We Analyzed 3 Billion Engagements to Reveal the Best Time to Post on Instagram

Best time to post on Instagram (by day of the week)

Tuesday–Thursday are consistently the strongest days overall.

A “global” schedule usually centers on late morning → late afternoon (people scroll during breaks). 

Region matters: 

• If your audience is mainly US/Canada, the safest window is 10 AM–3 PM (plus an evening bump in Canada). 

• If your audience is mainly European, engagement often concentrates in the evening (7–9 PM CET).

So if you’re writing this as “general,” it’s worth adding one sentence like: “These times are global benchmarks; if your audience is concentrated in North America or Europe, shift to their local peak windows.” 

Times are shown as “audience local time.” (Convert in your scheduler if you post from another country.) 

Let’s dive into the details 👇

Best time to post on Instagram on Monday

US (Eastern/Central): ~1–2 PM and 4–6 PM local

Canada (Central): ~10 AM–12 PM and 6–8 PM local

UK: ~12–1 PM and 5–10 PM local

Europe (CET): roughly 7–9 PM CET

The best time to post on Instagram Monday are around 1–2 PM and 4–5 PM. These two windows coincide with users’ routines: a post-lunch browsing session and the late-afternoon wind-down.

 After lunch many people check their feeds during a work break, and again as the workday ends they start scrolling through Instagram.

Best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday

US/Canada: 11 AM–6 PM local (broad window)

UK: ~5–6 PM local

Europe (CET): ~7–9 PM CET

On Tuesdays, Instagram remains busy most of the day. The best time to post on Instagram Tuesday is 11 AM–6 PM. This broad span covers late-morning through early-evening, reflecting sustained high activity all day. 

In practice, posting anytime after the workday begins (around late morning) will engage the Tuesday audience, with no single small peak but rather a long “powerhouse” engagement window.

Best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday

US/Canada: 11 AM–6 PM and 7–9 PM local

UK: ~5–9 PM local

Europe (CET): ~7–9 PM CET

The best time to post Instagram Wednesday consists of two strong windows: 11 AM–6 PM and 7–9 PM. Like Tuesday, midday to afternoon (11 AM–6 PM) is very active – many people scroll throughout the afternoon. 

There is also a notable secondary peak in the evening around 7–9 PM, as people relax and look for inspiration after dinner. 

Best time to post on Instagram on Thursday

US/Canada: 11 AM–6 PM local

UK: ~7–8 PM local

Europe (CET): ~7–9 PM CET

Thursday’s posting pattern mirrors Tuesday and Wednesday. Activity stays steady through late morning and afternoon (11 AM–6 PM) in North America. In the UK, the strongest window shifts later – roughly 7–8 PM local. Continental Europe again peaks around 7–9 PM CET.

In short, posting between late morning and the early evening on Thursday will catch most users.

Brands should plan major posts during this span (for example, catching the lunch break and post-work periods) to engage the largest portion of Thursday’s audience.

Best time to post on Instagram Friday

US/Canada: 10 AM–5 PM local

UK: ~3–10 PM local

Europe (CET): ~4–11 PM CET (approx.)

Friday engagement remains fairly high from mid-morning into the afternoon. Sprout notes a broad 10 AM–5 PM window. 

UK usage is unusually broad (roughly 3–10 PM GMT/BST), which corresponds to about 4 PM–11 PM CET. Friday still shows strong activity – nearly as much as midweek, but it tapers off slightly faster in the evening. 

In practice, the best time to post on Instagram on Friday is from late morning to afternoon posts (10 AM–4 PM).

Best time to post on a Saturday

US/Canada: 10 AM–6 PM local

UK: 9 AM–9 PM local

Europe (CET): ~10 AM–10 PM CET (approx.)

Saturday has the lowest overall engagement of any day, but there is still a broad active window. Sprout finds that the best time to post on Instagram Saturday is 10 AM–6 PM. UK audiences remain engaged almost all day (9 AM–9 PM). That roughly equates to 10 AM–10 PM CET.)

Peak activity tends to be early afternoon (around 1–4 PM), but even that is only a modest bump. Because many people disconnect on weekends, post quality matters more than exact timing on Saturdays. 

