Posting AI videos on Instagram Reels: a practical checklist

2026-10-20 · 4 min read

An AI video is quick to make, but a few small steps decide whether it looks professional and whether your followers trust it. Use this checklist before you post.

1. Make the right shape

Reels use 9:16, which is 1080 × 1920. Ask for portrait when you make the video. If you only have a landscape clip, do not crop away the corner to hide a logo, as that cuts the picture.

2. Remove the corner sparkle

If the video has the Gemini / Veo sparkle, clean it before you post and play the result once at full size. Image Cleaner handles videos up to 60 seconds and 1080p, keeps the sound and drops hidden file data. See how it works.

3. Keep the quality up

Start from the original download, not a screen recording.
Do not re-save the video again and again. Each save loses a little quality.
Do not upload 4K. Instagram brings it down to 1080 wide anyway.
Switch on Upload at highest quality in the Instagram media quality settings.

4. Check length and sound

Reels are short. Sources disagree on the exact longest length and Instagram changes it, so check the current limit in the app. Keep the first seconds strong, and check the sound level on your phone.

5. Be open in the label and the caption

Use Instagram’s AI label when the video shows realistic AI content.
Add a line such as “Made with AI” to the caption.
Do not present AI video as a real event or a real person saying real words.

Cleaning a file does not change the fact that it is AI-generated, and invisible watermarks such as SynthID stay inside the video. Read the explanation of the AI info label.

6. Captions for everyone

Add on-screen captions if there is speech, and a short description in the post. Many people watch without sound.