Hello, my friends! If you’re like me, you LOVE using the GIF feature on your Instagram story. I wanted to create custom GIFs for two main reasons. The first reason is that I wanted to have stickers that were in my own lettering & cohesive with my branding. The second reason is that I wanted to be able to turn my ideas into reality for not just me to enjoy, but for all Instagram users! Ok… there might be a third reason, which is just that I think IT IS SO MUCH FUN. But, how do you even get your GIFs & Stickers into Instagram’s API? The answer is through GIPHY… but here are the details broken down into a few easy steps so that YOU can share your GIFs with the world.

Step #1: Make an account on GIPHY.

This first step may feel a little obvious, but just making an account isn’t enough. Complete your profile to the fullest extent. This means you’ll want to add an avatar image (your logo… duh) and add all of your links (your social media & your website). The last step is the most important one. You’ll want to add 5-10 GIFs to your account before heading to the next step. These need to be original, non-commercial AND animated. PRO TIP: Make sure these GIFs have transparent backgrounds to meet the sticker requirements.

Step #2: Apply for an artist or brand channel.

If you skimmed step #1… scroll back up because you need to have your account meet those requirements (or else it hurts your chance of approval). I applied for an artist channel. These channels are intended for artists who would like to create and distribute visual artwork via GIPHY. If that’s you then you can click here to apply. A brand channel is meant for a company, recording artist, actor or public figure with content you’ve created or own. Pick whichever one fits you best!

This step is absolutely crucial because you HAVE to have an artist or brand channel in order for your GIFs to be indexed for search. Those GIFs being indexed for search means that your GIFs & Stickers can show up in Instagram Stories, Facebook Messenger, and all the other great places we want them.

Step #3: Wait.

If you’re like me, you’ll wait impatiently. Personally, the application took roughly two weeks. As I waited, I created a few more GIFs and wrote down tons of ideas while I was feeling motivated that I can slowly work through creating. Once you’re approved, each GIF you create and add to your channel will be slightly delayed in showing up in the search because there is a manual approval process that each GIF goes through. They make sure that the GIFs meet their community guidelines.

Step #4: Enjoy.

You did it. Congrats! If you search “bossybrushstrokes” or “arlena” within your Instagram stories, you’ll see the GIFs below (& many more). You could also click here to see my GIPHY channel.

I hope that this helped break it down for you in a few easy steps. I personally make my GIFs from within Procreate on my iPad Pro using my very own Procreate brushes. Do y’all want to see a tutorial on how I do that? Let me know in the comments below or on my social media. Until next time, stay bossy y’all.