You can prepare Instagram content in a separate workspace and publish through an eligible connected account, without entering Instagram’s recommendation feed. Mellow brings drafts, a calendar and a visual grid to iPhone and the web. Publication still needs your confirmation, an active subscription and the account permissions required for the format.
By Mellow · UpdatedThe useful distinction is between preparing your own post and browsing other people’s content. In Mellow, you work on your material in Plan, Grid and the composer. Connecting Instagram is a separate account-authorisation step; you may need Instagram or Meta’s sign-in screen to complete it.
This does not make a publication invisible. A published post can still appear to its audience on Instagram under that account’s normal settings. Avoiding the recommendation feed while you work is different from hiding a post from followers.
Below is a complete planning example you can adapt before connecting anything. If your job is agent-driven distribution across several networks, use Mellow Hub’s MCP and REST workflow.
Go to the six-post example · Prepare the first draft · Check account requirements
This guide covers Mellow’s Instagram planner. Mellow Hub is the web workspace for publishing manually or through an AI agent across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, Facebook and Telegram. TikTok Business is another TikTok connection mode, not an eleventh network. Read the supported networks and account requirements.
Hub includes separate brand profiles, Creative Studio for carousels and covers, and MCP or REST access with review or delegated autopilot. Check current Hub web prices and included allowances for this workflow. A local App Store price describes an iPhone purchase and should not be used as the Hub web price. Both products share your account and subscription.
Imagine a ceramics maker with work already on the bench. The plan uses the same teaching, process and invitation sequence as the free Instagram content calendar, then turns each prompt into something specific to make. Three posts a week is a starting rhythm, not a claim about the best posting frequency.
This is an original example, not a customer case study. The captions are starters: replace bracketed notes and any detail that does not match your work. Day 1 means your chosen start date; Day 8 is one week later. No posting time has been selected.
Download the two-week studio plan (CSV). Open it in a spreadsheet to add your dates and edit the captions. It is a standalone reference, not an automatic import into Mellow.
What to make. Three photographs of your own mugs: together, from above, and held in a hand. Add the measured capacity of each piece.
Caption starter. A mug starts with the drink you make most often. Compare the shape, capacity and handle in these three photographs. Which detail matters most at your desk?
Before publishing. Replace general size words with your actual measurements. Keep the photographs in the order described by the caption.
What to make. One edited video showing the handle before, during and after attachment. Use your own footage and audio you have permission to publish.
Caption starter. One handle, three stages: shaping it, joining it, then checking the curve. This is the part of making a mug I wanted to show you today.
Before publishing. Describe the process you actually filmed. Watch the export with sound off and check that any on-screen text is readable.
What to make. A photograph of a real glaze test beside the piece it informed. Record what changed in your own notes.
Caption starter. This small test stayed on my workbench while I chose the finish for the next piece. Here is what I kept, and what I would change next time: [add your observation].
Before publishing. Replace the bracketed note. Do not imply a particular food-safety or durability result from appearance alone.
What to make. Three photographs: both handles together, the first in use, and the second in use. Use pieces you can compare directly.
Caption starter. These two handles change how the mug feels in a hand. The photographs show the difference; my preference is [your choice] because [your reason].
Before publishing. Replace both notes with your own experience. Avoid saying one shape is right for everyone.
What to make. One edited video of the same mug before and after you move it beside a window. Keep the camera angle consistent.
Caption starter. Same mug, same camera angle, different position beside the window. Here is the adjustment I made so the shape is easier to see.
Before publishing. Show the actual change in the clip. Keep colour editing consistent so the comparison is fair.
What to make. A current photograph of a piece relevant to a real question you received. Keep private messages and names out of the image.
Caption starter. A question I have been asked about this collection: [question]. The answer is [verified answer]. You can find the current details at the link in my profile.
Before publishing. Replace both notes. Check the profile link and availability before using the invitation; change the ending if there is nothing to buy yet.
For a photographer, replace the mugs with two prints or two framing choices. For a café, use a drink preparation you actually serve. Keep the structure only where it fits your work: explain a choice, show a process, answer a question. Skip a slot when there is nothing useful to show.
Start with one post. Keep the downloaded sheet open as a reference and bring the actual photographs from your device. The calendar does not upload media or create drafts for you.
Choose Mellow for iPhone or web, then use your own photographs and edited caption. The free CSV stays separate from your Mellow account. On the web Mellow is free, up to 30 publications a month; iPhone pricing and trial eligibility are displayed for your App Store account.
| Screen | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Plan | Your publishing schedule and drafts. |
| Grid | Visual planning for your Instagram profile. |
| Assistant | Conversation, preparation and actions you confirm. |
| Summary | Qualitative observations supported by available account data. |
| Profile | Account connection and settings. |
For API publishing, use an eligible professional Instagram account: Business or Creator. A personal account can use the downloadable planning sheet, but that does not grant publishing access. Follow the connection flow shown in Mellow’s Profile; do not put an Instagram password into an assistant conversation.
The login route matters. For a Facebook Login connection, Meta requires a linked Facebook Page and limits Story publishing to Business accounts. Follow the requirements for the connection offered to your account rather than assuming every login route is the same. See the separate login sections in Meta’s official Instagram API reference.
Preparation formats include a photo post, carousel, Reel and Story, but an external publishing tool is not a copy of every native Instagram editing feature. Do not assume licensed music, effects or interactive stickers transfer with a draft. If the selected creative depends on a native feature, check its availability before committing to that workflow.
For the example’s Reels, prepare a single finished video with audio you can use. For a carousel, review the order of every image. Recheck any product availability, external link and bracketed caption note just before publication; the facts may have changed since the plan was written.
No. The main experience contains your planning workspace, without recommendations, public like counts, rankings or an endless feed of other people’s posts.
Yes. Mellow has a web workspace as well as its iPhone application. The desktop workspace is available from 960 pixels wide.
External actions from the Mellow application require explicit confirmation. Hub has a separate delegation model with review and autopilot modes that the account owner chooses.
No. The download contains relative days, media checklists and caption starters. Replace them with your own material, choose real dates, and prepare and confirm each publication through your connected workspace.
No. Mellow helps with preparation and publishing. Reach, audience growth and sales depend on the content, audience and platform; a planning workflow is not a growth guarantee.
On the web and in Mellow Kitty, Mellow for Instagram is free, up to 30 publications a month. iPhone purchases show the price and trial eligibility for your App Store account before you subscribe. The paid plans on the web are Mellow Hub's; Mellow and Hub share one account.