What the plan is based on
People open Instagram before work, in the lunch break and most of all in the evening at home. At the weekend the morning starts later and the afternoon is busier. The planner scores every hour of your week with those rules, for each city your followers live in, and picks the hours that work for the most of them.
Instagram shows each person posts in the order it thinks they will care about, so the time is one thing among many. It still matters: a post that goes out while your followers are awake gets seen and liked by them first.
Find your followers' cities
- Open your profile in the Instagram app and tap Professional dashboard. You need a professional account, which is free.
- Open your followers in Insights and scroll to Top locations.
- Pick Cities. Type the top ones into the planner with their share.
Instagram shows these numbers once an account has about 100 followers. Below that, start with your own city.
Use the plan
- Post at the times in the plan for two weeks. Stories can go out at any of the good hours too.
- Then compare the reach of each post in Insights. Keep the times that beat your usual.
- Your followers' Most active times, on the same Insights screen, are worth a look too. If they disagree with the plan, test both.
FAQ
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
It depends on where your followers live. For most accounts the evening after work is the strongest window, with lunch and the morning before work next. Add your top cities above to see those windows on your own clock.
Is the best time different for Reels and posts?
Reels are also shown to people who do not follow you, so the time matters less for them. Posts and Stories are seen mostly by your followers, so for those the plan matters most.
How often should I post on Instagram?
Post as often as you can keep up with good posts. Set the number of posts a week in the planner and it spreads them over the week.
My followers live in two countries. Which time wins?
Neither. Add both with their share. The planner picks hours that are good in both places when it can, and leans toward the bigger group when it cannot.