SocialGrow Help Center
How to cross-post Instagram Reels to YouTube Shorts
Connect Instagram and YouTube, enable automatic Reel uploads, or review an existing Reel before sending it as a Short.
SocialGrow sends eligible Instagram Reels to a connected YouTube channel. Enable automatic publishing for new Reels, or select an existing Reel and review its details before posting. These are separate workflows; automatic publishing does not require approving every upload.
New to SocialGrow? Start a free trial and open Cross-posting. Unlimited Reels-to-Shorts publishing is included, with a 7-day trial and no card needed.
Before you start
- Connect the Instagram account that contains your Reels. Follow the Instagram connection guide if you have not done this yet.
- Have access to the YouTube channel you want to publish to and complete its Google authorization.
- Check that you can use the video and audio on YouTube. Instagram music availability does not guarantee a shareable video file or permission to reuse that audio elsewhere.
For subscription details, see SocialGrow pricing. For product capabilities, see Reels-to-YouTube Shorts publishing.
Connect YouTube and choose the destination
- Open Accounts and choose Add YouTube channel.
- Complete the YouTube authorization flow for the intended channel.
- Open Cross-posting and select your Instagram account.
- Choose the destination in Select a YouTube channel.
- Review the default YouTube visibility in the account settings before enabling automatic uploads.
Connecting a channel alone does not enable automatic publishing. Choose the destination and turn on the publishing option separately.
Automatically publish new Reels
Turn on Auto-publish new Instagram Reels. Eligible Reels published after you enable the setting are sent to the chosen channel. Older Reels do not become a bulk backfill simply because you turn on the switch.
Automatic posts use the channel default visibility. Check the visibility shown beside the publishing option; an upload being accepted does not necessarily mean it is public. Use Skip rules if you need to exclude matching posts from automatic publishing.
If you need to review each Reel’s title, description, and privacy setting before sending it, use the manual workflow below instead.
Publish an existing Reel once
- Choose Choose a Reel for the selected Instagram account.
- Select the existing Reel you want to send.
- Review its YouTube title, description, and privacy setting.
- Choose Post to YouTube.
- Check Cross-posting history for the upload result.
This sends the selected Reel once. You do not need to enable automatic publishing to use this manual path.
Automatic versus manual publishing
| Question | Automatic publishing | Choose a Reel |
|---|---|---|
| Which posts are sent? | Eligible new Reels after enabling the switch, subject to skip rules | The existing Reel you select |
| Do I review every upload first? | No | Yes, before sending |
| Which visibility is used? | The channel default | The setting you review for the upload |
| Where do I check the result? | Cross-posting history | Cross-posting history |
Why did a Reel not appear on YouTube?
Check the destination channel, publishing switch, skip rules, and upload status first. A private or unlisted Short may have uploaded successfully without appearing publicly on the channel.
Some Reels using Instagram’s music library do not provide a shareable video file. Use original audio or upload the source video directly to YouTube when this happens.
Temporary upload errors may retry. A YouTube quota failure is recorded in history and does not automatically retry that day. Read the error before attempting another upload, and reconnect the channel if authorization is no longer valid.
What does cross-posting cost?
Cross-posting is included in the SocialGrow subscription alongside Instagram DM automation and lead capture. The pricing page shows the current monthly and annual prices, billing-location terms, and trial. Platform upload limits still apply.
Start cross-posting Reels with SocialGrow, then connect your accounts and choose the destination channel.
If you are deciding which workflow to use, read the manual, scheduled, and automatic publishing guide or the Reels-to-YouTube tools comparison.