Instagram’s collaborative posts feature allows users to share the credit of a post with another user, and have it appear in both user’s feeds automatically.
Learn how to get the collab feature and how to invite collaborators during and after the initial posting process, plus what to do if you’re unable to add a collaborator to your post.
Key Points:
- What Is The Instagram Collab Feature?
- How Do I Get The Collab Feature?
- How To Invite For Collaboration?
- Can You Edit A Collab Post After Posting?
- Why Can’t I Add A Collab On Instagram?
- Alternatives To The Collab Feature
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Instagram Collab Feature?
The collaboration feature on Instagram allows users to invite another user as a collaborator (or co-creator) to their posts. The added user will appear as a co-author on the post, and the post will be shared with their followers and appear on their profile.
Keep In Mind
- You can add up to 5 collaborators to a post.
- All collaborative users will be able to see all engagement on the post.
- Collaborators can remove themselves from a post.
- Original creators can remove a collaborator from a post at any time.
- Private accounts can only add users who follow them as collaborators.
- If a private account collaborates with a public account, the post will be public on the second profile.
- If any of the collaborators blocks the original poster (or vice versa), the collaboration will end.
- If the original poster deletes or deactivates their account, or deletes the post, the post will be deleted for everyone.
How Do I Get The Collab Feature?
The collab feature is available to all users regardless of account type. So whether you have a personal, Creator, or Business account you should be able to add collaborators when you’re creating or editing an Instagram post.
Both private and public accounts can add collaborators as well.
How To Invite For Collaboration
Collaboration is only available on the Instagram mobile app, but you can invite collaborators during or after publishing your post.
During Posting
Tap the plus sign to create a new post, and select your image.
Tap Next until you get to the final page where you can input your caption and add tags.
From here, tap Tag People.
Tap Invite Collaborators.
Search for the user you want to invite, then tap Done.
After Posting
Find your post and tap the three dots on the top right corner.
Tap Edit.
On the top, tap Add Collaborators
Search for the user you want to invite, then tap Done.
Can You Edit A Collab Post After Posting?
Yes, you can edit a collaborative post like any other post once it’s been published.
This includes adding additional collaborators, removing collaborators, editing captions and hashtags, adjusting user and location tags, alt text, music, and additional labels.
How To Remove A Collaborator From A Post
If you’ve changed your mind regarding a collaboration, you can easily remove the user from your post.
Find your post and tap the three dots on the top right corner.
Tap Edit.
On the bottom left corner of the post image, tap Tag.
Tap Tag People.
Tap Remove to the right of the collaborator’s name.
Tap Done and follow the on-screen instructions.
Why Can't I Add A Collab On Instagram?
Make sure you’re viewing your post from the Instagram app. The collaboration feature is not available on the desktop version of Instagram.
Next, make sure you’re editing a regular Instagram post. This feature is not available for carousel posts or Stories.
If your account is private, keep in mind that the collaborator you add has to be following you, otherwise you won’t be able to add them.
The collaboration invite will fail if the other user has blocked or restricted you, or if the user has chosen to ignore or reject your invitation.
If you’re on the mobile app and you’re still not seeing the feature, start by uninstalling and reinstalling the app to ensure that you’re using the most recent version of it.
Next, log out and back in again.
If the feature is still not available, it may be due to a region restriction or other account issue. At this point it’s best to contact Instagram support for additional guidance.
Alternatives To The Collab Feature
If the collab feature isn’t available to you, you have a few options.
Tag The User
The first method is to simply tag the user like you would in any other post.
To do this during posting, just tap Tag People and add the users.
To edit a previously published post, tap the three dots on the top right corner.
Tap Edit.
On the bottom left corner of the post image, tap Tag.
Tap Tag People.
Select the users you want to include, then tap Done.
Mention The User
You can also mention the user in your caption or in a comment on the post.
To do this, type the @ symbol in either section followed by their username.
Select the user, then save your post.
Repost To IG Stories
Another option is to share your post to your Instagram Story and tag the user there, so that they can share the post to their own followers.
To do this, tap the paper airplane icon on the bottom of the published post.
Tap Add To Story.
From here, tap the sticker icon on the top menu.
Tap @mention.
Type in the username, then tap Done.
Publish your Story as usual.
Manually Share The Post
Finally, if all else fails, you can each manually share the post with your followers.
Send your intended collaborator the image and caption you want them to post, and then tag each other in the caption when you’ve published it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add someone to an Instagram post after posting?
You can easily add a collaborator to your Instagram post after it’s been published by editing the post, then tapping Tag and inviting your collaborators.
Can I add a collaborator to a reel after boosting?
Yes, you can add collaborators to regular Instagram posts and Reels both during and after publishing.
How to collaborate on an existing reel?
Tap the three dots on the top right corner to Edit the Reel. Then select Tag People and invite collaborators.
How to invite collaboration on IG post?
Learn how to invite collaborators to any Instagram post both during publication and after it’s been posted using our quick guide here.
Does collaborating boost engagement?
Yes! When you collaborate with another user, the post appears on their profile as well which means you’ve effectively doubled your audience and increased the chances of users engaging with it.
Is a collab post the same as a tag?
No, with a collaboration the post is shared to both your own profile feed and the collaborators’. Tagging a user in a post will just notify them of the tag, and the post will appear under the Tags section of their profile but not in the main feed.
Can I add multiple collaborators after posting?
Yes, you can add up to 5 collaborators on a post either during publication or after posting.
Can private accounts use the Collab feature?
Yes, if you’re a private account you can add collaborators as long as they follow you. You can also invite other private users, as long as you both follow each other.
Can I remove a collaborator after posting?
Yes, you can remove collaborators after posting on Instagram by editing the post and removing tags.
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