Instagram Pinned Posts Complete Guide: How to Pin Posts and Comments 2026

Instagram pinned posts and comments are powerful features that help highlight your best content and manage conversations. Here's everything you need to know about using these features effectively.

What Are Instagram Pinned Posts?

Instagram pinned posts allow you to feature specific posts at the top of your profile grid, ensuring visitors see your most important content first. This feature helps you control your first impression and showcase your best work.

Key benefits:

• Highlight your best or most important content
• Control what new visitors see first
• Showcase products, services, or achievements
• Create a curated first impression
• Drive specific actions from profile visitors

How to Pin Posts to Your Instagram Profile

Step-by-step process

For business and creator accounts:

1. Go to your Instagram profile
2. Find the post you want to pin
3. Tap the three dots (...) in the top right corner of the post
4. Select "Pin to your profile"
5. Confirm your choice

For personal accounts: Currently, only business and creator accounts can pin posts to their profiles. Personal accounts don't have this feature.

Requirements for pinning posts

Account type: Business or Creator account required Content type: Regular feed posts, carousels, and video posts Post ownership: You can only pin your own posts Limit: Up to 3 posts can be pinned at once

What you can pin

✅ Can be pinned:

• Regular photo posts
• Carousel posts (multiple images)
• Video posts
• IGTV posts
• Reels shared to your feed

❌ Cannot be pinned:

• Stories (these disappear after 24 hours)
• Live videos
• Posts from other accounts (even if you're tagged)
• Archived posts

Strategic Uses for Pinned Posts

Business promotion

Showcase products or services:

• Pin your best product photos
• Highlight special offers or promotions
• Feature customer testimonials
• Display your most popular items

Build credibility:

• Pin posts with high engagement
• Feature media mentions or awards
• Showcase professional achievements
• Highlight positive customer feedback

Content curation

Create a themed introduction:

• Pin posts that represent your brand values
• Show your range of content types
• Highlight your expertise areas
• Feature your most helpful content

Drive specific actions:

• Pin posts with clear calls-to-action
• Highlight link-in-bio content
• Feature sign-up or contact information
• Promote events or launches

Instagram Pinned Comments

What are pinned comments?

Pinned comments allow you to highlight specific comments on your posts, making them appear at the top of the comments section. This feature helps you manage conversations and highlight important information.

Uses for pinned comments:

• Answer frequently asked questions
• Provide additional product information
• Thank important customers or collaborators
• Share relevant links or resources
• Clarify or correct information

How to pin comments on Instagram

Desktop method:

1. Go to the post with the comment you want to pin
2. Hover over the comment
3. Click the thumbtack icon that appears
4. The comment moves to the top with a "Pinned" label

Mobile app method:

1. Open the post with the comment
2. Find the comment you want to pin
3. Tap and hold the comment
4. Select "Pin Comment" from the menu
5. The comment appears at the top with a pin icon

Comment pinning limitations

Who can pin comments:

• Only the post owner can pin comments
• You can pin comments from any user (including your own)
• Only public accounts' comments can be pinned

Pinning limits:

• One comment can be pinned per post
• Pinned comments stay until manually unpinned
• Pinning doesn't affect comment engagement metrics

Best Practices for Pinned Posts

Choose content strategically

High-performing posts:

• Pin posts with high engagement rates
• Choose content that represents your brand well
• Select posts that drive desired actions
• Feature content that tells your story effectively

Evergreen content:

• Avoid time-sensitive posts that become outdated
• Choose content that remains relevant long-term
• Pin posts that introduce your brand or services
• Select content that doesn't rely on current trends

Update regularly

Refresh pinned content:

• Change pinned posts monthly or quarterly
• Update based on new achievements or content
• Rotate seasonal or campaign-specific content
• Keep pinned posts current and relevant

Monitor performance:

• Track engagement on pinned posts
• Note which pinned posts drive profile visits
• Monitor click-through rates on pinned content
• Adjust strategy based on performance data

Visual consistency

Maintain brand aesthetics:

• Ensure pinned posts match your overall aesthetic
• Choose posts with consistent visual style
• Consider how pinned posts look together
• Maintain quality standards for featured content

Best Practices for Pinned Comments

Use pinned comments strategically

Provide valuable information:

• Answer common questions proactively
• Share additional product details
• Provide context or corrections
• Include relevant resources or links

Manage conversations:

• Pin positive customer feedback
• Highlight important announcements
• Share user-generated content appreciation
• Provide community guidelines reminders

Timing considerations

Pin comments early:

• Pin helpful comments soon after posting
• Use your own comments to provide context
• Pin important information before comments flood in
• Update pinned comments as conversations evolve

Monitor and update:

