Why your Instagram or YouTube won’t connect, and how to fix it

Instagram: switch to a professional account

Instagram only lets apps post to professional accounts. A personal account signs in fine, then fails to connect, and ReelGenie shows “Instagram did not connect”. To fix it:

1. In the Instagram app, open your profile’s settings.
2. Switch the account type to a professional account.
3. Choose Creator or Business. Either works with ReelGenie.

Instagram’s menus change between app versions, so follow Instagram’s steps for the exact taps.

No Facebook Page is needed. ReelGenie connects through Instagram’s own sign-in (Instagram Business Login), not through Facebook, so you don’t have to link a Facebook Page first.

Then open ReelGenie’s Accounts page, choose Instagram and sign in again.

YouTube: create a channel on the Google account you choose

A Google account can exist without a YouTube channel. ReelGenie uploads to a channel, so if the account you pick has none, the sign-in finishes and ReelGenie shows “YouTube did not connect”.

A channel in your own name

Google’s steps, from Create a YouTube channel:

1. Sign in to YouTube on a computer or the mobile site, with the Google account you’ll use for ReelGenie.
2. Click your profile picture, then Settings.
3. In the Account section, select Add or manage channel(s).
4. Click Create a channel.
5. Choose a profile picture, type in your name and handle.
6. Click Create channel.

A channel with a business or brand name

A channel with a different name from yours lives on a Brand Account. The same Google page says:

1. Sign in to YouTube on a computer or the mobile site.
2. Go to your channel list.
3. Click Create a new channel, or choose a Brand Account you already manage from the list.
4. Choose a profile picture, name and handle.
5. Click Create channel. This creates a new Brand Account.

When you connect, choose the account that owns the channel during the Google sign-in. ReelGenie connects one channel each time: the one YouTube gives back for the account you chose. If the wrong channel appears, disconnect it and connect again, choosing the other account.

TikTok: what ReelGenie needs

Nothing to change first. ReelGenie doesn’t need a particular kind of TikTok account. Sign in and allow access.

What changes is how posts arrive. For most accounts TikTok receives a draft in your TikTok inbox, which you finish and post in the TikTok app. Direct Post is used only where TikTok allows it for the account.

What the ReelGenie error messages mean

After a failed sign-in, ReelGenie shows the platform name and a reason. These are the exact messages:

Instagram did not connect

“Instagram only connects professional accounts (Business or Creator). Switch your account to professional in the Instagram app, then connect again.” The account is personal. Switch it, then connect again.

YouTube did not connect

“YouTube did not finish connecting. Check that the Google account you chose has a YouTube channel, then connect again.” The account you chose has no channel, or YouTube didn’t return one. Create a channel or pick the account that owns it.

The sign-in was cancelled

“The sign-in was cancelled, so nothing was connected. Connect again and choose Allow.”

The sign-in expired

“The sign-in took longer than 10 minutes and expired. Connect again and finish within 10 minutes.”

The link was already used

“This sign-in link was already used or is not valid. Connect again from this page.”

The sign-in came back incomplete

“The sign-in came back incomplete. Connect again from this page.”

The platform did not confirm

“Instagram did not confirm the sign-in. Connect again. If it keeps failing, ask for help from Settings.” The same message names TikTok when TikTok is the one that didn’t confirm.

Your plan’s account limit

“Your plan has reached its limit of connected accounts. Disconnect an account here, or change your plan.” The forever-free plan includes 3 connected accounts.

Anything else

“The account did not connect. Connect again from this page. If it keeps failing, ask for help from Settings.”

Then go back to your agent and tell it you’re connected

Your agent can’t sign in to Instagram, YouTube or TikTok for you, and it doesn’t know when you’ve finished. Once the account shows as connected, go back to your chat with Claude, Codex or your other agent and say so. It checks the connected accounts and can help you make a first post.

I’ve connected my account in ReelGenie. Check my connected accounts, then help me make my first post.

Nothing is posted until you approve it, in your agent or in ReelGenie.

Questions about connecting accounts

Why can’t my AI agent connect my Instagram or YouTube?

Agents can’t sign in to social accounts. You connect them yourself on ReelGenie’s Accounts page, and Instagram and YouTube only accept the account if it is a professional Instagram account or a Google account with a YouTube channel. Then your agent posts through ReelGenie.

Do I need a Facebook Page to connect Instagram?

No. ReelGenie connects through Instagram’s own sign-in, so a Creator or Business account is enough without a Facebook Page.

Creator or Business: which should I pick?

Either works with ReelGenie. Pick the one that fits how you use Instagram.

Can I connect more than one Instagram, TikTok or YouTube account?

Each ReelGenie workspace holds one account per platform. Connecting a second Instagram, TikTok or YouTube account in the same workspace replaces the first. Use another workspace for another brand, within your plan’s limits.

I don’t see the connect buttons. Why?

Only owners and admins of a ReelGenie team can connect accounts. Ask an owner or admin to connect it, or to change your role.

I connected the wrong YouTube channel. What now?

Disconnect it on the Accounts page, then connect again and choose the Google account or Brand Account that owns the channel you want.

Can I save posts before an account is connected?

Yes. Your agent can save a post for review at any time. It can’t be sent until an account is connected and you approve it.