Discord has evolved from an underground online hangout for gaming enthusiasts to a full-blown platform for community interaction. Businesses, influencers, and social media managers are busy leveraging Discord's features to enhance communication and collaboration within teams.
Of course, there are still countless servers dedicated to video games, memes, and about anything else you could think of. With chatrooms and casual hangout events, Discord makes it easy to meet new people and catch up with old friends by clicking a button.
For casual and professional groups, one of Discord's most important features is the ability to create bots. Bots, as the name suggests, automate different tasks within a server. Often set up using a third-party service such as IFTTT, bots open a whole new world of functionality with Discord.
One such example is a bot that integrates Instagram with Discord. An Instagram Discord bot is a popular choice to cross-post automatically, enhance engagement, and streamline your social media management. In this guide, we'll walk you through building your free Discord Instagram bot with IFTTT. Let's dive right in.
What is a Discord bot?
A Discord bot is a program or script that automates tasks on a Discord server, enhancing its functionality and improving user experience. Bots can perform various tasks, such as moderating conversations, posting updates, delivering notifications, and interacting with users through commands. They are essentially virtual assistants for your server, tailored to meet the needs of the community.
There are generally two methods to build a Discord bot. These bots are either built using programming languages like Python or JavaScript or with the help of third-party platforms such as IFTTT. For more advanced programmers, building a bot from scratch can be a great way to add customization. However, for the vast majority of users, opting for a bot builder is a much easier solution.
Since we believe that IFTTT offers the perfect balance between a user-friendly setup and customization options, we'll be going over that method within this article.
How does IFTTT offer Discord bots?
IFTTT is the most trusted automation system on the market, helping millions of people like you easily set up Discord bots and other helpful tools. The basic idea behind IFTTT is to create Applets that trigger when certain conditions are met.
These Applets are created by the IFTTT community and can be enabled in just a couple of clicks. With very little technical knowledge, you can get your bot up and running in just a few minutes.
IFTTT also offers automation capabilities with other similar services, including:
Twitter Facebook Slack Dropbox
And thousands more!
Founded in 2010, IFTTT has since been used by over 30 million individuals around the globe to automate both business and smart home tasks. With IFTTT you can connect over 1000 digital tools together to create beautiful automations. Best of all, it's free to start and only takes a couple of minutes to set up.
Keep your eye out for Applet cards throughout the article, which can be enabled by clicking on them and following the prompts.
Setting up a Discord bot with IFTTT
To start, we'd recommend checking that you meet the following prerequisites:
You have a Discord account with server permissions to create a bot.
You have an Instagram account.
You've visited IFTTT.com and created a free account.
You'll notice right off the bat a bunch of colored tiles, known as Applets. To find a specific Applet, you can search any keyword within our "Explore" tab.
You can either create your own Applet, or browse our library of millions of user-made Applets. Both are foolproof processes built to make sure anyone can get started with IFTTT, no matter their programming background (or lack thereof.) First, let's go over how to install a user-made Applet.
How to enable an Applet
When you browse our website and find an Applet that looks helpful, say "Send Instagram Photos to Discord Server," you can click on the cube to get started. Enabling Applets requires a free IFTTT account, so make sure to sign up or log in if prompted. Then the steps are as follows:
Make sure the Applet is fit for you. Read the title and description to learn about the process. Additionally, make sure you have an account with all the applications involved or create one. Then, click the "Connect" bar.
You will then be redirected to log in to those accounts and grant IFTTT access to certain data. IFTTT uses this data to complete your Applet tasks, and your data is never sold or distributed to any third party, ever.
Once you have you granted IFTTT access, the Applet is set up. You can see more details about what Applets you have enabled in the "My Applets" tab, where you can manage and edit tasks as well.
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Share photos to Discord
284
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Share instagram photos on Discord as embedded post
165
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Share YouTube video to Discord
5
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Track Twitter mentions in Discord
3
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How to build your own Applet
If you haven't found an Applet that matches what you are looking for, we welcome you to create your own. Don't worry, it only takes a few minutes and doesn't require any technical knowledge.
