Instagram Monetization
Instagram offers features and products that help creators and publishers earn money from their content. This content must follow certain rules.
All content on Instagram must comply with their Terms and Community Guidelines. These are Instagram’s high-level rules against sexual, violent, profane, or hateful content. However, content appropriate for Instagram in general is not necessarily appropriate for monetization.
Creators and publishers need to adhere to Instagram’s Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies in order to make money from their content. Instagram’s content itself must follow these guidelines to be eligible for monetization.
Prohibited Formats
Content presented in the following formats cannot be monetized:
Static Videos
Content that contains one static image and little to no motion.
Static Image Polls
Content posted for the sole purpose of increasing engagement by asking people to react to questions posed by the content.
Slideshows of Images
Content that primarily displays static images played in succession.
Looping Videos
Content that loops and displays the same segment multiple times. Looping content can include GIFs and content of varying lengths.
Text Montages
Content that primarily displays still or moving images with overlaid text.
Embedded Ads
Content that already includes embedded ads where Instagram offers ad placements.
Prohibited Behaviors
The following behaviors may trigger reduced or restricted monetization for Instagram’s content:
Engagement Bait
Content that incentivizes people to click a link or respond to a post through likes or comments.
Soliciting Engagement
Content that requests compensation in exchange for extreme behavior, such as:
- Consumption of inedible substances
- Showing graphic content
- Consumption of drugs, tobacco, or alcohol
- Disrobing or other sexual behavior
Restricted Categories
Content that depicts or discusses subjects in the following categories may face reduced or restricted monetization:
Debated Social Issues
Content may be subject to reduced or disabled monetization if it depicts or discusses the following subjects in a polarizing or inflammatory manner:
- Race
- Gender
- National origin
- Age
- Political affiliation
- Ethnicity
- Disability
- Sexual orientation
- Socioeconomic class
- Religion
- Immigration
Tragedy or Conflict
Content may face reduced or disabled monetization if it displays or discusses events that result in suffering, destruction, or distress. Depictions or discussions of these subjects, either real or fictional, may affect monetization for Instagram’s content:
Content that depicts or discusses these subjects in an explicitly uplifting manner may still be eligible for monetization.
- Death
- Physical injury
- Mental disabilities
- Illness
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Property damage
Objectionable Activity
Content may face reduced or disabled monetization if it displays or discusses substance abuse or criminal behavior. Depictions or discussions of these subjects, either real or fictional, may affect monetization for Instagram’s content:
- Substance abuse
- Threats
- Advocating for harm
- Trafficking
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Trespassing
- Corruption
- Fraud
- Bribery
- Insider Trading
- Embezzlement
- Hacking
- Copyright Infringement
- Judicial proceedings
Sexual or Suggestive Activity
Content may face reduced or disabled monetization if it contains sexual subject matter. Depictions or discussions of these subjects, either real or fictional, may affect monetization for Instagram’s content.
- Nudity
- Sexual activity
- Sexual poses
- Suggestive dancing
- Simulations of sexual activity
- Sex objects
- Suggestive language
- Revealing or absent items of clothing
Strong Language
Content may face reduced or disabled monetization if it contains profane or derogatory language. This language, either spoken, written, or otherwise represented may affect monetization for Instagram’s content.
- Profanity
- Derogatory words
- Slurs
- Sexual words
- Innuendos
- Crude gestures
- Vulgar motions
Explicit Content
Content may not be monetized if it displays or discusses gore or bodily conditions. Depictions of these subjects, either real or fictional, may affect monetization for Instagram’s content.
- Wounds
- Infections
- Bodily fluids
- Medical procedures
- Food processing
- Extreme body modification
- Bodily functions
- Ingesting substances not intended for consumption
- Ingesting nauseating substances
- Decay
- Infestation
Misinformation
Content that has been rated false by a third-party fact checker.
Misleading Medical Information
Content that contains medical claims that have been disproven by an expert organization. Including, but not limited to, anti-vaccination claims.
Original Content
Content creators and publishers can only monetize content that they created or were involved in the creation of, or that directly features the creator or publisher. Content that is unoriginal or reproduced without making meaningful enhancements (commentary, parody, creative editing, etc.) cannot be monetized.
Politics and Government
Current elected and appointed government officials, who are subject to applicable government ethics are not eligible for monetization features. Current political candidates, parties, and registered political committees, who are subject to applicable election or campaign finance rules, are also not eligible for monetization features. Communications that are regulated as political advertising under applicable law are also ineligible for monetization features.
Source: Instagram for Business
Read page 3 for more details on Twitter Monetization.