Instagram Reels MCP: Make and Post Reels from Claude

An Instagram Reels MCP server gives Claude the tools to make a Reel and post it to your Instagram account. You type a topic. Claude writes the script, picks a voice, generates the visuals, adds captions, renders a 9:16 MP4, and publishes it as a Reel. You approve each step in the chat. This guide uses the hosted AITuber MCP server for Claude, which is the one server we know of that finishes the Reel instead of handing back a clip. We ran the workflow in Claude Desktop, claude.ai, and Claude Code in September 2026.

Key takeaways

• An Instagram Reels MCP server is an MCP server whose tools cover the whole Reel: script, voice, visuals, captions, a 9:16 MP4, and the post to Instagram. Most video MCP servers stop at a silent clip.
• Setup is one URL, https://mcp.aituber.app, added as a custom connector in Claude. It works in Claude Desktop, claude.ai, and Claude Code with nothing installed.
• Instagram is the fussy platform. Say “9:16” and “Reel” in the prompt, keep photorealistic visuals labeled, and give Claude the caption you want.
• Generating is free to try with 100 credits. Posting to Instagram through the server needs a paid AITuber plan, which starts at $39 a month.
• Claude posts when you ask. For a Reel a day without a chat open, the Instagram Reels automation tool runs on a schedule.

What an Instagram Reels MCP server is

MCP is the Model Context Protocol, the open standard that lets Claude call outside tools. A video MCP server adds video tools to the chat. An Instagram Reels MCP server, in the sense we use here, goes all the way to a Reel on your account.

That line matters because most video servers are model wrappers. Higgsfield, fal.ai, Replicate, Kling, and Runway each expose a generate_video tool that returns a clip of 5 to 15 seconds. No voice, no captions, no upload. You still open an editor to turn that clip into a Reel. Our roundup of MCP servers for AI video sorts the field on exactly that line.

AITuber’s server is the pipeline kind. Ask Claude to list its tools and you will see scripts, voices, video generation, exports, channels, and publications. Those are the six steps between an idea and a posted Reel, and the server owns all six.

Connect the server to Claude

The server is hosted. Nothing installs on your machine, and there is no API key to paste into Claude.

1. Open Settings, then Connectors, in Claude Desktop or on claude.ai.
2. Click Add custom connector and paste https://mcp.aituber.app.
3. Click Connect and sign in with your AITuber account when the browser opens.

The connector shows up in Claude Code on its own, so you set it up once. From the terminal, this does the same job, and /mcp signs you in:

claude mcp add --transport http aituber https://mcp.aituber.app

Now the Instagram part. Connect your Instagram account in the AITuber dashboard before the first Reel. Instagram access is granted to AITuber there, through Meta’s own sign-in, never to Claude. Meta only lets apps post to professional accounts, so a personal account needs to switch to Creator or Business first. That is a free toggle in the Instagram app.

One more thing. Publishing through the server is a paid feature. A free account can generate Reels and download the MP4, and you can upload by hand. Posting from the chat needs the Creator plan or higher.

The workflow, one Reel at a time

Type this into Claude:

Make a 30-second vertical Instagram Reel about 3 kitchen habits that quietly waste money. Warm female voice, clean modern visuals, bold captions. Post it to my Instagram with the caption “Three habits, one grocery bill. Which one is yours? #kitchen #savemoney”.

Six things happen, and you see each one.

1. The script comes back first. Claude calls the script tool and shows you the words before anything renders. Read the first line. If it would not stop a thumb, say “open with the most surprising habit” and it rewrites.
2. Claude picks a voice. It browses the library for a warm female voice and names its pick. Ask for three options if you want to choose.
3. The video generates. AI images with motion, AI clips, or stock footage, depending on what you asked for. A 30-second Reel usually takes 1 to 3 minutes, and Claude checks the status for you.
4. Captions are already on it. Word-synced captions are part of the render, not a separate step. That is the part that keeps a muted scroller watching.
5. You get a 9:16 MP4. Ask for the download link if you want a copy for TikTok or Shorts too. The same file works on all three.
6. Claude posts it. It finds your Instagram channel, passes your caption, and calls the publish tool. You approve the call, and the Reel goes up. By default it is also shared to your feed, and you can say “Reels tab only” to change that.

Claude asks before any action that spends credits or posts. The server can only touch your AITuber account. It cannot read your files, your camera roll, or your other connectors.

