Cross post Instagram Reels to Bluesky
Post your original video to Instagram and Bluesky at the same time and it plays in both feeds. Reels can run 15 minutes and Bluesky takes 10, so a very long Reel needs a trim, and Bluesky's caption is 300 characters against Instagram's 2,200.
What changes between the two
| Instagram Reels | Bluesky | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 3 seconds to 15 minutes | Up to 10 minutes |
| Caption | 2,200 characters | 300 characters |
| Shape | Vertical is best, wide and square are accepted | Any shape |
| Account | Business or Creator | A verified email, before the first video |
Two things to check
Instagram only lets tools post to Business and Creator accounts. Switching a personal account to Creator takes a minute in Instagram's settings.
A Reel longer than 10 minutes can't go to Bluesky. Deploy tells you before it posts, and you can replace the video or skip Bluesky for that post.
Post it to both at once
Keep the original
Use the finished video from your editor or camera roll, the same file you'd upload to Instagram. Posting from the original keeps every platform on the best quality you have.
Connect Instagram and Bluesky
Open Deploy and connect both. It takes about a minute each, and you only do it once.
Upload once
A vertical 1080 by 1920 MP4 plays well on both. Keep it under 10 minutes for Bluesky.
Write the caption
Write one caption. The Bluesky box holds 300 characters, so if yours is longer, Deploy says so and offers Shorten, which starts a version just for Bluesky. The other platforms keep the full one.
Deploy
Both go out together, or schedule them for later. Each platform reports back on its own.
Questions
Can you cross post Instagram Reels to Bluesky?
Yes. deploy.social posts your original video to Instagram Reels and Bluesky from one upload, with a caption for each.
Does Bluesky support video?
Yes. A Bluesky video can run up to 10 minutes and about 300 MB, in any shape, and it plays in the feed.
Do I need an Instagram Business account?
Yes. Instagram only lets tools post to Business and Creator accounts.
How long can a Bluesky caption be?
300 characters. deploy.social shows a separate caption box for Bluesky, so the Instagram caption can stay longer.
Try it with your next Reel.
Connect both, upload the video once, and post it to Bluesky too. Five posts a month are free.
Keep reading
- TikTok to Bluesky
The same video on Bluesky, with a caption cut to 300 characters.
- YouTube Shorts to Bluesky
A Short on Bluesky as a video, not a link.
- Video sizes and lengths
Every platform's length, size and caption limits on one page.