FRAME 04 - SEQUENCE · LIGHTROOM CLASSIC PLUGIN
A feed that looks intentional. Not chaotic.
A Lightroom Classic plugin that sequences your selects into a clean Instagram grid - single posts and carousels alike. Pick a sort, drag what feels off, export. Done in 10 minutes - without leaving Lightroom.
LIGHTROOM CLASSIC 6+ · MACOS ON APPLE SILICON (M1 OR LATER)
SHIFT-CLICK 2 TILES TO GROUP A CAROUSEL · OR DRAG A TILE · KEYBOARD: ENTER TO GROUP, ARROWS TO REORDER
NINE POSTS, ONE FLOW - SORT, DRAG, GROUPUNSORTED - AS SHOT
NEW ON INSTAGRAM - JUNE 2026
Instagram now lets you reorder your grid after posting - drag posts into any order, no deleting, no lost likes. But it hands you a drag handle, not an eye for what order works, and nudging 20 to 30 tiles around by thumb is the tedious part. This plugin works out the color-flow order for you. Plan it in Lightroom, then apply it on Instagram in seconds - on a fresh feed or one you posted years ago. See how Reorder Grid works →
SEE IT IN ACTION - THE REAL PLUGIN
From selects to a feed
that flows.
CLICK TO PLAY - WITH SOUND, CAPTIONS ON SCREEN
Read the transcript
The video is narrated, and the narration is also captioned on screen. This is the full spoken text:
- Your feed should look intentional - not accidental.
- Right now, planning a feed means exporting everything to your phone.
- Instagram Grid Planner sequences your feed, right inside Lightroom.
- Select the photos for your next post, and open the planner from Plug-in Extras.
- It renders every photo through your edits first, so the grid matches your feed.
- Now pick a sort, and the whole grid reflows by color in one tap. Try all three.
- Then trust your eye - drag any photo, and everything reflows around it.
- Export the sequence, and every file comes out numbered in upload order.
- Upload in order, and your feed lands exactly the way you planned it.
- Three sorts, your edits baked in, runs on your Mac - and you buy it once.
- Get Instagram Grid Planner, and plan a feed that actually flows.
FEATURES - WHAT DEVELOPS
Built for photographers who care
how the feed reads.
Numbered. Sequenced. Ready to upload.
Files export renamed 01_, 02_, 03_… - the order you planned is baked into the filenames. Send them to your phone, your scheduler, or any tool you like, and posts go up in your exact sequence.
Carousels, planned in place.
Select a few shots, group them into a carousel, reorder the slides and pick the cover - up to 20 per post. Your feed shows just the cover, and export keeps each carousel's photos together and in order. A whole feed plan, not just a single row.
Matches Instagram's new grid.
Instagram switched its profile grid from square to a taller 3:4 crop in 2025. The planner previews that exact crop, so what you arrange is what your profile actually looks like today - not last year's squares.
Three sorts. The one that fits.
Smooth Flow weaves color frame-to-frame. Cluster groups by family. Hue Wheel walks the full circle. One tap to try, one tap to switch.
What you see is what you post.
The planner renders through your Lightroom edits, not the raw files. Every tile in the grid is exactly how the photo will look when it hits your feed.
Drag tiles to fine-tune.
Pick the sort, then move what feels off, swap two photos that fight each other, hit reset to start over. Your original Lightroom selection stays untouched.
Plan where you edit.
No round trip to a phone app just to figure out the order. Decide the sequence right inside Lightroom, then export only the photos you're actually posting.
Apple-trusted on macOS.
Signed and Notarized by Apple. Installs clean - no warnings, no security prompts, no workarounds.
UNDER THE SAFELIGHT - WHY IT'S DIFFERENT
Plan first. Export only what you need.
The usual way: export your whole edit set, transfer it to your phone or a planning app, arrange the order there. Photos pile up in your camera roll. Any change means a round trip back to Lightroom for another re-export.
Instagram Grid Planner flips it. Plan the grid first - inside Lightroom, while your photos are still in your editing workflow. Then export only the photos you've decided to post, already numbered for upload. Transfer exactly what's needed. Nothing left hanging.
HOW IT WORKS - THREE STEPS
Select. Sort.
Export.
Select
Pick 9-30 photos in Lightroom Library view - the size of an actual feed plan.
Sort
Library > Plug-in Extras > Open Instagram Grid Planner - the planner opens in your browser with your photos arranged. Pick a sort mode, drag tiles by hand to fine-tune.
