written for its iPhone, Android and iPad apps, so set up a collab in the app. The steps below follow the order of that article. Button names can shift between app versions.

1. Create the post or reel as usual

   Pick the photos or video, edit them and write the caption. The person who created the post is the primary creator, and that account keeps control of the post.

2. Invite a collaborator before you share

   Instagram's help page lists the step as Invite a collaborator to a post you're creating. Search for the account by username and select it. You can add up to 5 collaborators.

3. Check who you are allowed to invite

   Public accounts can invite both public or private accounts to be collaborators. A private account can invite others only if the invited account follows the private account.

4. Publish and wait for the answer

   The invited account gets a request it can accept or decline. The post shows on the other account's profile only after it accepts. Then their username will be added to the post and the post will be shared with their followers.

5. Reply to comments from both audiences

   Both accounts can see all likes and comments on the post. Agree in advance who answers questions about price, shipping and stock, so buyers get one clear answer.

Who controls a collab post after it is live

The original creator keeps control. This matters if you are the invited shop: your grid shows a post you cannot delete. Instagram's help pages set out these rules:

• Only the original creator can delete the post. If the creator deletes it, it leaves the collaborator's profile too.
• Either side can step away: the invited account can remove themselves at any time, and the creator of the original post can remove the collaborator at any time.
• If either account blocks the other, the collaboration will end. In that case the post will still be preserved on the original creator's profile.
• If the original creator switches to a private account, only their followers can see the post.
• If the original creator deactivates their account, the post no longer exists. If they reactivate it, the post will be restored on both the original creator's and the collaborator's profiles.

Because the creator holds the post, decide before you start whose account publishes. A common choice is the account whose product, photos or shop link the post is about.

How makers use collab posts with other shops and creators

A collab post reaches two follower lists with one piece of content. For small shops it works best when the two audiences overlap but the products do not compete. Some ways makers use it:

• Product pairings. A candle maker and a ceramicist post one styled photo of a candle in a hand-thrown holder, each tagged with their own product.
• Joint launches. Two shops release a shared colorway or a limited bundle and announce it from one post, so the comments collect in one place.
• Market and pop-up announcements. Every vendor at a weekend market joins one post with the date and location, up to up to 5 collaborators.
• Supplier and studio features. A fabric supplier and a sewist post the finished garment, showing the material and the result.
• Creator content. A creator films a reel using your product and invites your shop as a collaborator, so the reel also sits on your profile.
• Giveaways run by two shops. One entry post on both grids; follow Instagram's promotion rules and your local contest laws for the entry terms.

Example: two shops with about 2,000 followers each post one collab. The post is shown to both follower lists, and the like count is shared. This is an illustration of reach, not a promise of results.

Insights on a collab post

A collab post has one set of likes and comments, shared by every author. Both accounts can see all likes and comments on the post. Instagram's collab help pages do not say which other numbers each collaborator can see, so keep your own record of how each collab did for your shop.

To compare collabs fairly, note for each one the partner, the date, what was offered and what you sold through your link that week. That record is more useful than the like count alone, because the likes include the partner's audience.

When a collab post needs an ad disclosure

A collab label tells viewers that two accounts made a post together. It does not tell them that one side paid the other. In the US, the FTC's guide for influencers says to disclose any material connection, which it describes as a personal, family, or employment relationship or a financial relationship. That includes the case where someone got free or discounted products or other perks, and it applies if you got anything of value to mention a product.

The FTC also names the word collab as a problem when it is used as the disclosure. Its guide says not to use vague terms such as “sp,” “spon,” or “collab,” and to use clear terms such as “advertisement,” “ad,” and “sponsored.”

This is general information about FTC staff guidance, not legal advice. Rules in other countries differ, and Instagram's own branded content policies apply on top.

• Put the disclosure where people will see it. The FTC says it should be placed with the endorsement message itself.
• Disclosures are likely to be missed at the end of posts or videos, or anywhere that requires a person to click MORE.
• Don’t mix your disclosure into a group of hashtags or links.
• For a reel, put it in the video and not just in the description.
• Instagram's paid partnership label can help, but Don’t assume that a platform’s disclosure tool is good enough. Use it together with your own words.
• A simple line can work, such as “Thanks to Acme brand for the free product”, when it is placed so it is hard to miss.
• If nobody was paid or gifted and you just like a shop's work, you don’t need to declare that you don’t have a brand relationship.

Where Nation fits

Questions about Instagram collab posts