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Best times to post on Instagram: by type of business

There's no magic hour: a coffee shop and an accounting firm have audiences that check their phones at different times. Here's the week for each type of business according to two public studies, in your local time.

Updated October 5, 2026

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The short answer

Across all industries, Monday to Wednesday in the afternoon, and the strongest slot is Tuesday, 15–20 h. But it changes by industry: for food and drink, Monday, 11–19 h; for retail, Tuesday, 13–20 h. Pick yours below.

Pick your industry

Tap your type of business and see its week: the stronger the color, the better the slot.

Coffee shops

Food & drink

For coffee shops we use the food & drink data.

  • Mon11–19 h
  • Tue11–17 h
  • Wed11–16 h
  • Thu12–14 h
  • Fri11–14 h
  • SatNo strong slot
  • SunNo strong slot
  • The food & drink study marks it and another one agrees
  • The food & drink study marks it
  • Only the overall average marks it

Best slot: Monday, 11–19 h

What to post for coffee shops

The nine weeks

Each industry uses its category's study. Those without their own use the all-industries average.

Post at those times without watching the clock

Scheduling is what lets you hit the best time even while you're busy with customers.

  1. See your industry's week in the Calendar

    Feedmakers' Calendar paints the best times for your type of business, the same ones on this page.

    CalendarMarlowe & Thread
    Best times · Retail

    Mon

    Tue

    Wed

    Thu

    Fri

    Sat

    Sun

    13:0014:0015:0016:0017:00

  2. Schedule each post in a strong slot

    Pick the day and time, up to 59 days ahead, and the post is scheduled on Instagram and Facebook.

    MonTueWedThuFriSatSun10 am1 pm7 pm

    Scheduled · Thu 7 pm

  3. It goes out on its own, on time

    You don't need to be online. The free plan publishes and schedules up to 20 posts a month.

    @northbound.coffee
    @northbound.coffee Meet your brightest cold brew of the season.
    @northbound.coffeeInstagram · published
    Northbound CoffeeFacebook Page · published

Good to know

  • Your insights come first

    With a professional account, Instagram shows you when your audience is online. If it doesn't match this page, follow your audience.

  • These are global studies

    The slots come from millions of posts across many countries, in local time. Use them as a starting point, not a rule.

  • Consistent beats perfect

    Posting regularly in a good slot pays off more than waiting for the perfect slot once a month.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best time to post on Instagram?

It depends on the industry. Across all industries, Monday to Wednesday in the afternoon, with the strongest slot on Tuesday, 15–20 h. For food and drink, Monday, 11–19 h; for retail, Tuesday, 13–20 h.

Do these times work in my country?

The studies count in each post's local time, so the slot reads in your own time zone. They're not specific to any one country: take them as a starting point.

Where does the data come from?

From two public studies: Sprout Social, with nearly 2 billion engagements from about 307,000 profiles, and Hootsuite, with over a million posts with the time localized across 118 countries.

What if my industry has no data of its own?

Use the all-industries average: both studies agree on Monday to Wednesday afternoons. Then compare it with your account's insights.

Can I schedule at these times for free?

Yes. Feedmakers' free plan publishes and schedules up to 20 posts a month on Instagram and Facebook, with your industry's best times in the Calendar.

More for your Instagram

Sources

The studies were read on September 25, 2026. Slots are in the poster's local time.

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