For this walkthrough, we'll go over the steps needed to build your own Discord to Instagram bot with our Applet builder.
Step 1: Sign up or log in to IFTTT
Visit the IFTTT website and create an account or log in with your existing credentials.
Once logged in, navigate to the dashboard.
Step 2: Connect Discord and Instagram
Search for the Discord service in the IFTTT dashboard.
Click on the Discord icon and select "Connect" to link your Discord account.
Grant the necessary permissions for IFTTT to access your Discord server(s). You'll need to select which server you want to integrate. Ensure you have admin rights on the server.
For Instagram, repeat the same process. This sets you up so you can create an Applet more easily.
Step 4: Create a new Applet
On the IFTTT dashboard, click "Create" in the top-right corner to start a new applet. You’ll see the “If This Then That” structure.
Step 5: Configure the “If This” trigger
Click on "If This" and search for the Instagram service.
Choose a trigger event, such as:
"Any new photo by you" (to trigger when you post a new photo).
"New photo with specific hashtag" (to trigger when you post a photo with a specific hashtag).
Complete the trigger setup by specifying any conditions, such as hashtags or filters.
Some services also offer additional conditions that can help level up your Applet beyond what was possible before. These include:
Query: Will gain additional information from Triggers. For example, you can use metrics such as links clicked, lights switched, or blogs posted. This can help you choose when to run an Applet or to only run it under certain conditions.
Filter Code: This function is great for those with coding ability, looking to add more complex features. Filter Code allows you to input your own lines of JavaScript, to add new parameters to the Applet.
Delay: A simple yet very powerful feature, Delay will let you choose an amount of time between the Trigger and Action.
Step 6: Configure the “Then That” action
Click on "Then That" and search for the Discord service.
Choose an action event, such as: "Post a message to a channel" (to send a notification to a specific channel).
Set up the message content. For example, you can include the Instagram post’s URL or custom text, like “Check out our latest post!”
Select the Discord server and channel where the message will be sent.
And just like that, you have completed the process and set up your first Instagram to Discord bot with IFTTT.
For even more complex integrations, consider using a webhook with Discord. Our in-depth guide on this process can be found here.
Why should you integrate Instagram with Discord?
Integrating Instagram with Discord offers numerous benefits, whether you're managing a community, running a business, or just sharing content with friends. By linking these platforms, you can streamline your social media activities and boost engagement across both. Here are some key reasons to consider integration:
1). Automated content sharing
With an Instagram Discord bot, you can automatically share Instagram posts, reels, or stories directly to your Discord server. This saves time and ensures your community stays updated without requiring manual effort.
2). Enhanced engagement
Sharing Instagram content in real-time encourages interaction and discussions among server members. Whether it's promoting a new product, announcing an event, or showcasing your latest creative work, Discord provides a space for immediate feedback and engagement. By sharing Instagram content in Discord, you also increase its visibility beyond Instagram’s algorithm, reaching audiences who might not check your Instagram account.
3). Community building
Cross-posting Instagram content to Discord helps unify your audience. Followers from Instagram can join your Discord server for deeper interaction, while Discord members get to see and discuss your Instagram updates, leading to a more connected community.
Instead of switching between platforms to update your audience, integration lets you manage content distribution better. This is especially useful for businesses, influencers, and creators who juggle multiple social media accounts. With a bot, you can centralize your community into a single server.
A final word from IFTTT
Automating your content stream between the two platforms can provide the extra boost you need to level up your social media game. Out of all of the available options, we are confident that IFTTT is a great solution for most users looking to set up an Instagram to Discord bot.
We hope this article has granted you the knowledge of how to create your own Instagram to Discord bot with IFTTT. Remember, IFTTT is free to try, and if you don't like your bot, you can disconnect with no obligations. We want to deliver you the best automation experience possible, so you can take back your precious time.