How to Use the Instagram Block in UniLink (Show Your Feed on Your Bio Page)
How to Use the Instagram Block in UniLink (Show Your Feed on Your Bio Page)
The Instagram block embeds a live grid of your recent posts directly on your UniLink page — turning your bio link into a portfolio that updates itself every time you post.
- The Instagram block requires a Creator or Business account — personal accounts are restricted by Instagram's API.
- Connect Instagram once via Settings → Integrations; the block then pulls your feed automatically.
- API tokens expire every 60 days, but UniLink auto-refreshes them as long as the account stays connected.
- Stories, Reels previews, and per-post custom links are not available through the API — work around these limitations intentionally.
Most people use their link-in-bio page to send visitors to Instagram. The Instagram block flips that logic. Instead of pushing visitors away from your page and hoping they find what they came for, it brings your feed directly into the page — so your most recent posts are visible the moment someone opens your UniLink. For photographers, fashion creators, food bloggers, and any brand that lives primarily on Instagram, this is not a cosmetic feature. It is the difference between a page that shows social proof immediately and one that asks visitors to go somewhere else to find it.
What the Instagram block does
The Instagram block connects to your Instagram account via the official Instagram Graph API and renders your most recent posts as an embedded feed on your UniLink page. When a visitor opens your page, they see your latest photos and videos in the layout you choose — a grid, a carousel, or a single featured post. Clicking any post either opens it in a lightbox on your UniLink page or links directly to the original post on Instagram, depending on how you configure the link destination setting. The feed updates automatically when you publish new content to Instagram — there is nothing to manually refresh or update in UniLink.
The block is genuinely useful for several reasons beyond aesthetics. It consolidates your content where your audience already is. It creates social proof without requiring a separate portfolio or press page. And it eliminates the friction of the "link in bio" model where you post a photo on Instagram and then separately update a link list — the Instagram block means your page always shows your current content, even if you post five times a day.
There are real limitations worth understanding before you set this up. The Instagram Graph API does not expose Stories — visitors cannot see your Stories through the block, and there is no workaround for this. The API also does not support deep Reels previews in the same way it does for photos; Reels may appear as video thumbnails depending on API permissions. Personal Instagram accounts are significantly restricted by the API and will either not connect at all or only pull a limited feed that stops updating after a short time. And finally, the feed reflects your public posts — any posts you have archived, hidden, or shared only with Close Friends will not appear.
Before you start
- Confirm your Instagram account type: Go to your Instagram profile, tap the hamburger menu, and check Settings → Account. You need a Creator account or Business account. If you are on a Personal account, switch to Creator first — it is free and takes about 30 seconds.
- Make sure your Instagram account is public: The API only returns public posts. If your account is set to private, nothing will appear in the block even after a successful connection.
- Have your Instagram login credentials ready: You will go through an OAuth flow to authorize UniLink. This is Instagram's standard permissions dialog — you will need to log in and grant UniLink read access to your feed.
- Decide on your layout before you open the editor: Grid (3-column) works best for portfolios and brand pages. Carousel works for a narrative sequence or "latest posts" strip. Single post works for featuring one specific piece of content.
How to add the Instagram block to your page
- Connect your Instagram account in Settings first: Before adding the block to your page, go to UniLink Dashboard → Settings → Integrations → Instagram. Click Connect and complete the Instagram OAuth flow. Authorize UniLink to read your media. Once authorized, your account name will appear as connected.
- Open the page editor: Navigate to the page where you want to add the Instagram block and click Edit.
- Click "Add block" and select Instagram: Use the block picker to find the Instagram block. It is typically listed under Social or Media in the block category list.
- Select the connected Instagram account: If you have only one Instagram account connected, it will be selected automatically. If you have multiple connected accounts, choose the one you want to display from the dropdown.
- Choose your layout: Select Grid, Carousel, or Single Post from the Layout setting. For most pages, Grid is the right choice — it shows the most posts in the least vertical space and is immediately recognizable as an Instagram feed.
- Set the number of posts to display: Choose between 3 and 24 posts. For a grid, 6 or 9 posts (2 or 3 rows) gives a clean, complete feel. For a carousel, 6–12 is typical. For a single post, this setting is irrelevant.
