Posting an Instagram Carousel from Airtable

[EaZyGreen]

Hi Community,

When trying to post a carousel of photos and videos to Instagram from a Airtable, I am getting and error “Missing value of required parameter ‘media_type’.”

I create an iteration based on the number of attachments in the airtable field, which are then being renamed as variables “media_type” (the MIME type of each attachment) and “media_url” (the attachment url).

I then aggregate the iterator into an array and feed it into the Instagram Carousel module, but it gives me back the error mentioned. I believe that my array formatting may be an issue but I cannot find anywhere how to format this properly.

This is the Iterator setup:

This is the “set multiple variables” setup:

This is the array aggregator setup:

And finally, the Carousel module setup and the error:

I’d appreciate any help I can get on this

Best,
Alex

[Msquare_Automation]

Hi @EaZyGreen

There is no need to use set variable after iterator. It is just consuming your Make operations. The issue is with your data structure. It should be in the below structure-

Hence, you need to use JSON to define the structure. Also, need to evaluate how is the data in your iterator module and the previous one.

For better assistance, please share the JSON structure of the output bundles from the module placed before the iterator module.

If you require additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
MSquare Support
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[EaZyGreen]

Hi @Msquare_Automation,

Thanks for getting back on this.

Below you can find my output bundle, I’d be very interested to better understand how to use JSON to define the correct structure.

Coming back to your initial answer of using “Media Type = Image” as a pre-set. My only issue with doing it this way, is that my Carousel may contain some videos along with images (although this may not be every time), so I wanted to create an automation that can post the carousel regardless if there are videos or not. Will this still work if the Media Type is pre-set as images?

Thank you very much for your help.

Output Bundle from the module placed before iterator:

