Batch upload Instagram Reels to YouTube with scheduled delays

Description

Automatically upload your Instagram videos to YouTube with configurable time gaps between each upload, using n8n Tables for deduplication.

How it works

Fetches recent Instagram posts via the Meta Graph API and filters to only video content (VIDEO/REELS)
Checks each video against an n8n Table to skip already-uploaded content
Waits a configurable delay between uploads to space out your publishing schedule
Processes metadata - extracts title from caption, converts hashtags to YouTube tags
Uploads to YouTube with your configured privacy, category, and safety settings
Records the upload in the n8n Table to prevent duplicates on future runs

Set up steps

Time estimate: 10-15 minutes

Create an n8n Table with two text fields: postId and youtubeId
Connect your Instagram credentials (Meta Developer Bearer Token)
Connect your YouTube OAuth2 account
Edit the Configuration node to set your preferred upload delay, privacy status, and category
Activate the workflow

Detailed setup instructions and configuration options are documented in the sticky notes inside the workflow.

Required n8n Table

| Field | Type | Purpose |
|-------|------|---------|
| postId | String | Stores the Instagram post ID to prevent re-uploading |
| youtubeId | String | Stores the resulting YouTube video ID for reference |

How to create:
Go to n8n Tables in your n8n instance
Create a new table named "Instagram To YouTube"
Add two columns: postId (text) and youtubeId (text)
Select this table in both the "Check If Already Uploaded" and "Save Upload Record" nodes

Configuration Options

Edit the Configuration node to customize:

{
"includeSourceLink": true, // Include Instagram link in description
"waitTimeoutSeconds": 900, // Delay between uploads (900 = 15 min)
"maxTitleLength": 100, // Maximum YouTube title length
"categoryId": "24", // YouTube category (24 = Entertainment)
"privacyStatus": "public", // public, private, or unlisted
"notifySubscribers": false, // Send notifications to subscribers
"defaultLanguage": "en", // Video language code
"ageRestricted": false // Mark as 18+ content
}

Key Settings Explained

| Setting | Default | Description |
|---------|---------|-------------|
| includeSourceLink | true | Set to false if your YouTube account can't add external links (unverified accounts) |
| waitTimeoutSeconds | 900 | Gap between uploads in seconds. 900 = 15 minutes, 3600 = 1 hour |
| ageRestricted | false | Set to true if your content is for mature audiences (18+) |
| notifySubscribers | false | Set to true to notify subscribers on each upload |

Requirements

n8n version**: 1.0+
Instagram**: Meta Developer account with Graph API access and Bearer Token
YouTube**: Google Cloud project with YouTube Data API v3 enabled and OAuth2 credentials

Features

Filters to VIDEO and REELS only (skips images)
Smart title extraction from captions
Hashtag to YouTube tags conversion
Deduplication via n8n Tables
COPPA compliance options (madeForKids settings)
Configurable upload delays for drip-feeding content

Category IDs Reference

| ID | Category |
|----|----------|
| 1 | Film & Animation |
| 10 | Music |
| 17 | Sports |
| 20 | Gaming |
| 22 | People & Blogs |
| 23 | Comedy |
| 24 | Entertainment |
| 25 | News & Politics |
| 27 | Education |
| 28 | Science & Technology |