Easy and Free Ways to Add Your Instagram Feed to Your Website

Instagram! 

Fun.
Creative.
Tiiiime consuuuuming. 

If you’re anything like me, you like to get the most bang for your marketing buck, whether it’s actual money-bucks or the even more precious time-bucks. 

So I like to make my Instagram feed do double duty by embedding it right here on my website’s About page. 

Unless you’re updating your company website often, it’s a relatively static platform. Adding your company’s Instagram feed to your website can bring a bit of the daily life of your business to your website, without requiring regular updates. 

An Instagram plugin or embed will update automatically, showing your most recent posts to anyone who visits your website. 

Exactly how to do this will vary depending on your website platform. But since most small businesses use pretty simple DIY platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix, we’ll focus on those three. 

All of these methods are only for your Instagram feed, not for your Stories or IGTV videos. That content can be added to all of these sites, but it will require a different method. I’ll share how to do that at the end. 

Add Your Instagram Feed to WordPress

To add any additional functions that aren’t included in your WordPress theme, you’ll need to install a “plugin.” These are independent programs that allow you to customize your website. 

There are thousands of plugins on the market, and quite a few that can display your Instagram feed on your website. Many are free, and some have additional functionality if you pay a fee. 

Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed

This is probably the most commonly used plugin for adding an Instagram feed, and it’s the one I use on this site. Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed has some decent customization options, it’s easy to set up, and it’s free (which is my favorite price).

You can change the number of photos at once and in how many columns. You can also change the image size and spacing between pictures. 

The plugin includes a “Follow on Instagram” button at the bottom of your feed, which may help you to get more Instagram followers. 

The Pro version also lets you display hashtag feeds. If your business has a custom hashtag that your customers or followers use to engage with you, you can include those images in the feed as well. This is a great way to show that you have an active fanbase. 

Social Feed Gallery by QuadLayers

Social Feed Gallery is another popular plugin for WordPress. It’s super user-friendly and also has some customization options. The free version allows you to choose from a gallery or carousel layout. 

For a one-time fee of $20, you can also use the Masonry and Highlight layouts, add your brand colors, and include a “Load More” button at the bottom of the feed. 

How to Add a WordPress Plugin

First, log in to your WordPress site and click “Plugins” in the sidebar on the left. 

Then: 

• Click “Add New.” 
• In the “Search Plugins” box, search for a specific plugin by name, or search “Instagram feed” to find lots of plugin options. 
• When you find the one you want, click “Install Now.” 
• Once it’s installed, click “Activate.” 
• Then visit the Plugin over in the sidebar on the left to finalize setup.

Add Your Instagram Feed to Squarespace

Squarespace has a very simple user interface with all the functionality built in. Instead of adding plugins to customize your site, you simply add Blocks. 

Squarespace has an Instagram Block that you can add to your site to display your Instagram feed. First, connect your IG account to your website. 

• Make sure you’re logged out of your personal account on your computer. Your site will automatically connect to whatever account you’re logged in to.
• In the Home Menu, click “Settings.”
• Then click “Connected Accounts.”

• Click “Connect Account” and select Instagram.
• Now, log in to your business Instagram account.

So now your site is connected to your Instagram, but you have to set up the feed. 

To do:  

• Go to the page where you want your IG feed to display and click “Edit.” 
• Click an insert point, and select Instagram from the menu under Social Blocks.
• Click Edit on the block, and then click “Connected Account.” Select the business Instagram account that you already connected.

• Then use the slider to set the number of pictures to display. You can display your 20 most recent images.
• In the Design Tab at the top right, you can choose a layout from Slideshow, Carousel, Grid, or Stacked. Each display has its own customization options, like changing the aspect ratio, adding padding around images, and showing captions.

When you’re done, click Save. That’s it! Your Instagram Block will update about every 30 minutes, so don’t worry if your new posts don’t show up immediately.  

Add Your Instagram Feed to Wix

WordPress has plugins, and Squarespace has Blocks. 

Wix has Apps, which can be viewed as a combo of the two. Some of the Apps are created by Wix (similar to Squarespace blocks) and some Apps are created by third parties (similar to WordPress plugins).

Instagram Feed by Wix

Wix’s Instagram Feed is a free app that allows you to choose from several layouts, customize colors and fonts, and add a “Show More” button at the bottom. 

Unfortunately, some users have had issues with the app working consistently. You may want to try it on your site to see if it works for you, since it’s free and easy to set up.

Instagram Stream by POWr

If Wix’s Instagram Feed isn’t working, try Instagram Stream by POWr. This app works consistently for most users, but it doesn’t have as much functionality and customization on the free plan. 

You can display 6 posts at a time for one IG account, and the content will be updated every 24 hours. 

How to Add a Wix App

First, log in to your Wix site. Then: 

• Click “Add Apps” in the Editor.
• Browse through the apps and click the + next to the one you want. 
• If you don’t see it, scroll to the bottom of the menu and click “Browse our App Market” to search for additional apps. 
• Select the app you want and click “+Add App.”

Once you’ve added an app for your Instagram feed, you must Connect your Instagram account. For the Instagram Feed app:

• Click “Settings,” then “Connect Instagram.” 

• Log in to your Instagram account. 
• Click the Layout tab to customize the appearance of the feed.
  • Choose from Grid, Slider, or Collage layouts.
  • Choose how many images appear per row, how many rows there are, how much space is between each image.
  • Add a “Display More” button if you want to let users view more images.
• Click Design for more customization options.
• When you’re ready, click Publish.

How to Embed IG Stories or IGTV

If you’re going to all the effort of creating Instagram Stories or IGTV videos, it may be nice to re-purpose them on your website as well. Here’s how to do it.

Embed Instagram Stories on Your Website

Since IG stories disappear after 24 hours, there’s not a super simple way of embedding them on your website. But there is a third party platform called EmbedStories that gives you the option. 

The free version of the program only displays one Story at a time. And since stories are often recorded in “chunks,” with 3 or 4 stories necessary to share one idea, this isn’t terribly helpful. 

So if you’re a story-lover, you could try their paid plan for $29/month. Why so pricey? That fee gets you access to all of EmbedStories’ feeds & widgets. Unfortunately, they don’t sell services a la carte.

If that’s a no-go, you could always record your story content outside of Instagram, and upload it separately to your website. 

Embed IGTV Videos on Your Website

This is a much easier process than embedding Instagram stories. 

First, you need the video’s “embed code” from Instagram. Go to your IGTV video, and click the 3 dots in the top right corner. Then click “Embed” and “Copy Embed Code.”

Next, go to your website and add an “Embed” block or widget wherever you’d like your video to appear. On Wix, you’ll click +, then “Embed” in the sidebar. Then choose the “HTML iframe” widget.

Paste the embed code into your block and save. Now your IGTV video will be watchable from your website.

If you’re interested in adding more images to your website, embedding your Instagram feed is a simple way to do it. And with plugins, widgets, and apps, there’s no coding experience necessary (which is a good thing for me, because if I even look at code, it breaks.)

What else can I help you with?

Header photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash