Use placeholders

A placeholder is a coloured block that holds a slot on your Instagram grid before you have the content. It carries a title, a note, and an optional date.

Create a placeholder

From the post list:

1. Select the caret next to Create Post.
2. Choose Placeholder.

From the calendar:

1. Hover the date you want.
2. Select +, then Placeholder.

Placeholders are Instagram-only. The placeholder takes the post type the Instagram grid is currently showing — Grid, Reels, or Stories.

Fill it in

The placeholder form has:

• A colour swatch and a title, next to each other in the header. The title defaults to New Placeholder.
• A note field, for the idea you want to remember.
• Add a date, if you want the placeholder to sit on a specific day.
• Quantity, if you want several identical placeholders at once. You can create up to 10 in one go.

Select Save. The placeholder appears on your grid as a colour block, and on your calendar if you gave it a date.

Planoly remembers the last colour you used and offers it next time.

Turn a placeholder into a post

There is no separate convert step. Open the placeholder with Edit Post from its menu, add your media, and it becomes a regular post. The title, colour, note, and date carry over. From there you can add a caption, set a first comment or location, and Save as draft or Schedule post.

Move, edit, or delete

A placeholder with no date sits in the draggable part of the grid, so you can drag it to a new slot. Its menu holds Edit Post, Change Date, Create a Copy, and Delete.

Deleting a placeholder is permanent.

Placeholders and calendar notes

They look similar and do different jobs.

Use a placeholder to shape the look of your grid. Use a calendar note for a recurring reminder that never appears on the grid.

Limits

A placeholder counts against your plan's post allowance, the same as a draft. Placeholders cannot be combined into a carousel.