Instagram sets a maximum number of posts that apps such as Nonli can publish on each Instagram account. The limit is set by Meta, not by Nonli, and it applies over a rolling 24-hour period.
1. The limit published by Meta#
On 2026-10-19, Meta's Content Publishing guide (Rate Limit section, updated June 30, 2026) states that an Instagram account can receive 100 API-published posts within a moving 24-hour period. Meta checks the limit at the moment the post is published.
Treat 100 as a general ceiling, not as a guaranteed allowance. Meta also returns a quota for each account, and Meta's documentation has given other values: on the same date, the content_publishing_limit endpoint reference and another section of the same guide still described the quota as 50 posts. When the quota returned for an account differs from the published figure, the account's own quota applies.
Nonli does not hold back or delay your posts to stay under the limit: each post is sent at its planned time, and Instagram accepts or rejects it. A post that Instagram rejects because the account reached its limit shows an error in Nonli, and Nonli does not retry it automatically.
2. What counts toward the limit#
- Each published post counts once, whether it is published through Nonli manually, as a scheduled post, or by a bot.
- A carousel counts as one post, however many photos or videos it contains.
- The limit is per Instagram account. All Nonli users and bots that publish to the same account share it. Publishing on another account does not use it.
- Other apps that publish through the API share the same limit. Posts created directly in the Instagram app are not API-published posts, so this limit does not cover them.
3. How the rolling 24-hour window works#
There is no reset at midnight. At any moment, Instagram counts the posts published on the account during the previous 24 hours. A post stops counting exactly 24 hours after it was published.
For example, with a ceiling of 100 posts:
| Time | Event | Posts counted over the previous 24 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 10:00 | 60 posts were published between 08:00 and 10:00 | 60 |
| Monday 18:00 | 40 more posts are published | 100: the account has reached the limit |
| Monday 23:00 | A new post is due | Still 100: midnight does not free any room, so this post can fail |
| Tuesday 08:00 to 10:00 | Monday morning's posts reach 24 hours, one after the other | Room becomes available again as each of them stops counting |
4. Plan your publications around the limit#
- The limit is a maximum, not a recommended frequency. Reaching it says nothing about what your audience wants to see. Choose the publishing frequency for editorial reasons, well below the ceiling.
- Add up every source that publishes to the account: scheduled posts, every bot that targets it, manual posts your team publishes through Nonli, and posts from any other app that publishes to the account through the API.
- Spread the posts over the day instead of scheduling large batches at the same time, especially after a busy period: the posts of the previous 24 hours still count.
- Do not rely on a fixed remaining number. Only the quota and usage Instagram returns for that account are authoritative, and the Nonli interface does not display them. Keep your planned volume well below the ceiling. If you use the Nonli API, the publishing quota endpoint returns the account's total quota, but not how much of it is already used.
5. If a post fails because of the limit#
The error message usually mentions a limit, a quota, or too many requests. Do not retry in a loop: every attempt while the account is at its limit can fail again. Check in Instagram that the post was not published, wait until room becomes available in the 24-hour window, then publish it again. What does the "error" notification on my posts mean? explains how to retry without creating a duplicate.