Timing is everything on Instagram. Posting when your audience is most active can dramatically boost likes, comments, and shares. And this is why you need to know the best time to post on Instagram.
By aligning your posts with peak user activity, you can maximize engagement and grow your audience faster. Knowing when to post on Instagram can make or break your brand’s advertising strategy.
In this blog, we’re here to help you find out when is the best time to post on Instagram based on your content. Let’s start.
What Is the Best Time to Post on Instagram?
There have been different analyses done about this topic, and as you can guess, the results are various.
Analysis of 2 million Instagram posts found that weekday afternoons (around 3 p.m.) gain the highest reach. Other studies confirm that mid-morning to mid-afternoon on weekdays are generally sweet spots.
In short, while exact times vary, most data points to posting during weekdays between roughly 10 am and 4 pm for the highest visibility.
But these results are something in general. Let’s get more into details and see what’s the best time to post on Instagram based on each day of the week.
Best Time to Post on Instagram by Day of Week
You can adjust your posting schedule for each day of the week. Here are some basic tips based on what research has shown works best.
- Best Time to Post on Instagram on Monday: Optimal between 10 am–4 pm. Engagement is broadly high midday. (Hootsuite also found 3–9 pm as a peak.)
- Best Time to Post on Instagram on Tuesday: Best between 10 am–2 pm. Midday still drives engagement
- Best Time to Post on Instagram on Wednesday: Peak engagement 10 am–3 pm, with late morning especially strong
- Best Time to Post on Instagram on Thursday: Aim for 10 am–3 pm. (Hootsuite notes Thursday 4–5 pm also works)
- Best Time to Post on Instagram on Friday: The sweet spot is around 11 am (peak) and early afternoon. Engagement tapers as the weekend approaches.
- Best Time to Post on Instagram on Saturday: Engagement is generally lower on weekends, but 9 am–4 pm can still yield moderate reach.
- Best Time to Post on Instagram on Sunday: Two peaks emerge – 10 am–noon and 3 pm, as people check Instagram mid-morning and late afternoon.
Most experts agree that weekday posts outperform weekends, and Monday through Thursday are the best days to post. Also, Saturday is the weakest, and engagement rates are at their lowest.
Overall, the data suggest that 3 pm on weekdays is the best time and day to post on Instagram.
Best Times to Post on Instagram by Niche
If you’re in beauty, food, travel, or any other niche, the best time to post on Instagram isn’t one-size-fits-all. Each industry has its own audience habits; some scroll during lunch, others browse at night.
Take a look at this table and find your ideal time to post:
| Niche/Industry | Best Days to Post | Best Time to Post | Notes |
| Beauty & Fashion | Weekdays, Saturday/Sunday mornings | 12–2 PM (weekdays), 9–11 AM (weekends) | Ideal when followers browse for inspiration |
| Education | Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday | Morning to midday | Strongest midweek performance |
| Finance | Monday, Tuesday | Morning to midday | Aligns with business activity |
| Food & Beverage | Monday, Thursday | 11 AM–1 PM | Posting around mealtimes performs well |
| Government/Nonprofit | Wednesday, Thursday | Mid-morning | Midweek announcements get more attention |
| Retail | Monday, Wednesday, Friday | Midday to evening | Likely tied to weekly promos and shopping habits |
| Travel & Hospitality | Tuesday, Wednesday | 11 AM–3 PM (Weds), 6–9 PM (weekday evenings) | People plan and daydream midweek and at night |
| E-commerce/Product Brands | Thursday, Friday | 3–6 PM | Best for conversions and promotions |
| Healthcare | Monday, Thursday | Monday afternoons, Thursday mornings | Aligned with professional availability |
| Media & Entertainment | Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday | Sunday afternoon, varied midweek | Leisure time and midweek browsing windows |
Overall, weekday mid-mornings and afternoons are strong across many industries.
Best Time to Post on Instagram by Follower Count
Your audience size also affects the best times to post. Depending on the type of influencer or business you are, here are the ideal times to post on Instagram:
- Nano-influencers (1K–10K followers): Best time is 5 PM on weekdays.
- Micro-influencers (10K–100K): Peaks on Monday at 11 PM and Friday at 12 AM.
- Mid-tier (100K–250K): Peaks on Sunday at 12 AM and Monday at 11 PM.
- Macro-influencers (250K–800K): Best on Sunday and Monday at 12 AM.
- Mega-influencers (800K+): Best on Monday at 10 AM.
Smaller accounts often do better posting in the evening, when their followers are unwinding at home. Bigger accounts can post at almost any time, even late at night, because they have more followers and reach people in different time zones.
