Instagram took your upload but could not finish preparing it. This is usually down to how the video was encoded, not anything wrong with your post. The fix is to re-export it as MP4, with H.264 video and AAC audio, at 9:16, and schedule it again.
What happened
- sprkly handed the video to Instagram.
- Instagram started to prepare it, then stopped.
- Instagram does not say why. It quietly refuses some kinds of video.
- After a few tries, sprkly marks the post Failed and emails you.
How to fix it
- Open the video in your editor or phone app.
- Export it again as MP4.
- Pick H.264 for the video and AAC for the audio, if your app asks.
- Make it 9:16, vertical, for a Reel. 1080 x 1920 is a good size.
- Open the post in sprkly, swap in the new file, and pick a new time.
Check the length too
- A Reel can run up to 15 minutes.
- A Story video can run up to 60 seconds.
- Too long for the place you picked? Trim it, or switch between Reel and Story.
Shape is not the problem, but it matters
- Instagram takes many shapes for a Reel.
- A shape other than 9:16 does not fail. It just shows bars around the video.
- So shape alone rarely stops processing. The encoding does.
What sprkly checks for you
- sprkly checks your media for each app and fixes the format when it can.
- It cannot fix every file. Some still need a fresh export.
If it fails twice
- Still failing? Email support@sprkly.app with the post's caption and time. We can see the details on our side.
Do it in sprkly: Open Schedule, find the failed post, upload the re-exported MP4, and pick a new time.
Docs: sprkly docs