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How do I request usage rights directly on Instagram?

You can request rights to UGC in real time by commenting directly on Instagram posts using any account connected to CrowdRiff. Then, track your replies and approve assets using the Instagram Replies stream in CrowdRiff.

Carm Ang avatar
Written by Carm Ang
Updated this week

How do I leave a rights request on Instagram?

  1. From any device, open Instagram

  2. Comment on a post with your rights request message (e.g., “We love your photo! Can we share it with credit? Reply with @yoursocialhandle and "Yes" to approve.”)

  3. Make sure you use an Instagram account connected to CrowdRiff

After posting your comment, replies will appear in your Instagram Replies stream in CrowdRiff (may take up to 1 hour).

Where do I track responses?

Go to CrowdRiff > Instagram Replies stream to view all comment threads.

  • Comment threads = your rights comment + replies from the original poster

  • Threads are organized into three tabs:

    • Replies - View and manage active rights conversations—approve, dismiss, or open full threads on Instagram when needed.

    • Rights-Approved - See all approved assets and comment threads, including those auto-approved via rights apps or advanced portals.

    • Dismissed - Hide non-relevant or declined replies without deleting them, and restore threads to the Replies tab anytime.

You can undo approval by clicking Unmark as rights-approved—the thread will return to the Replies tab.

How do I approve a response?

In the Replies tab, find the thread with a clear, affirmative response

  1. Click Mark as rights-approved

  2. The thread moves to the Rights-Approved tab

  3. The asset is added to your Rights-Approved stream and updated with:

    1. Licensing info

    2. The name of the person who approved it

    3. Timestamp

    4. The permission note showing the full comment thread

If the response is unrelated or doesn’t grant permission, click Dismiss to move the thread out of view.

❗Heads up

  • Licensed Music - Instagram has a licensing agreement between Instagram itself, music companies, and creators to use licensed music in their Reels. Unfortunately, this licensing agreement does not transfer to third-parties that would like to repurpose the Reels. This limits the number of Reels that can be ingested into your library, as content with licensed music will be automatically flagged for copyright infringement. We recommend acquiring Reels through CrowdRiff that don’t include copyrighted content.

Need more help?

If you have any other questions, feel free to send us a message!

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