# Instagram warmup

> 14-day Instagram warmup for a new or dormant brand account - stage limits, profile, daily-session and post prompts, and Instagram's pushback signals.

Source: https://zeptap.com/docs/playbooks/instagram-warmup



Instagram limits new accounts that post, follow and message from day one. This warmup builds the account up over 14 days: profile first, then browsing and small engagement in the niche, then posting on a steady schedule. Shared rules (prerequisites, [approval gate](/playbooks#the-approval-gate), [pushback](/playbooks#pushback), [session report](/playbooks#the-session-report)) are in [How playbooks work](/playbooks). Stay within Instagram's [Terms of Use](https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870) and [Community Guidelines](https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119).

Instagram-specific prerequisite: for a brand, the owner switches to a professional account in **Settings and activity › Account type and tools**.

## Stages [#stages]

| Days  | Browse                                      | Likes | Follows | Comments | Post                                   |
| ----- | ------------------------------------------- | ----- | ------- | -------- | -------------------------------------- |
| 1–2   | Home feed, 10 Reels                         | 3–5   | 0–2     | 0        | Profile only                           |
| 3–5   | Feed, 15 Reels, Explore, 1–2 niche searches | 5–10  | 3–5     | 1        | One story                              |
| 6–9   | Same, plus 2–3 peer profiles                | 10–15 | 5–8     | 2–3      | First feed post or Reel; a story a day |
| 10–14 | Same                                        | 15–20 | 8–10    | 3–5      | 3–4 posts a week; stories most days    |

From day 15, post on the schedule the brand will keep, with a short daily browse.

## Day 1: profile [#day-1-profile]

```txt title="Profile prompt"
Open Instagram and go to my profile, then Edit profile. Set these fields one at
a time, showing me each change before you save it:
- Name: <brand name>
- Bio: <one or two lines, ASCII only>
- Website: <url>
- Category: <category>
Today's scope is the profile. Finish on the Home Screen and tell me which
fields are set and what's still missing (for example, the profile photo).
```

## Daily session [#daily-session]

```txt title="Daily session prompt"
Today is day <D> of my Instagram warmup. Niche: <topics>.
Peer accounts: <@one, @two>. Hashtags: <#one, #two>.
Limits today: <N> Reels, <N> likes, <N> follows, <N> comments.

1. Open Instagram. Scroll the Home feed slowly through about 15 posts.
2. Open Reels and watch <N>, letting each play a few seconds.
3. Search one hashtag or peer account and browse the results.
4. Like on-niche posts, up to the limit.
5. Draft follows: list up to the limit of niche accounts with one line on why.
   Follow the ones I approve.
6. Draft comments: up to the limit, specific to each post, written as a person
   from my brand, plain ASCII text with no links. Post the ones I approve,
   exactly as approved.
7. Finish on the Home Screen and report: Reels watched, likes, follows,
   comments posted, and any warning Instagram showed.

My approval covers follows and comments. For anything else outside these steps
(DMs, unfollows, settings), ask me first. If Instagram shows a limit, warning
or verification screen, stop there and tell me exactly what it says.
```

## Post [#post]

Put the photo or video in the iPhone's Photos first (AirDrop it from the Mac).

```txt title="Post prompt"
Open Instagram and start a new <post | Reel | story> with the most recent item
in Photos. Caption: "<caption, ASCII only>". Go as far as the final Share
screen, then show me it and wait for my go-ahead before tapping Share.
```

## Pushback signals [#pushback-signals]

| Instagram shows                                     | Then                                                         |
| --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| "Try again later" or "We restrict certain activity" | Stop; next session runs one stage lower                      |
| A request to confirm it's you (code, selfie)        | The owner completes it; pause 24 hours                       |
| Reach and follower growth near zero after day 14    | Hold the day 10–14 stage; put the effort into original posts |

## Weekly check [#weekly-check]

```txt title="Insights prompt"
Open Instagram, go to my professional dashboard, and report this week's
accounts reached, accounts engaged and follower change. Read only.
```