Best times to post on each network in 2026

General starting points for every major network — plus why your own data always wins.

Everyone wants the magic hour. The honest answer: it depends on your audience — but you need a starting point, so here it is.

LinkedIn — weekday mornings, Tue–Thu, around the start of the work day.
Instagram — late mornings and early evenings; consistency matters more than the exact minute.
X — midday and again in the early evening; it moves fast, so more frequent is fine.
Facebook — early afternoons on weekdays.
YouTube — publish a few hours before your audience's evening peak so it has time to gather momentum.

Defaults assume an average audience. Yours isn't average. A B2B tool and a dessert brand should not post at the same time.

1. Post consistently for a few weeks across varied times.

2. Watch which slots earn the most engagement for you.

3. Lock those in as your recurring schedule.

4. Re-check quarterly — audiences and algorithms drift.

The best time to post is the one your data keeps voting for. Start with the defaults, then let the numbers correct you.