[
    {
        "PR Title": "Carousel Test",
        "Title": "Carousel Test",
        "Core information": "This is just a test for the carousel posts\n",
        "Social Media Status": "Posting...",
        "IG caption": "This is just a carousel post test\n",
        "LinkedIn caption": "DSDSDSDSDSD\n",
        "Main Body": "This is just a test for the carousel posts\n",
        "LinkedIn Post URL": "https://www.linkedin.com/feedXXX",
        "SoMe Post Date": "2024-02-05T08:54:14.000Z",
        "G-Drive folder ID": "1sajZAbJLBdYF0UfX4lffpNKNjDYfWnYe",
        "LinkedIn post ID": "urn:li:share:XXX",
        "Content Folder": "https://drive.google.com/driveXXX",
        "Main Body Generation": "Social Media only",
        "News Status": "Ready",
        "PR Status": "In progress",
        "Post: 4:5, 1:1, or 16:9": [
            {
                "id": "attDKCHt6UlF2NBbf",
                "width": 2268,
                "height": 4032,
                "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/Rg6aOvTR6583KAPfdfY3-w/H0qOha-Tw9iVSQXlhAkfQPfMn7Msh3wV4pNSM1rDQa8_mW-xaWQLm9MijQy31rzaGlOdD5xtH4R2AWSphtVHiWnUKlDKhegtildd79SYyshEsllbq6-Pz1dvmvsSbHlFNR6c3plCWXhCRV-b_DrtlA/IdEHxJHe7wHJMgjlvIHBM0xWd_Ikekwl_cj6cvQ7NJk",
                "filename": "20230323_160835.jpg",
                "size": 1651359,
                "type": "image/jpeg",
                "thumbnails": {
                    "small": {
                        "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/3TLd9-SzxIFXf1ZD2OJT6Q/nV-hXDQ8vfF-fPR5MSpEBY7cwIcp62p9XlwyYPkqxTbFrNoEvZfDJEhmppILlOb2V_buZWQZrqNtQg0saFYrEDx3mPjSuMaaFujx5HYOHQX-Nk9K1CbNsQxXblAOFKnUvkey4xM7TfEJILXz2Zg4bw/qm8pShZmZJ5v3VhUPATt18a8z2Fy9l_2zplJ1AftlTA",
                        "width": 20,
                        "height": 35
                    },
                    "large": {
                        "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/Up8DhgViRnkg1AWzGwMpyw/0WPNDW_hI7h7xJnVOP6wBix7bXwkz_1PnFc_AnEzuE6A7GZJ8ispJYRJ06ukg0Ui9uF_6YRvNXOlihc8tpHPduWcjgjZo4FRtAPjGrr0WKMbKx3jajQ1EJvkoT_V8f6Jpim8YYR_PvPGOlkz3XFsNw/KfS3L90imZENtYdfdcr9osuqwMK0pf84yCd_Cbi_ud8",
                        "width": 512,
                        "height": 910
                    },
                    "full": {
                        "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/9jYVFg6LHFAodQos3z7S-Q/ZwFd9bHutiuFmSDrFmhf_0UQNvUHO9J_3hKBFWDkLDvctwxlSVtyTAyB1aNqg-9xmyFqvxEK1duNTF0JyEczbcFqUWgZ0e1McmMVrSeKF671tLL6hfqH21WplAOfm2VKvql2iAMF-Syv8eKNfKpxCA/I9G_6GfXAOX00cx-0hMkfVVKw2kFfXlDOjsbJZuTftI",
                        "width": 1688,
                        "height": 3000
                    }
                }
            },
            {
                "id": "attla9SNFrHtC0x1n",
                "width": 2268,
                "height": 2264,
                "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/fqwNT0VqojQX30leZWPulg/uZ6iEXs3f4mvfgyeltHFTvGvmvTMREmYuMJYvIB7oKpsfapURtA0g0UKKj4bACgJFoSOFE6QmhN7fIOjuIBcJua3pat2kN795vyv9bixsQDI0Jo0JLvstLcWoB5oeA-LGvvSwMMCeOJjgy2zU5Uz8A/BWZ1tG5hiJHG1OtDQB_37Su_OkeXx7ZJSrrrJMqEzvQ",
                "filename": "20230324_070550.jpg",
                "size": 1041195,
                "type": "image/jpeg",
                "thumbnails": {
                    "small": {
                        "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/hrxtzA3V0WN-ko-LnTRRdg/c4gf2FS2Z-l5dv0NRXHFHomzJ2sEIwHS_5PeookmeQ66-L-g2Mg6P2N0Vfsx9Tdp0Ua4putVkucExbe0hlB_ha-ueUzrQlJKxflc7fzBIWgOSQsH9_qJySzakUlw98HYJycsAfmYowxPpacYgIxXUw/jZBXxBnLjYBbfEdpW_M_qUl1BQl1Rx_5uxAOIOLIOXw",
                        "width": 36,
                        "height": 36
                    },
                    "large": {
                        "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/4XrAqbKXbG-NcrSun1LKJA/TKK-dS0P250phVqmjygDcipk1ScNf_FLx7ldyZppv-QNpqr3NF6rk3LJRNJJ-kjctoGtIoGeBWidIRVuKZZ7bWsc8RpW_VKBn5fL3TAZQpdzMz9ycwsTZXRAMEFQBtop0eZl3J-xRiNzZ__tcpmexQ/mBLQXAZDZ7xOR-nFjF2rYI0CSIb0F05j-g4lAeAguT0",
                        "width": 513,
                        "height": 512
                    },
                    "full": {
                        "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/prB-BshczXLVOsU5yaUdbA/6Z6a9IDuIPdx0XlYl12G_FZiIRbj4jlWSaIwLFhWtorHlQgVISi97pciZcxBVMdmKQehhU5NPr7npY_H9u0_EOmA-yhE_u60dYgWS3TNoZ7WvfdYS6hGuzVHb6xkiXJ_W_nyMX6YYhv3ULfZDAHaWg/fFK9pXYKEIuQRRu3BBsdVwsrDcLczRxPvqV65NaOwZQ",