Export
Export the sequence to a folder. Files are renamed in upload order - drop them onto Instagram in the same sequence you planned.
CONTACT PRINTS - WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Feeds that finally
read on purpose.
Used to spend an hour exporting and rearranging tiles on my phone. Doing the color flow sorting right inside LR makes my feed look so cohesive now. Total game changer.
The 3:4 preview is everything. Planning for the old square crop kept messing up my posts. Seeing exactly how it'll look before exporting means no more weird surprises on my grid.
Setting up carousels and picking covers without leaving my catalog is so clutch. I can see how everything flows together before I ever post. Makes planning my launches ridiculously easy.
FAQ - BEFORE YOU INSTALL
Frequently asked
questions.
Which Macs and operating systems are supported?
For v1, the shipping installer runs on macOS with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) only. Intel Macs and Windows are not supported by the bundled binary.
Windows and Intel Mac support is on the roadmap if there's enough demand. Tell us if you need either - demand drives priority.
How is this different from UNUM, Preview, or Planoly?
Those apps run on your phone. The workflow is: export from Lightroom, transfer to your phone, upload into the planner, arrange the order. Want to swap a photo? Round trip back to Lightroom for another export-and-transfer cycle.
Instagram Grid Planner plans the grid from inside Lightroom, before you export anything. Pick a sort, lock the sequence, then export only the photos you're posting - already numbered for upload.
What file types does it support?
Anything Lightroom can render - RAW (.ARW, .CR2, .NEF, .DNG, .RAF), JPEG, TIFF. Renders go through Lightroom so your develop edits are baked into the preview the planner uses.
My RAWs take a while to render the first time. Is that normal?
Yes - Lightroom is generating an edited preview of each photo, which can take a minute or two on a full RAW selection. Subsequent runs reuse the cache and are near-instant.
Can I undo a sort?
Press R for Reset, or 1/2/3 to switch between the three sort modes. Drag tiles individually to fine-tune. Your original Lightroom selection isn't modified - the planner only reads it.
Which sort mode should I use?
Start with Smooth Flow - it's the right call most of the time. If your set has 2-3 distinct color families and you want them to live in chunks, try Cluster. If you're going for a colorful, energetic feed, try Hue Wheel. Each is one tap to try, so you can compare in seconds.
Can I plan carousel posts, not just single photos?
Yes. Select a few photos, group them into a carousel, then reorder the slides or pick the cover in a quick editor - up to 20 per post. Your grid shows just the cover, and on export each carousel's photos are named to stay together and in order (07-1_, 07-2_…). It's a full feed planner, carousels included.
Does it match Instagram's new taller grid?
Yes. Instagram moved its profile grid from square to a taller 3:4 crop in 2025. The planner previews that exact crop, so the layout you arrange is what visitors actually see. Your exported photos stay full-size - Instagram does the grid crop on its end.
Does it edit my photos?
No. Nothing about your photos changes - not your edits, not your ratings, not your originals, not your catalog. The planner only reads. It renders previews and exports renamed JPEGs to a new folder you choose. That's it.
What's the export quality?
JPEG, quality 85 by default (visually transparent). Adjustable from 70-95 in the export dialog. Long edge defaults to 1080px (Instagram-ready) but you can change it.
How many photos can I plan at once?
Up to 200, but the sweet spot is 9-30 - the size of an actual Instagram feed plan.
Can I build a grid from photos in different Lightroom catalogs?
Yes - the planner stays open across catalog switches. Add photos from one catalog, switch in Lightroom, add more from another, and they merge into the same grid. Useful if you keep your work split across catalogs (clients, years, projects).
Do my photos leave my computer?
No. The planner runs entirely on your own Mac. Nothing is uploaded anywhere unless you explicitly export and share. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Can I get a refund?
Yes - 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. If it is not right for you for any reason, email us within 30 days of purchase and we will refund you in full. We would rather you be happy than keep a sale. Full terms on the Terms of Service page.
Still have a question? Email [email protected] or use the contact form - a real person reads every message and replies, usually within a day. Ask before you buy; we would rather answer than have you guess.
FROM THE JOURNAL
Deep dives for
feed planners.
THE PRINT - READY WHEN YOU ARE
Stop second-guessing
your feed order.
Pick a sort, drag what feels off, export the sequence. Done in 10 minutes.
- One-time $19 - Instagram planners charge about that much every month, forever
- Plan unlimited grids - no quotas, ever
- 30-day money-back guarantee - no questions asked
- Your photos never leave your computer
MACOS ON APPLE SILICON (M1 OR LATER)