Starting automated IG strategy (please help)

E

eeee

Registered Member
Joined
May 12, 2023
Messages
66
Reaction score
18
So I have Claude creating IG carousels; I check them manually and approve/reject. Then they're scheduled to be posted through the IG API with Vercel. This all works, and the content isn't bad, but I'm getting 0 views.

I also have automation set up for Threads (connected to this IG), and I got a combined 120 views on the same content.

I have a couple of theories for why this isn't working, but I wanted to hear from someone doing this successfully.

Account info:
- Created it myself in 2025 and didn't post until now
- 1 follower (me on my personal)
- Using it on my main phone in the third-world without eSIM or anything like that (target market is US)
- Account is public/professional, not limited, also have free Meta One

Posting:
- Posted 1 carousel per day for 5 days (got 0 views other than myself)
- Tried adding music to some of the carousels after they were posted via the API
- Didn't post reels
- No advertisement in the posts, just a call to share it
- Images in the posts were from Shutterstock, added my own filter, and I put the source in the description (going to test without images though)

Let me know your thoughts, thanks!
 
Advertise on BHW
Posting via api on brand new accounts with zero engagement history often triggers reach limits on insta, try posting manually from your phone for a few weeks to build initial trust. Also targeting us from another country without warm proxies or geo targeted SIM makes it harder to hit the US feed early on.
 
I’d check account status and recommendation eligibility first, then test original carousels and Reels while building genuine engagement; five posts on a dormant account with one follower isn’t enough to judge.
 
anilly said:
I’d check account status and recommendation eligibility first, then test original carousels and Reels while building genuine engagement; five posts on a dormant account with one follower isn’t enough to judge.
Click to expand...
legendprime said:
Posting via api on brand new accounts with zero engagement history often triggers reach limits on insta, try posting manually from your phone for a few weeks to build initial trust. Also targeting us from another country without warm proxies or geo targeted SIM makes it harder to hit the US feed early on.
Click to expand...
rodrimar said:
You need to improve your content
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback, I'll try posting manually for now and see how it goes.
 
eeee said:
IG API with Vercel.
Click to expand...

That won't work, especially for a new account. Do a manual post with the other account and you will see the difference
 
Nah, not good. You need iPhone automations. AI can't do that as of now, sorry to tell u. API postin is bad
 
Invictus said:
Nah, not good. You need iPhone automations. AI can't do that as of now, sorry to tell u. API postin is bad
Click to expand...
iPhone automations, or what about having claude upload to some approved scheduler?
 
Other schedulers use the exact same API so that won't change anything. Stock carousels on a brand new account get zero push anyway. Total dead end. Try short Reels by hand first and skip the proxies, they'll just get you flagged
 
Instagram often hides brand new accounts with no real followers, so a single post gets no reach. Try posting from Meta Business Suite instead of the API, add five relevant hashtags and a location tag, and post three times a day for a week to break the shadow ban.
 
eeee said:
So I have Claude creating IG carousels; I check them manually and approve/reject. Then they're scheduled to be posted through the IG API with Vercel. This all works, and the content isn't bad, but I'm getting 0 views.

I also have automation set up for Threads (connected to this IG), and I got a combined 120 views on the same content.

I have a couple of theories for why this isn't working, but I wanted to hear from someone doing this successfully.

Account info:
- Created it myself in 2025 and didn't post until now
- 1 follower (me on my personal)
- Using it on my main phone in the third-world without eSIM or anything like that (target market is US)
- Account is public/professional, not limited, also have free Meta One

Posting:
- Posted 1 carousel per day for 5 days (got 0 views other than myself)
- Tried adding music to some of the carousels after they were posted via the API
- Didn't post reels
- No advertisement in the posts, just a call to share it
- Images in the posts were from Shutterstock, added my own filter, and I put the source in the description (going to test without images though)

Let me know your thoughts, thanks!
Click to expand...
i would definitely give the account a manual run before switching everything around in the automation process. 5 posts are still a very limited sample, especially with only one follower on the account.try making some carousels from scratch with ur own pictures nd see whether there is any distribution for them.account status nd insights can confirm that posts meet all the necessary requirements for disttribution.
 
I think the main issue is the new account and the API call not adding a caption so Instagram treats it as spam try adding a short caption with three hashtags and make sure the token has instagram content publish permission also check the media id returned by Vercel is not empty and wait at least ten minutes before publishing
 
you've only posted 5 carousels and the account has one follower, so there's not much data to judge yet. i wouldn't buy a US mobile proxy expecting it to bring US views either. changing your IP doesn't automatically build an audience in that country.
 
If you're posting automatically via API and using a proxy, your engagement is likely to be limited. You should manually post short Reels directly from your phone to build initial trust.
 
eeee said:
Thanks for the feedback, I'll try posting manually for now and see how it goes.
Click to expand...
Did you get any reach after switching to manual posting? If you've tried it, could you share how many carousels you posted and the accounts reached for each, especially non-followers? Keeping the format and content similar would make the comparison more useful. Switching to Reels at the same time would make it harder to tell whether the posting method made a difference.
 
A few things:
- Claude can generate content but that doesn't make it any good. Make sure your content is actually engaging
- It takes time to scale up so just be patient
- Are you using the IG Business API (I think thats a thing?) Or unofficial API?
- You are in a 3rd world country, trying to target US? I don't think that is gonna work, at least without some kind of proxy or something. Being geolocated to the market you are targeting is kinda important.
 
I’d start to look at the acc and distribution before blaming the content. Five posts is a pretty small sample with an account that has one follower and no posting history.
 
eeee said:
So I have Claude creating IG carousels; I check them manually and approve/reject. Then they're scheduled to be posted through the IG API with Vercel. This all works, and the content isn't bad, but I'm getting 0 views.

I also have automation set up for Threads (connected to this IG), and I got a combined 120 views on the same content.

I have a couple of theories for why this isn't working, but I wanted to hear from someone doing this successfully.

Account info:
- Created it myself in 2025 and didn't post until now
- 1 follower (me on my personal)
- Using it on my main phone in the third-world without eSIM or anything like that (target market is US)
- Account is public/professional, not limited, also have free Meta One

Posting:
- Posted 1 carousel per day for 5 days (got 0 views other than myself)
- Tried adding music to some of the carousels after they were posted via the API
- Didn't post reels
- No advertisement in the posts, just a call to share it
- Images in the posts were from Shutterstock, added my own filter, and I put the source in the description (going to test without images though)

Let me know your thoughts, thanks!
Click to expand...
If you are posting carousels from 0 it wont work. You need reels
 
Advertise on BHW
You must log in or register to reply here.
Sign up now!

Main Menu

Home Main Forum List Black Hat SEO White Hat SEO BHW Newbie Guide Blogging Black Hat Tools Social Media Downloads

Marketplace

Account Selling Content / Copywriting EBooks / Methods Hosting Misc Proxies For Sale SEO - Link building SEO - Packages Social Media Social Media - Panels Web Design More

Making Money

Affiliate Programs Hire a Freelancer IM Journeys Making Money Pay Per Click Site Flipping Want to Buy

BlackHat World

Dispute Resolution Forum Suggestions & Feedback Introductions Lounge
Back
Top