How to Post a YouTube Video to Instagram Story/Post/Feed

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How to Post a YouTube Video to Instagram Story/Post/Feed

Last Updated: 2026. 02. 06

Your next Instagram growth breakthrough lies in your YouTube library. When done strategically, a single YouTube video can fuel weeks of Instagram content, and quietly outperform brand-new posts.

In this guide, we will learn the detailed steps to share YouTube videos to Instagram, as well as some practical strategies to help the YouTube video stand out. Refer to the part you need.

Table of Content

Part 1. Resize and Share YouTube Video to Instagram Post/Reel

Part 2. Embed YouTube Link to Instagram Story

Part 3. Strategies to Make YouTube Video Stand Out on Instagram

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Instagram End Frame

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Also Read: Instagram Story Quality Bad After Uploading? Fix It!

Importrant Notice

Please do not download or repost other people’s YouTube videos without their permission. Sharing someone else’s content without consent may violate copyright rules and could lead to legal issues. Always give credit and ask for permission before sharing someone else’s work.

Part 1. Resize and Share YouTube Video to Instagram Post/Reel

YouTube and Instagram awards different video types. Even though there are Shorts, YouTube still prefers long, horizontal videos, and most Instagram videos are in 9:16 and 1:1 aspect ratio. That's why we will need to resize YouTube videos first. In the following part, we will be using FlexClip. There are other video editors you can try out like ClipChamp, CapCut, or iMovie.

Resize YouTube Video

Step 1. Import Your YouTube Video

You are now at FlexClip's editor page. Go to the Media section, import your YouTube video from a local folder, cloud service, or mobile device. Drag and drop will also do.

Upload YouTube Video to FlexClip

Hover your mouse to the YouTube video on the Media section, then click on the Add as Scene button. The video will be added to the timeline.

Apply YouTube to FlexClip Timeline

Step 2. Resize YouTube Video

The video resize button are above the timeline. By default, it is canvas aspect ratio is 16:9, but you can change it to 9:16 for Instagram Reels, or 1:1, for Instagram feed and carousel posts. Choose the one you love.

Resize Horizontal YouTube Video to Vertical Instagram Video

While fitting the YouTube video to the 9:16 canvas, you will notice black bars above and below the video. Click the background color button, head over to the blur section. FlexClip will automatically add a blurry background that matches the original video.

Get Rid of the Black Bars

Step 3. Make Other Edits

You may need to edit the YouTube video so that it performs better on Instagram. Here are some of the recommended edits to do.

Trim the Video: The maximum length for Instagram Reels is 3 minutes. As for Instagram Stories, it goes to 60 seconds per segment. While the In-Feed Posts are capped at 60 minutes on desktop, and 15 minutes for mobile. Drag the slider to trim the YouTube video on FlexClip's timeline.

Trim YouTube Video

Add Captions: Captions help audiences better understand your video. Now you don't need to manually enter subtitles. Go to AI Auto Subtitle part, pick a nice subtitle style, and AI will handle the rest.

Add Caption to Video

Make Video Collage: Sometimes changing aspect ratio means losing some details. Creating a video collage gives people more perspectives. Go to the Media section, click on the Add as Layer button to bring in multiple videos to one frame.

Create Video Collage

Step 4. Export & Download

Preview the video. If every detail is perfect, download the video to a local folder. You can also save it to connected cloud service.

Step 5. Post the Resized YouTube Video to Instagram

Head over to your Instagram app. Click on the "+" sign, and the Post will be the default option. You can switch to the Reels, Story.

Choose the video file inside the camera roll, follow the instructions to edit the video, add descriptions, then tap the Share button.

Post Resized YouTube Video to Instagram

Embed YouTube Link to Instagram Story

Downloading, resizing, and reposting YouTube videos can be complicated. Luckily, Instagram Stories offer a URL sticker, letting you share YouTube links directly. While followers can’t watch the video inside Instagram, they can tap the link to open it in YouTube, making it simple and safe to share content.

Step 1

Open YouTube app on your device, find the video you want to post to Instagram, then tap share. Copy its link.

Step 2

Switch to the Instagram app. Tap on the "+" button, then choose Story.

Step 3

Tap Create in the middle left side of the screen, then then sticker icon at the top of the screen.

Step 4

Find the link sticker. Select it and paste the YouTube video URL into the "add link" field. Make sure you add open before youtube. Doing so will lead users directly to the YouTube app and follow your YouTube account.

Step 5

Add screenshots, stickers, text or whatever to make the story visually stunning. Tap the Arrow button and share the Instagram Story.

Embed YouTube Video Link to Instagram Story

Part 3. Strategies to Make YouTube Video Stand Out on Instagram

Resizing and posting popular YouTube videos doesn't guarantee success on Instagram, because the content are not originally designed for this platform.

Here are some of the small but effective actions to make your repurposed YouTube connent feels more polished and native.

Remove YouTube Elements: Instagram algorithm favors videos that feel made for the platform. If you are posting YouTube videos to Instagram, you need to edit out YouTube end screens, watermarks and logos, "like and subscribe" prompts and more YouTube elements.

Change the Tones: YouTube videos are long-form and details, while Instagram favors quick, high-impact moments. Please condense long YouTube videos into highlights with eye-catching hooks and clear ideas.

Forget about the Background Music: Most people scroll Instagram videos with sound off. Make sure the edited YouTube video has clear captions, or include on-screen text to help deliver messages visually.