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Creating and Managing an Instagram Hashtag Feed

This feature available on the Pro Plan

Overview

A hashtag campaign is a great way to harness the engagement of Instagram. Set a designated hashtag and display a feed of posts (images and videos) using that hashtag. Participants will be able to vote on and share these entries.

Account Setup Steps (Before Creating the Feed)

To set up your Instagram contest, follow these steps:

1. Create an Instagram Business Account

Convert an existing Instagram account to a Business Profile if needed. Instructions can be found in our blog: How to Set Up an Instagram Business Profile.

2. Link Instagram to Facebook

When setting up your Business Account, connect it to your Facebook Page.

Important Notes:

  • Posts must come from a public Instagram profile and include the required hashtag(s) in the original caption.
  • If an @mention is required, ensure it’s included in the post. This increases brand visibility by tagging your business directly.

Creating a Feed

Before creating your Instagram feed, double-check the prerequisites:

  1. The Instagram account must be a Business Account linked to a Facebook Page.
  2. You must be logged into a Facebook account with appropriate permissions to the Facebook Page, or have permissions granted through Facebook Business Manager.

For assistance with permissions, refer to our guide: Granting Page Permissions Using Facebook Business Manager.

Setting Up the Feed

  1. Navigate to Hashtag Feeds

    • From your Home screen, click Manage at the top.
    • In the drop-down menu, select Hashtag Feeds.

  2. Create a New Feed

    • Click the blue New Feed button.
    • If prompted, log into the Facebook account with admin access to the Facebook Page connected to your Instagram.
    • Choose the Facebook Page associated with the Instagram account you want to use.

  3. Name Your Feed and Select a List

    • Choose one of the following:
      • Automatically create new list (for a new list).
      • Select an existing list from the drop-down menu.

  4. Choose @Mention Settings

    • Decide whether to require an @mention in posts.

    • By default, @mention is not required.

      Without requiring an @mention, some restrictions apply:

      • You cannot limit the number of entries per user.
      • The Rights Management tool won’t be available.
      • Emojis won’t be supported in hashtags.

    Note: If you require @mention, it must be included in the original caption, along with the hashtag.

  5. Enter Hashtags

    • Input the hashtag(s) for your campaign. Separate multiple hashtags with commas.
    • Posts must include all specified hashtags to be imported into the feed.

  6. Adjust Feed Settings

    • Select specific entry types to import, such as entries with photos or videos.
    • Change entry approval settings:
      • Manually: Approve each entry manually.
      • Automatically: Automatically approve all entries.

  7. Set Start/Stop Dates

    • Configure the campaign's start and stop dates and times.
    • Select the appropriate timezone.

  8. Save and Exit

    • Once finished, click Save & Exit.
    • Your new feed will appear in the Feeds Manager.

Note: Due to Instagram's API limitations, feeds will only pull media from posts—not Stories.

Troubleshooting

If you run into any problems setting up your Instagram Hashtag Feed, refer to our help doc: Troubleshooting Issues with Feeds and Facebook/Instagram Importer Tools.

Using ShortStack's Rights Management Tool

For more information about requesting rights for entries pulled in through a feed, see the Rights Management for Instagram help doc.

 

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