Best Time to Post on Instagram Based on Content Type
The three types of content you can post on Instagram are Stories, Carousels, and Reels. Let’s see when is the best time to post each of these content:
When Is the Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram
Instagram Reels often follow similar timing patterns, but there are some minor differences. Let’s find out the best time to post a reel on Instagram:
| Day | Best Time to Post on Instagram Reels | Notes |
| Monday | 3 am, 11 am, 12 pm | Early and late morning work best |
| Tuesday | 8–10 am | Morning hours have high visibility |
| Wednesday | 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm | Late morning to early afternoon is great |
| Thursday | 6 am, 11 am, 12 pm | Early start and late morning are strong |
| Friday | 11 am, 2 pm, 4 pm | Late morning and afternoon get a good reach |
| Saturday | Less effective | Posts don’t perform as well |
| Sunday | Less effective | Lower reach, especially compared to weekdays |
Overall, the best time to post Reels is Monday to Thursday, between 8 am and 12 pm — especially Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
Best Time to Post Carousels on Instagram
Carousel posts often drive more engagement than single images. So, timing them matters too. The analysis of nearly 1 million carousels shows the best time of day to post on Instagram carousel with the highest engagement is around 5 AM (every day).
Also, the best day for carousels is Tuesday at 5 AM, for two reasons: 1) Lower competition at dawn, 2) Early audience scroll.
Best Time to Post Stories on Instagram
Instagram Stories also have prime posting windows. According to research, the lunch-hour window (roughly 11 am–2 pm) is when Stories get the most views.
Specific top slots include Monday 11 am–12 pm, Tuesday 11 am–1 pm, and Wednesday 12 pm–2 pm.
The reasoning is similar: people often browse Stories during midday breaks. In contrast, posting Stories late at night or very early (when few are awake) will see minimal viewership.
In summary, share important Stories midday on weekdays when followers are most attentive. You can also post on weekends if your audience is active (some brands see good weekend Story reach by 11 am as well).
Use the same analytics tools (Instagram Insights and platform dashboards) to confirm when your followers tap through your Stories the most.
How to Find Your Best Time to Post on Instagram
Although we tried to cover the best time to post on IG from different angles, the best time to post could be different for you. To find it, try these methods:
1. Instagram Insights: Switch to a business/creator account and check the “Followers” section. Instagram shows a graph of your audience’s active times for each day. Use this to spot when your followers are online.
2. Analytics Tools: Platforms like Ainfluencer are a great choice for checking when your audience is most engaged. It helps you spot the top posting times based on real data from your content.
3. Experiment and Track: Try posting at different times and measure the performance, for example, post at 12pm on Thursdays for a few weeks and check the results. Over time, you’ll see patterns.
Try changing your posting times little by little to see what works best. Use Instagram’s Insights to quickly spot which posts are getting the most attention. Over time, this helps you figure out the best time to post.
In short, combine general industry data with your own account’s analytics. What works for others (e.g. “best time to post on Instagram today: 3 pm”) is a starting point, but always verify against your unique audience.
When Not to Post on Instagram
Just as timing can help, bad timing can hurt engagement. Here are the times you should avoid posting on Instagram:
- Overnight/Early Morning (1 AM–5 AM): All studies agree that these hours have the lowest engagement.
- Saturday Late Night: Saturday at 11 PM was identified as one of the worst hours to post. People are typically offline then.
- The Entire Weekend (Sat–Sun): On average, weekends see less engagement than weekdays. Sunday is usually cited as the least effective day.
- Randomly Posting on Autopilot: Posting at inconsistent, unpredictable times hurts reach. Consistency helps both with audience expectations and algorithms.
If you find yourself needing to post at a non-ideal time (perhaps due to sudden news or an event), try to combine it with engaging content (a strong image or Reel). But in general, steer clear of posting overnight or on Saturday night.
Conclusion
Knowing the best time to post on Instagram is crucial for people to see and interact with your content. Data-driven studies point to weekdays, especially late mornings and afternoons, as the sweet spot for most accounts.
However, this is not one-size-fits-all. The right time depends on your content type, follower count, niche, etc. So here’s a wrap-up:
- Post during weekdays around 10 am–3 pm when possible, but test different times.
- Use analytics to find your unique peak (via Instagram Insights or tools like Ainfluencer).
- Reels often perform well in the afternoon (2–5 pm); Stories in late morning/lunch.
- Avoid late-night/overnight posts (e.g. 1 am–5 am).
Following data-backed timing strategies, use smart tools, and make sure your Instagram posts reach the largest possible audience at the right moment.
FAQs
Let’ check out some frequently asked questions about this topic:
Q1. What Is the Best Time to Post on Instagram for Likes and Engagement?
Weekday late mornings and early afternoons (around 10 AM–3 PM) usually perform well. But results vary by audience, so it’s best to check your own analytics to find what works for you.
Q2. Does the Day of Week Matter When Posting on Instagram?
Yes. Monday through Thursday tend to get the most engagement, while weekends, especially Saturday, usually perform worse.
Q3. Is There a Perfect Universal Posting Schedule?
Nope. Every audience is different. Use general timing as a starting point, but rely on your own data and time zone to fine-tune the schedule.
Q4. How Do Reels and Stories Differ?
Reels can do well at the same peak hours, but evening views are common. Stories often perform best during lunch hours, like 11 AM to 2 PM.
Q5. Should I Use an Influencer Marketing Platform?
Yes, platforms like Ainfluencer help you connect with the right influencers and schedule posts at the best times. It simplifies collabs and boosts your content’s timing strategy.
Q6. Will Posting at the “Best” Time Guarantee Success?
Not on its own. Great content matters most. Posting at a good time increases visibility, but strong visuals and captions are what make people engage.