• Remove outdated pinned comments
• Update with more relevant information
• Pin new important comments as they appear
• Keep pinned information current

How to Unpin Posts and Comments

Unpinning posts

Remove pinned posts:

1. Go to your profile
2. Find the pinned post (marked with a pin icon)
3. Tap the three dots (...) on the post
4. Select "Unpin from profile"
5. Confirm the action

Unpinning comments

Remove pinned comments:

1. Go to the post with the pinned comment
2. Find the pinned comment at the top
3. Tap and hold the comment (mobile) or hover (desktop)
4. Select "Unpin Comment"
5. The comment returns to its chronological position

Common Pinned Post Mistakes

Poor content selection

Avoid these mistakes:

• Pinning low-quality or poorly lit photos
• Choosing posts with very low engagement
• Pinning time-sensitive content that becomes outdated
• Selecting posts that don't represent your brand well

Neglecting updates

Don't forget to:

• Update pinned posts regularly
• Remove outdated promotional content
• Refresh pinned posts for seasons or campaigns
• Monitor pinned post performance

Overpromotion

Balance your approach:

• Don't pin only promotional content
• Mix educational and entertaining posts
• Include behind-the-scenes or personal content
• Avoid overly sales-focused pinned posts

Measuring Pinned Post Success

Key metrics to track

Engagement metrics:

• Likes, comments, and saves on pinned posts
• Profile visit rates after implementing pinned posts
• Story views from profile visits
• Overall profile engagement changes

Business metrics:

• Website clicks from pinned posts
• Lead generation from featured content
• Sales or conversions from pinned promotions
• Brand awareness and reach improvements

Tracking performance

Use Instagram Insights:

• Monitor profile visits and discovery sources
• Track engagement rates on pinned content
• Analyze reach and impressions changes
• Compare performance before and after pinning

Third-party analytics:

• Use tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social
• Track click-through rates with UTM parameters
• Monitor brand mention increases
• Measure overall Instagram performance improvements

Advanced Pinned Post Strategies

Seasonal pinning strategy

Plan pinned content by season:

• Holiday promotions and themed content
• Seasonal product features or services
• Weather-appropriate content and tips
• Annual event or campaign highlights

Cross-promotion integration

Coordinate with other marketing:

• Pin posts that support current campaigns
• Feature content mentioned in email marketing
• Highlight posts shared in other social channels
• Sync pinned content with website promotions

Community building

Use pinning for community engagement:

• Pin customer success stories
• Feature user-generated content
• Highlight community achievements
• Showcase brand values and mission

Instagram Pinned Posts vs Other Features

Pinned posts vs Stories Highlights

Pinned posts:

• Permanent fixture on profile grid
• First thing visitors see
• Part of main content feed
• No expiration date

Stories Highlights:

• Separate section below bio
• Categorized content collections
• Compiled from past Stories
• Requires viewers to tap to view

Pinned posts vs Bio link

Pinned posts:

• Visual content that tells a story
• Multiple posts can be featured
• Direct engagement opportunity
• Shows actual post performance

Bio link:

• Single clickable link option
• Direct website traffic driver
• Limited to one destination
• Requires bio space

Troubleshooting Pinned Post Issues

Pin option not available

Common causes:

• Personal account (needs business/creator account)
• Post doesn't meet pinning requirements
• App needs updating
• Temporary Instagram glitch

Solutions:

• Switch to business or creator account
• Check post type and ownership
• Update Instagram app
• Try again later if experiencing glitches

Pinned posts not showing properly

Potential issues:

• Cache or connectivity problems
• App version compatibility
• Profile view differences
• Platform-specific display issues

Fixes:

• Clear app cache and restart
• Update to latest app version
• Check on different devices
• Contact Instagram support for persistent issues

Future of Instagram Pinned Features

Potential updates

Instagram continues to evolve pinned post features:

• Increased pinning limits
• Enhanced customization options
• Better analytics for pinned content
• Integration with shopping features

Best practices evolution

As the feature develops:

• Stay updated with new pinning options
• Test new features as they're released
• Monitor competitor strategies
• Adapt approach based on platform changes

Instagram Pinned Posts Checklist

✅ Switch to business or creator account if needed ✅ Select your 3 best posts that represent your brand ✅ Pin strategically to create strong first impression ✅ Use pinned comments to provide valuable information ✅ Update pinned content monthly or quarterly ✅ Monitor performance through Instagram Insights ✅ Keep content evergreen and avoid time-sensitive posts ✅ Maintain visual consistency with your brand aesthetic

Instagram pinned posts and comments are valuable tools for controlling your narrative and showcasing your best content. Use them strategically to create powerful first impressions and drive engagement.

For more Instagram optimization strategies, check out our Instagram growth guide and Instagram analytics tools to maximize your platform success.