instagram-mcp

Publish a carousel

ig_publish_carousel

Publish an Instagram carousel of 2–10 images or videos as one post. If videos are processing, returns pending container IDs to continue the same post.

Instructions

Publishes a carousel of 2–10 images and/or videos (counts as one post against the daily limit). If some videos are still processing, returns pending child container_ids: call again with those as items. Requires IG_ENABLE_WRITES=true.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "items": "<items>"
    },
    "name": "ig_publish_carousel"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`items`	Yes
`caption`	No	Caption, up to 2200 characters, 30 hashtags and 20 @mentions
`wait_seconds`	No	How long to wait for Meta to process the media before returning a pending container_id

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.0Oct 18, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=false, idempotentHint=false and openWorldHint=true, and the description adds genuinely non-derivable facts: the daily-limit accounting, the env-var write gate, and the pending-container_id return that requires a follow-up call. It doesn't discuss idempotency directly (whether re-calling with the same container_ids republishes or completes the original), which is the main remaining unknown for a non-idempotent mutation.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three dense sentences, front-loaded with what the tool does, then the limit accounting, then the failure/retry behavior. No filler and no repetition of the title.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 3-parameter write tool with no output schema, it covers the write gate, the limit cost, and the non-happy-path return shape. It doesn't say what a successful publish returns (media id), which would be the last piece an agent needs to chain a follow-up call, but nothing required to invoke it correctly is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 67%, and the description compensates for the hardest part: it explains that items accepts image and/or video entries and that a returned child container_id can be fed back in as an item, which the schema only hints at via a pattern constraint. It adds nothing for caption, and wait_seconds is only defined in the schema, but the ambiguous parameter is well covered.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Publishes a carousel of 2–10 images and/or videos') with the distinctive scope markers an agent needs to tell it apart from ig_publish_image, ig_publish_reel, ig_publish_story and ig_publish_container. The multi-item carousel constraint is explicit and unambiguous.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives clear operating context: counts as one post against the daily limit, requires IG_ENABLE_WRITES=true, and the exact retry path when videos are still processing. It stops short of naming the single-item siblings as the alternative for non-carousel posts, so the choice between them is left implicit in the tool name.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.