Best time to post on Instagram Sunday

US/Canada: around 4 PM local

UK: ~4–8 PM local

Europe (CET): ~5–9 PM CET (approx.).

On Sundays, engagement centers in the late afternoon. Sprout Social’s data show a single peak around 4 PM. UK usage spreads a bit wider (about 4–8 PM BST), which is roughly 5–9 PM CET. 

The best time to post on Instagram on Sunday is late afternoon. It’s the best chance to catch people winding down the weekend.

The best day to post on Instagram for Reels

Reels do follow the same human rhythms as feed posts (breaks, commutes, couch time) — but distribution is more recommendation-led. So the “winner” isn’t just the hour you publish. It’s whether your Reel gets early velocity: strong watch time, rewatches, shares, and saves in the first waves of distribution.

As a starting benchmark, the best times to post on ig for Reels tend to cluster mid-week (Tuesday–Thursday), late morning through afternoon (roughly 11 AM–5 PM) for US/Canada audiences. 

If your audience skews UK/CET, you’ll often see the window shift later into the evening when people are actually in “sit and watch” mode.

If you’re a CMO and you want this to be more than a vibe: run a clean timing test for 2–3 weeks. Post the same Reel format (same hook style, length range, CTA type) in two windows, then compare plays per 1,000 followers, 3-second view rate, average watch time, completion rate, and saves + shares per 1,000 impressions. 

The best time to post on Instagram is the slot that wins those metrics consistently — not the one that just “feels busy.”

The best time for Instagram Stories

If you’re chasing the best time to post on Instagram 2025 for Stories, think less “algorithmic reach” and more “are they literally holding their phone right now.” Stories don’t sit in the feed waiting to be discovered — they’re a top-bar habit. 

Your win condition is simple: show up when your audience is in a repeatable scrolling ritual.

For B2C / broad consumer audiences, the most reliable Story spike lands in the evening (roughly 6–9 PM). That’s when attention shifts from work to leisure, and people burn through Stories like a nightly recap. 

Measure it like this: 

• track Story opens, 

• completion rate, 

• forward/back taps, 

• and link sticker CTR by hour. 

Your “best time” is the slot that lifts completion and CTR, not just views.

For B2B / professional audiences, Stories tend to perform better in the late morning to lunch (about 11 AM–1 PM) — the window where people take a breath, check updates, and scroll between meetings. 

Here, the influencer marketing KPI stack is taps back (they cared), replies (they’re warm), and profile visits (they’re evaluating you). Run two fixed posting blocks for 2 weeks (lunch vs evening) and compare per-1,000-follower metrics. 

That’s how you find the best times to post on Instagram for your market — without guessing.

The best time for Live

Instagram Live is a show-up-or-miss-it format. No rewind behavior, no “I’ll catch it later.” So the question isn’t just when is the best time to post on Instagram — it’s when your audience is most likely to stop what they’re doing and join in real time.

Public research on Live-specific timing is thinner than feed posts, so the smartest approach is to borrow from proven engagement peaks and then validate with your own numbers. As a practical baseline, schedule Lives on weekdays in late afternoon to early evening (roughly 4–6 PM local time). That window catches people closing laptops, commuting, or doing the first scroll of their evening.

Now the CMO part: judge “best time” by Live metrics, not impressions. 

Track peak concurrent viewers, average watch time, comments per minute, follows gained during Live, and clicks on pinned links / CTAs. 

Run a simple A/B: two Lives at 12–1 PM vs two Lives at 4–6 PM, same topic structure, same promo cadence. The slot that produces higher concurrency + watch time is your real answer — and it’s often the same window you’d pick when choosing the best day to post on Instagram for big visibility.

The best time to post on Instagram, according to the industry

The “best posting time” isn’t universal — it’s industry + audience routine + timezone. So treat the windows below as a benchmark for North America + Europe, then validate with your own data (because your brand’s audience is never perfectly average).

One rule that holds across every category: choose a posting window, then judge it by business-relevant signals — not vanity likes. Think saves/share rate, profile visits per 1,000 impressions, link clicks, DMs/replies, and (when you can) downstream conversions.

Travel & tourism

If travel content is a daydream, Sunday is when people start turning it into a plan.