Making the Reel fit Instagram

Instagram accepts a wide range of shapes, from 1.91:1 all the way to 9:16, but only the tall one fills the screen. Ask for 9:16 by name. Our Instagram Reel size guide has the full spec, safe zones, and the export settings if you ever go back to an editor.

Length is your call up to 3 minutes. Under a minute still finishes more often, and finish rate is what the Reels feed rewards. Say the length in the prompt and Claude writes the script to fill it. A 30-second request comes back as a 30-second Reel.

Three details separate a Reel that gets recommended from one that does not.

Give the caption in the prompt. The publish tool posts the caption Claude passes, up to 2,200 characters. If you leave it out, Claude writes one from the script. Fine for a test, rarely what you want on a real account. Hashtags go in the caption too.

Say who the Reel is for. “For first-time home cooks” changes the script more than any style word. Instagram’s feed sorts by who finishes the video, and a Reel aimed at someone finishes better than a Reel aimed at everyone.

Think about the AI label. Meta labels photorealistic AI images and video on its own when it detects them, and it expects you to disclose AI media that could pass for real footage. Stylized visuals, AI narration, and AI-written scripts do not need a label. Our Reels automation guide walks through the current policy. We’d pick an illustrated or cinematic style for most explainers and skip the argument entirely.

Prompts that work for Reels

Every prompt below runs as written once the connector is live. Swap the topic and keep the shape.

Facts and tips

1. Make a 30-second vertical Reel about 3 signs your houseplant is overwatered. Calm female voice, bright visuals. Post it to Instagram with the caption “Stop watering. Seriously. 🌱 #plantcare”.

2. Create a 45-second Reel explaining why bread goes stale faster in the fridge. Friendly male voice, bold captions. Give me the MP4 link and post it.

3. Write a 40-second Reel about the one stretch physiotherapists wish desk workers did. Show me the script first.

Aesthetic and lifestyle

4. Make a 30-second Reel about a slow Sunday morning routine, told in five small moments. Soft female voice, warm cinematic style, minimal captions.

5. Create a 30-second Reel that walks through a capsule wardrobe for autumn, one item per scene. Clean visuals, post it with the caption “Seven pieces, thirty outfits.”

Series and batches

6. I run a personal finance account. Write scripts for 5 Reels, one money habit each, and show me all five before generating anything.

7. Generate the first script as a 30-second vertical Reel with a clear female voice. Post it with the caption you suggest, then do the same for the other four, one at a time.

8. Take the script from my last Reel and cut it to 15 seconds for a teaser. Generate that as a Reel with the same voice.

Account and housekeeping

9. Check how many credits I have left, then tell me how many 30-second Reels that covers.

10. List my connected channels and tell me whether my last Reel finished posting.

Prompts 6 and 7 together are the batch pattern we use. Approve all the scripts in one pass, then let Claude walk down the list. It keeps the same voice and style across the set, and a set of five that match each other reads as an account, not five random posts. The Claude MCP prompt guide has 20 more prompts for other formats.

What it costs

Connecting the server is free. Generating spends AITuber credits, and Claude shows the cost before it generates. On the Creator plan, the pricing page’s own estimate works out to about 70 Reels a month at the baseline.

Item	What it costs
New account	100 free credits, no card
A 30-second Reel with AI images	About 35 credits, the estimate AITuber’s pricing page uses
What moves the price	Image quality tier, narration length, and seconds of AI clips
Posting to Instagram from the chat	Included on paid plans, from Creator up
Creator plan	$39 a month, 2,500 credits, 1 channel on Autopilot
Pro plan	$69 a month, 5,000 credits, 2 channels

Two things keep the bill down. Pick the Basic image quality for talking-tip Reels, because the captions carry the scroll anyway. And rewrite scripts in chat before you generate, since a re-render is the only cost you can avoid.

MCP access is included on every plan. It draws on the same account and credits as the dashboard and the AI video creation API. A Reel costs the same whichever door you use.

Where Claude stops

Claude needs someone in the chat. If nobody types, nothing generates, and Claude will not wake up at 9am and post a Reel for you. That is how MCP works, not a limit of this server. A tool call happens when the assistant is asked to make one.

So there are two jobs, and the chat suits one of them.

