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Instagram to RSS using Zapier - Carousel Cloud

  • Updated

Did you know in just 22 easy steps, you can use Zapier to convert your Instagram feed into an RSS format that you can use in Carousel?

  1. First, create a Zapier Account
  2. Create a New Zap
  3. For the Trigger App, choose Instagram
  4. For Trigger Event, choose New Media Posted in My Account
    *Note: Instagram’s Basic Display API is designed to interface with your Authorized User Account instead of another User Accounts content. This lines up with what we see most often in the industry for Instagram integration of content.
  5. Connect Zapier to your Instagram account
  6. Authorize Zapier on Instagram
  7. Confirm your account in Zapier
  8. Test the trigger to be sure you are pulling data correctly
  9. Confirm data was pulled
  10. For Action App, select RSS by Zapier
  11. For Action Event, choose Create Item in Feed
  12. Set Action values (see list below, and screenshots)
    1. Customize the private URL for the Feed, and note this address.
    2. Create a Feed Title, we used username on Instagram
    3. Set a maximum number of posts to pull
    4. Set Item Title to username
    5. Set Source URL to Permalink
    6. Set Content to Caption
    7. Do no Truncate Messages
    8. Set Author Name to Username
    9. Set Author Link to http://www.instagram/username
    10. Set Media URL to Media URL
    11. Set Pubdate to Timestamp


  13. Test the Action
  14. Confirm you see A Create Item in Feed was sent to RSS by Zapier message, and if you have not done so, name your Zap.
  15. Then Publish and Turn On
  16. Download the RSS Instagram Bulletin.zip file

  17. Login to Carousel, and click on New Bulletin.
  18. Select Uploaded and browse to select the RSS Instagram Bulletin.zip


  19. Update the Feed URL to use the RSS URL from Zapier. Also, set the Sort By option to Feed Default.
  20. Publish and relax!
    Suddenly this Instagram post...

    Becomes...

Additional Background Information

Carousel Signage has found that using other Instagram/RSS resources, such as RSS.app, provides highly inconsistent results, mainly when curating Instagram feeds. The major roadblock is that Instagram's Basic Display API is designed to interface with a single Authorized User Account instead of other User Accounts. This lines up with what we see most often in the signage industry for Instagram integration of content. There's no clear way to address this from within Carousel, as the main problem is specific to those resources. Please be aware Instagram's API changes frequently, and this may require updates from Zapier to continue to work. However, if the RSS sent to Carousel Signage is in a standard format, this should continue to work.





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