- Configure link destination: Choose whether clicking a post opens a lightbox preview on your UniLink page or links directly to the post on Instagram. Lightbox keeps visitors on your page longer. Direct link sends them to Instagram immediately — use this if your goal is specifically to drive Instagram engagement.
- Optionally show or hide captions: Toggle captions on if your post captions add context. Toggle them off for a cleaner, purely visual grid — which most photo-heavy creators prefer.
- Save and preview: Click Save. Switch to mobile preview to verify the grid layout looks correct. On mobile, a 3-column grid compresses tightly — confirm the post thumbnails are still recognizable at that size.
Key settings explained
| Setting | What it controls | Best practice |
|---|---|---|
| Layout: Grid | Displays posts in a 3-column fixed grid, most recent first | Use for portfolios, brand pages, and accounts that post primarily photos |
| Layout: Carousel | Displays posts in a horizontally swipeable strip | Use when you want to show a sequence or when vertical space is tight on your page |
| Layout: Single Post | Displays one specific featured post in full width | Use to feature a launch announcement, best-performing post, or pinned content |
| Number of posts | How many recent posts are fetched and displayed (3–24) | 6 or 9 for grid (clean rows); 6–12 for carousel; 1 for single post |
| Link destination | Where clicking a post takes the visitor — lightbox or Instagram post URL | Lightbox to keep visitors on your page; direct link if your primary goal is Instagram engagement |
| Show captions | Displays the Instagram caption text below each post thumbnail | Off for clean visual grids; on if captions carry important context (products, pricing, etc.) |
| Post size | Controls the size of thumbnails in the grid or carousel | Default (auto) works for most layouts; increase only if you are showing 3 posts or fewer |
| Connected account | Which Instagram account's feed is displayed | Use the account with the most active and relevant content for this specific page |
How to make your Instagram feed work harder
The most common mistake with the Instagram block is treating it as a passive decoration — something you add and then forget about. That framing misses the point. Your Instagram feed is active evidence of your work, your frequency, and your brand quality. A feed that has not been updated in three weeks signals to visitors that you are not active, regardless of how good the posts themselves look. If you are going to feature your feed on your UniLink page, you need to be posting consistently enough that the content stays fresh — otherwise, remove the block and use a Gallery or Banner block with your best curated work instead.
Layout choice has a larger impact than most creators expect. A Grid layout with 9 posts in a 3×3 arrangement is visually familiar to anyone who uses Instagram — it immediately reads as "this is someone's Instagram feed" and creates a portfolio-like presentation. If your grid is aesthetically consistent — similar tones, a clear color palette, a recognizable visual style — it is one of the most effective social proof elements you can show on a bio page. If your grid is visually inconsistent, it may work against you. In that case, use a Carousel layout showing only your 6 most recent posts, which is less commitment and allows a viewer to swipe through without seeing the full picture.
Think carefully about where you send visitors when they click a post. If your goal is to grow your Instagram following, link directly to the Instagram post — it gives them a reason to follow you on Instagram where they can see more. If your goal is to sell a product, answer a question, or send people to a specific page, use the lightbox option and make sure your links block below the Instagram grid handles the conversion action. The Instagram block and your links should complement each other, not compete. A common high-performing structure is: Header → Instagram block (3 to 6 posts, lightbox, no captions) → Links block with three to five key links. The Instagram block builds trust and identity; the links block collects the click.
For creators who sell products directly tied to their Instagram content — fashion, art prints, handmade goods — consider enabling captions in the Instagram block and writing captions that include the product name and a reference to the link in your links block. "New drop — Coastal Blue. Link below." This creates a deliberate funnel from content discovery to purchase without requiring visitors to navigate to Instagram and back. It keeps the entire journey on your UniLink page.