Post here (local time):

• Sunday: 10 AM–12 PM (primary)

• Weekdays: 10 AM–12 PM and 7–9 PM (secondary)

Why it works: weekends = longer sessions + higher intent. Sunday late morning is when people are calm enough to browse seriously, compare options, and save ideas for later. Weekday lunch and evening windows catch the “escape hatch” scroll — quick inspiration, then saves.

Proof you can measure: look for lift in

• Saves per 1,000 impressions (trip planning behavior)

• Website clicks / bio link CTR (intent moving off-platform)

• DMs asking logistics (availability, pricing, itinerary)

Fashion & beauty

This category wins when your audience has a mirror moment: lunch break check-in, evening “prep,” weekend reset.

Best windows (local time):

• Weekdays: 12–2 PM and 7–9 PM

• Weekends: 9–11 AM and 5–7 PM

• Extra strong: Sunday evening

Why those hours: lunch = quick browse + shopping curiosity. Evenings = try-on time, routine time, “I’m in my feels, and I want a glow-up” time. Sundays tend to spike because people plan outfits, appointments, and routines for the week.

What to track:

• Shares + sends (trend content travels)

• Product page clicks (if you have UTM’d links)

• Follower growth per post (style accounts get followed fast when you hit)

Read also: Rethinking fashion influencer marketing

Food & Restaurants

No mystery here. People engage when they’re hungry — and when they’re deciding.

Post to match real meal decision windows:

• 11 AM–1 PM (lunch)

• 5–7 PM (dinner)

• Weekend bonus: 10 AM–12 PM (brunch)

• Planning push: Thu–Fri

Why it works: you’re not competing with “content.” You’re competing with a stomach. Catch the moment someone thinks, “What should we eat?” and you’re suddenly relevant.

Metrics that prove it:

• Calls / reservation clicks / directions taps (if you’re local)

• Link sticker CTR (menus convert)

• Comments with “going here / tagging friends” (group decision behavior)

Read also: Influencer marketing for restaurants to drive foot traffic and online orders

Education

Education content doesn’t spike when people are at their desks. It spikes when the day is done… and the brain has space.

Best times (local time): Wed–Thu: 2–4 PM and 6–9 PM

Afternoons catch students as school winds down and parents as they switch from work mode to family mode. Evenings capture the research phase: courses, programs, prep, “how do I improve this” content.

What to watch:

• Profile visits (evaluation behavior)

• Saves (people save resources, not vibes)

• Lead actions: webinar sign-ups, brochure downloads, trial starts

Fitness & wellness

Fitness content isn’t about “when people scroll.” It’s about when people decide to be the person who works out.

Best windows (local time):

• Weekdays: 6–8 AM and 5–7 PM

• Weekends: 8–10 AM and 4–6 PM

• Most consistent: Tue–Wed

Morning = motivation + “what’s my workout?” Evening = post-work stress relief + habit reinforcement. Weekends shift later because routines loosen.

What to track:

• Completion rate on video (workout content is watched longer)

• Saves (people save routines)

• Website clicks (class schedules, programs, supplements, subscriptions)

Read Also: Healthcare influencer marketing 2026: Strategies & examples

Gaming

Gaming is a leisure economy. Schedule for when people have permission to disappear into it.

Best posting windows:

• Weekdays: evenings

• Weekends: afternoons + evenings (broad)

This audience wants long sessions, not quick glances. That’s why late-day posts win — they land right when gamers shift into play/stream mode.

What to track:

• Comments per 1,000 impressions (community energy)

• Shares (clips travel)

• Live/concurrent viewers if you drive streams from IG

B2B

If you’re selling to professionals, don’t fight their calendar. Use it.

Best times (local time):

• Weekdays: 9–11 AM and 1–3 PM

• Best days: Mon–Thu (Friday and weekends drop)

Mid-morning and early afternoon are the two cleanest work-break pockets. That’s when someone’s open to quick insight, a smart carousel, a stat, a POV — and a link to “learn more.”

What to track:

• Profile visits (they’re checking credibility)

• Link clicks / UTMs (they’re evaluating)

• DM replies (they’re interested but not ready for a form)

Read also: How the pros do B2B influencer marketing: Tactics & hacks

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