How to post to Instagram from Gemini CLI

Set it up and post, step by step

Prompt to copy once Instagram is connected: Upload ./launch/slide-1.png, slide-2.png and demo.mp4, write an Instagram caption for the v2.4 launch from CHANGELOG.md, show it to me, and schedule the carousel for Tuesday at 6pm.

1. Add PostWire to Gemini CLI

   In your terminal (not inside Gemini) run gemini mcp add -s user --transport http postwire https://postwire.io/api/mcp. -s user saves it in ~/.gemini/settings.json for every folder; without it Gemini CLI saves it for the current project only. The URL is PostWire's hosted MCP server: there is nothing to install.

2. Sign in

   Start gemini and type /mcp auth postwire. Your browser opens PostWire's sign-in: your email and a 6-digit code, which also creates a free PostWire account if you have none, with no password and no card. /mcp then lists postwire as connected.

3. Connect Instagram

   Ask "connect my Instagram". Gemini calls create_connect_link and prints a one-hour link; open it and choose Log in with Instagram (no Facebook Page needed) or connect through a Facebook Page you manage. Instagram's API publishes only from Business or Creator accounts — switching a personal account is free, in the Instagram app's settings. PostWire never sees your password.

4. Give the post a photo or a video

   Instagram refuses text-only posts, and it fetches media from a link, so a file on your disk goes through an upload page: Gemini asks for one (create_upload_link), you pick the file there, and get_uploaded_file hands Gemini its link (up to 100 MB on the free plan and 1 GB on paid plans). A public https link works too, as photo_url or video_url, or a list in media for a carousel.

5. Ask for the caption

   "Write the Instagram caption for the launch." generate_posts returns a draft and publishes nothing: the hook in the first line, a short caption, at most 5 hashtags at the end, within Instagram's 2,200 characters. Ask for the TikTok or LinkedIn version in the same sentence and each comes back written for its own network.

6. Post now, or schedule it

   Say "post it" and Gemini calls post_to_social. Say "schedule it for Tuesday at 6pm" and it calls schedule_post, up to 365 days ahead, or with run_at: "next_slot" for your next free posting hour. Two or more items in media make a carousel; Instagram crops every slide to the first one's shape. Gemini CLI shows the call and waits for you to allow it. This is the call:

   {
     "name": "schedule_post",
     "arguments": {
       "platforms": ["instagram"],
       "per_platform": { "instagram": {
         "text": "v2.4 is here 🚀 Dark mode, 2x faster sync, 14 fixes. Swipe for the demo 👉 #buildinpublic #saas"
       } },
       "media": [
         { "url": "https://postwire.io/m/…/slide-1.png", "type": "image" },
         { "url": "https://postwire.io/m/…/slide-2.png", "type": "image" },
         { "url": "https://postwire.io/m/…/demo.mp4",    "type": "video" }
       ],
       "run_at": "2026-11-17T18:00:00-05:00"
     }
   }

7. Check that it went out

   Instagram processes a video before it can be published. If that takes longer than the call can wait, the result says processing and PostWire publishes it on its own a few minutes later; get_post_status or list_scheduled_posts shows when it is live.

"What's scheduled on Instagram?" calls list_scheduled_posts and "cancel Tuesday's post" calls cancel_scheduled_post; the same queue is on the dashboard's Queue page. Prefer to set it up by hand? Open the dashboard, connect Instagram under Accounts and copy your key under API & MCP. All Gemini CLI clients: Gemini CLI setup.