Troubleshooting common issues
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Feed shows old posts and has not updated in days | Instagram API token expired (tokens expire every 60 days) | Go to Settings → Integrations → Instagram, disconnect the account, and reconnect via OAuth — the feed will refresh within minutes |
| Block says "No posts found" immediately after connecting | Instagram account is set to private, or the account is a Personal account with API restrictions | Switch the Instagram account to public in Instagram Settings → Privacy; also confirm the account type is Creator or Business |
| Feed connected but only shows a few old posts and never updates | Account is a Personal account — the API returns limited data for personal accounts | Switch to Creator account in Instagram Settings → Account → Switch to Professional Account; then reconnect in UniLink |
| I changed my Instagram password and now the feed is broken | Changing your Instagram password invalidates all active OAuth tokens | Go to Settings → Integrations → Instagram in UniLink, remove the old connection, and re-authorize with your new password |
| Reels are not appearing in the grid | Instagram's API has varying Reel support depending on account permissions and post visibility settings | Ensure Reels are set to public and not restricted; some Reels may appear as video thumbnails rather than previews |
| Grid looks fine on desktop but thumbnails are too small on mobile | A 3-column grid with 9 posts compresses heavily on mobile screens | Reduce to 6 posts (2 rows), increase post size to Medium, or switch to Carousel layout for a more mobile-friendly presentation |
| Captions overlap or obscure the thumbnails | Captions enabled on a dense grid layout | Turn captions off for grid layouts; captions work better on single-post or carousel layouts where there is more visual space |
Best fit for
- Photographers, visual artists, and illustrators whose portfolio lives on Instagram
- Fashion, lifestyle, and food creators who want to show their aesthetic instantly
- Brands with active Instagram accounts where new content is published multiple times per week
- Creators who sell products tied to Instagram content and want a feed-to-purchase funnel
- Anyone who wants automated social proof without manually updating their UniLink page
Not the right tool if
- You post infrequently to Instagram — a stale feed signals inactivity and can undermine credibility
- Your primary content is Stories or Reels — the API does not expose Stories and Reel support varies; a video block or banner serves those formats better
- You have a personal Instagram account and cannot switch to Creator or Business — the API restrictions will prevent a reliable, live-updating feed
- Your Instagram grid is visually inconsistent — an incoherent grid may create a worse impression than no feed at all; use a curated Gallery block instead
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Instagram block require a Creator or Business account?
Instagram's Graph API — the official API that allows third-party tools like UniLink to access post data — is only available to Creator and Business accounts. Personal accounts have access to a much more limited API that provides fewer posts, stops refreshing quickly, and is not reliable for a live feed. Switching to Creator is free, does not change how your profile looks to followers, and takes less than a minute in the Instagram app under Settings → Account → Switch to Professional Account.
Can visitors see my Instagram Stories through the block?
No. The Instagram Graph API does not expose Stories to third-party applications. This is a deliberate restriction from Instagram and there is no workaround available. If you want to feature Stories-style content on your UniLink page, save your Stories as Highlights on Instagram and link to your Instagram profile from the Header block's social links — visitors can then view Highlights directly on Instagram. For ephemeral or time-sensitive content on your UniLink page, use the Banner block or a Countdown block instead.
How often does the Instagram block refresh to show new posts?
UniLink polls the Instagram API at a regular interval to check for new posts. In practice, new posts typically appear in the block within a few minutes to a few hours of being published on Instagram — there is a small delay inherent to API polling, but it is not noticeable for most use cases. You do not need to trigger a manual refresh. If your most recent post is not showing after 24 hours, the most likely cause is a token issue — go to Settings → Integrations → Instagram and reconnect.
Can I connect multiple Instagram accounts and show different feeds on different pages?
Yes. You can connect multiple Instagram accounts under Settings → Integrations → Instagram. When you add an Instagram block to a page, you choose which connected account's feed to display from a dropdown in the block settings. This lets you manage pages for multiple brands or clients from one UniLink account, with each page showing the correct Instagram feed.
What happens to the Instagram block if I disconnect my Instagram account?
If you disconnect your Instagram account from UniLink, the block will stop displaying content and will show an empty or error state to visitors. Reconnecting restores the feed. If you only temporarily need to hide the feed, a better approach is to hide the Instagram block on your page (using the visibility toggle in the editor) rather than disconnecting the account entirely — that way, reconnecting is not required to restore it.
- The Instagram block requires a Creator or Business account — switch from Personal in Instagram's account settings before trying to connect.
- API tokens expire every 60 days; UniLink auto-renews them, but changing your Instagram password invalidates the token and requires manual reconnection in Settings → Integrations.
- Stories are not accessible through the Instagram API — this is a platform restriction with no workaround.
- A 3×3 grid of 9 recent posts is the most visually effective layout for portfolio-style pages; use Carousel on mobile-first pages where vertical space matters.
- The Instagram block works best as social proof combined with a links block below it — the feed builds trust and identity, the links capture conversions.
Ready to put your Instagram feed to work? Create your free UniLink page and connect your Instagram account today.
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