                        "width": 2268,
                        "height": 2264
                    }
                }
            },
            {
                "id": "att5RAWh9dvEKWve1",
                "width": 1918,
                "height": 2225,
                "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/Kkn_a4F241xNueePHkl2GA/h1d_V4_KOsMe24G7CGgi9oIbSPGOo0FRQ40j1JzPje8kjJ3f5zlXTO9olaK2SetNCX3KdHx0gJbxCbiR-ze7NVSDYfywoRcPkBaLY3N83GLCRQb7XFpMDhL8w_-ZA__-UeiS-Mlu0rx1ckblCL-6cQ/I9rDDEMe3JrUyIQjsA89WVKsO4VQPMTPMeMkw_GkHXI",
                "filename": "20230325_160917.jpg",
                "size": 979085,
                "type": "image/jpeg",
                "thumbnails": {
                    "small": {
                        "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/YAllO-xekUnyM3PvXSHl6w/ZnXKjhZMvpch-sxNshze4n5LLS5usoD806y_GALuLkpqmhPLN4m5Zcc6Wl6fHRXHALEX_xgDI80Y9NExuBi02a8v4VBNw3WC49K1iyRmXdBjQSzkXH84W84IeNxqoEktBxlTv5oY3nzx4ppUHBZfTg/iutdGRNoExlQWzDaC_UP6uw0GsXjGhAY8FhtN3Izwbw",
                        "width": 31,
                        "height": 36
                    },
                    "large": {
                        "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/G1Zrp9GtMUlPFnC7cQhSLg/wXIe7AynEMM5t7keQtmPH9uZh-4D31Bpwc6OCXTn556o6lKMS3qDKJc8uf2uDReTBmritOFWS8AADm1zCV1WhxfGReGlsHEzzZHXvMYNTLN3geJc_Yp2xBkI0uShAPtyGV7gPrjLdStMA5oZdikYdw/-r0lvya3d9Ll5T78M4J7quIBbMdT6-8vd4U_cRj5NqY",
                        "width": 512,
                        "height": 594
                    },
                    "full": {
                        "url": "https://v5.airtableusercontent.com/v3/u/25/25/1707134400000/zeyfMyXSJO84zkJT8MLelw/GB7XDHRHNu3TmPMpqRnslzKa6v4DbeHna_dFQEJWNaKSQ5NWtqJt5vg9yC1vYUxhpFbviJv5PGHJxMRiVo5P2Sxw-p9IQLgq6CpTv-6QSnK3HnvDMsdtpSWMj20L618CycGjcYV9LQF9OCHVSluH_A/SRcQQc5XBXduhDIhOjjWL6Wu9LK1MrL3YXAO_AzkONc",
                        "width": 1918,
                        "height": 2225
                    }
                }
            }
        ],
        "Created By": {
            "id": "usrzK3lYdBMEm3HOB",
            "email": "XXX",
            "name": "A G"
        },
        "Created": "2024-02-02T12:17:47.000Z",
        "Content ID": "2024-02_Carousel Test",
        "Last Modified By": {
            "id": "usrWORKFLOWEXESVC",
            "email": "automations@noreply.airtable.com",
            "name": "Automations"
        },
        "Last Modified": "2024-02-05T08:54:18.000Z",
        "Socials captions": {
            "label": "Generate",
            "url": "https://hook.eu2.make.com/b70gnt2mlcicnqqjwmjpp2j4707jnryo?recordId=recJA6PJfXhUBfj6W"
        },
        "Generate Main Body": {
            "label": "Generate",
            "url": ""
        },
        "Generate Press Release": {
            "label": "Generate",
            "url": null
        },
        "Send?": {
            "label": "Send",
            "url": ""
        },
        "News Intro": "ddffrrrerrwr\n",
        "Platform destinations": [
            "IG"
        ],
        "Message Box": "\n",
        "id": "recJA6PJfXhUBfj6W",
        "createdTime": "2024-02-02T12:17:47.000Z"
    }
]

[EaZyGreen]

Is anyone able to help me with this? I have still not figured out how to map the attachments so that they can be uploaded as a carousel post to Instagram regardless if it’s a video or a photo…

[Jan_V]

Hi there, I was trying the same and I got it to work.

I’m using Airtable, but it should be the similar (an array of image attachments).

The trick is to select your target in the aggregator module, there you can select media type.

[EaZyGreen]

Hi @Jan_V ,

Thanks a lot for your reply!

So doing it this way works regardless of the files being video or image?

I found a workaround, but its a bit of a wonkey one . If your solutions works regardless of the attachments being image or video, then i’ll definitely use your way of doing it.

Many thanks,
Alex

[Jan_V]

I don’t know if video works too. Inside the Aggregator module is the option to select it, but I haven’t tested.

I’ll let you know when I try it.

[Alexander_Corasaniti]

Hello Jan_V

I had this same issue and it was resolved with the string you have shown.

The issue I am running into now is that I am unable to get any of the captions for the post.

Would you happen to know the solution for this by chance?

[Jan_V]

Assuming the captions are stored in your Airtable, try selecting the iterator as the source module for your aggregator.