Use the Claude workflow when you want to react. A trend in your niche, a question from the comments, a product that just landed. You describe it, approve the script, and it is on the account while the moment is still warm.

Use Autopilot for the baseline. You set a niche, a voice, a style, and a posting schedule once. It generates Reels into a review queue and posts the ones you approve at the times you chose. Our guide to automating Instagram Reels covers that setup end to end. Most accounts we see run both: Autopilot posts one Reel a day, and the Claude chat adds the timely extras.

If you are past ten Reels a week and want zero conversation, that is the API. Same engine, same credits, no chat. The MCP vs API guide marks the crossover point.

Four ways to make a Reel, compared

	By hand	Model wrapper MCP	AITuber MCP in Claude	Autopilot
Script	You write it	You write it	Claude writes it, you approve	Generated from your niche
Voice and captions	You record and caption	You add them in an editor	Included	Included
9:16 MP4	You export	You assemble the clip	Rendered for you	Rendered for you
Posting to Instagram	You upload	You upload	Claude posts on request	Posts on your schedule
Runs without you	No	No	No	Yes, after you approve the queue
Best for	One-off passion Reels	A single cinematic shot	Timely Reels, batches, series	Daily output

What comes back

Finished videos made with AITuber

Every one of these came from a single prompt. Script, voice, captions, render, and post in one pipeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Basics

What is an Instagram Reels MCP server?

It is an MCP server whose tools let an AI assistant like Claude make a Reel and post it to Instagram. That means script, voice, visuals, captions, a vertical MP4, and the upload. Servers that only return a raw clip are video MCP servers, but they leave the Reel unfinished.

Can Claude post to Instagram on its own?

Not without a connector. Claude cannot render video or reach Instagram by itself. Add the AITuber MCP server as a custom connector, link your Instagram account in the AITuber dashboard, and Claude can make the Reel and post it from the chat.

Does it work in Claude Code too?

Yes. Add the connector once in Claude Desktop or claude.ai and it appears in Claude Code. Or run claude mcp add --transport http aituber https://mcp.aituber.app and sign in with /mcp.

Setup

Do I need a Business or Creator account on Instagram?

Yes. Meta’s publishing tools only work with professional accounts. Switching a personal account to Creator is free and takes a minute in the Instagram app. Then connect it in the AITuber dashboard.

Do I need an API key?

Not for the chat. Claude signs you in through the browser. Keys are only for headless setups where nobody can sign in, such as a scheduled job.

Can it post the same video to TikTok and YouTube too?

Yes. The publish tool takes more than one channel at a time. Ask for “post it to Instagram and TikTok” and both go out from the same render, each with its own status.

Publishing

Can Claude schedule a Reel for later?

Ask it to publish and the Reel goes up once the render is done. For Reels that post at set times every day, use Autopilot, which runs a schedule without a chat open.

Should I label the Reel as AI-generated?

Label it if the visuals could pass for real footage of real people or events. Meta applies its own label to photorealistic AI media when it detects it. Stylized visuals, AI narration, and AI-written scripts need no label under Meta’s current rules.

Does the Reel also go to my feed?

By default, yes. The publish tool shares the Reel to your feed unless you say otherwise. Tell Claude “Reels tab only” if you want it kept out of the grid.

Cost

How much does one Reel cost?

About 35 credits for a 30-second Reel with AI images, which is the estimate AITuber’s pricing page uses. Longer Reels, higher image quality tiers, and AI clips cost more. New accounts get 100 free credits, no card required, and Claude shows the cost before it generates.

Is posting free?

Generating and downloading are free within your credits. Posting to Instagram through the server needs the Creator plan or higher. MCP access itself adds nothing on top of credits.

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How we built this guide: we ran the workflow above in Claude Desktop, claude.ai, and Claude Code against the hosted AITuber MCP server at mcp.aituber.app in September 2026, and read the server’s tool list as Claude reports it. Publishing behaviour, the feed-share default, and the caption limit are from AITuber’s API reference on 25 September 2026. Plan prices and the per-Reel credit estimate are from AITuber’s pricing page the same day. The Reels time-spent and same-day-post figures are from Meta’s Q1 2026 earnings call transcript. Instagram’s accepted aspect ratios are from Instagram’s help centre, as covered in our Reel size guide. AITuber is a product we build, so this is a first-party tutorial rather than an independent review. MCP is an open standard and other servers work with Claude too.