Your AI Connector Docs

Connecting Facebook and Instagram

Connect your Facebook Page and Instagram account to the platform so you can manage Messenger and Instagram DM conversations from a single dashboard — with optional AI automation.

This page covers the official Meta connection only. It goes through Facebook, and it needs an Instagram Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook Page — a personal Instagram account cannot be connected this way. If you want to use a personal or creator account without a Facebook Page, that is a separate channel: see Instagram (Personal), which you connect by logging in with your Instagram username and password instead.

Why Connect Facebook and Instagram?

By connecting your accounts, you can manage all your Facebook Messenger and Instagram DM conversations in one place instead of jumping between apps. You can also let an AI Agent automatically reply to messages, capture leads, and run targeted outreach.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following in place:

  • A Facebook Page for your business (personal profiles are not supported).
  • An Instagram Business or Creator account linked to that Facebook Page. If your Instagram account is still set to “Personal,” switch it to Business or Creator in your Instagram settings first.
  • A Meta Business account (formerly Facebook Business Manager) that owns or has admin access to the Page.
  • Admin access to both the Facebook Page and the Instagram account.
  • Message access turned on inside Instagram. In the Instagram app go to Settings and privacy → Messages and story replies → Connected tools and turn on Allow access to messages. The exact menu wording varies by account type and app version — on some it sits under Business tools and controls or Creator tools and controls. With it off, Instagram will not hand your DMs to any outside tool, so the connection here can look complete while no messages arrive.

Tip: If you are unsure whether your Instagram account is linked to your Facebook Page, open your Facebook Page settings and look for “Linked Accounts” or “Instagram” in the sidebar.

Connecting Your Accounts

  1. In the left sidebar, click Settings near the bottom.
  2. In the Settings left rail, under Channels, click Channels.
  3. Find the Instagram & Messenger card and click Connect.
  1. A Facebook login window opens in a new tab, and the app shows a reminder that stays on screen: “Continue in the Meta window. Once it connects, pick a page below.” Sign in with the Facebook account that has admin access to your Meta Business account and Page (not a profile that only follows the Page).
  1. Select your Business portfolio when prompted.
  2. Choose the Facebook Page you want to connect.
  3. Select the Instagram profile linked to that Page.

Handling the “Create Event Data Set” Prompt

During the connection process, Facebook may display a prompt asking you to “create an event data set.” This is a standard Meta requirement. Simply click Continue to proceed — no additional configuration is needed on your part.

Error Handling

If you see an error message such as “something went wrong”:

  1. Go back one step in the connection dialog and try again.
  2. If the error persists, close the connection window entirely and restart the process from Settings → Channels → Channels → Instagram & Messenger → Connect.
  3. Make sure your browser is not blocking pop-ups from Facebook.
  4. Clear your browser cache and cookies for Facebook if problems continue.

Selecting Which Page to Use

After you sign in with Facebook, the platform loads all of the Facebook Pages you have access to. You then need to tell it which Page to use for messaging.

On the Instagram & Messenger card, pick the Page you want — it shows a check once selected.

  • If you only have one Page, it is selected for you automatically.
  • If you have more than one Page, you must pick one yourself — until you do, the card shows Pick a page, and Facebook Messenger and Instagram will not be available when you build a conversation flow, even though the connection itself succeeded.

Important: Instagram only works if the Facebook Page you select has an Instagram Business or Creator account linked to it. A Page with no linked Instagram account can still be used for Facebook Messenger, but Instagram DMs will not be available for that Page. The card will tell you this directly, right next to the Page’s name: “No Instagram on this page.”

To use Instagram, either select a Page that already has Instagram linked, or link your Instagram professional account to this Page in your Meta settings and then click Reconnect.

Message Handling Modes

Once connected, you can control how the platform handles messages from Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs. There are two main approaches.

Full Automation

By default, the platform routes incoming Messenger and Instagram DM messages to an AI Agent, which responds automatically based on its instructions.

This is the simplest option — connect and let the AI do the rest.

Selective Automation

If you want to manually handle most conversations but still use the platform as your inbox:

  1. Set up the channel’s conversation flow with AI mode turned off. Do this on the Entry Point handling that channel.
  2. Assign it to your Facebook/Instagram channel.

All messages will appear in Chats, but the AI will not respond automatically. You can reply manually at any time.

Running Multiple Flows

You can have more than one Agent or Entry Point handling the same Facebook/Instagram connection:

  • A general incoming flow (AI on or off) to catch all messages.
  • An outgoing Broadcast for proactive outreach to existing contacts.
  • A combined flow that sends an initial message and then lets the AI handle replies.

Each operates independently, so you can mix and match automation levels to fit your business needs. See AI Agents and Moving from Campaigns to Broadcasts & Agents for how Agents, Broadcasts, and Entry Points fit together.

Staying Connected

The platform automatically keeps your Facebook and Instagram connection active in the background. You do not need to reconnect your accounts periodically. If the connection does drop unexpectedly (for example, if you change your Facebook password), the platform will notify you and prompt you to reconnect.

Troubleshooting

Problem Solution
Connection fails during Facebook login Make sure pop-ups are allowed. Try a different browser or incognito mode.
Instagram account does not appear Confirm that your Instagram account is set to Business or Creator and is linked to the Facebook Page you selected.
Messages are not arriving in the app Check that the correct Page is connected on the Instagram & Messenger card. Verify that you have an active Agent or Entry Point assigned to the channel. If the card shows an Instagram blocked badge, use the row below. Note the reverse is not a guarantee: Instagram does not always tell us why it is withholding messages, so DMs can still fail to arrive while the card looks normal. If that happens, contact support rather than changing settings at random.
The card says Instagram blocked We have positive confirmation from Instagram that it is refusing our connection for that account, so DMs will not arrive. The badge names the reason. If it points at message access, turn on Allow access to messages under Connected tools in the Instagram app. If it says the connection expired, click Reconnect here and sign in with Facebook again.
Instagram or Messenger can’t be selected when building a flow You have not selected a Page yet. Go to the Instagram & Messenger card and click the Page you want to use. With multiple Pages, nothing is selected automatically.
Instagram still can’t be selected after picking a Page The Page you selected has no Instagram account linked to it. The card will say “No Instagram on this page.” Link an Instagram Business or Creator account to that Page in your Meta settings and click Reconnect, or select a different Page that already has Instagram linked. Messenger works either way.
Settings shows Instagram as connected but I can’t pick it elsewhere Same cause as above — the selected Page has no linked Instagram account. Follow the step above to link Instagram or switch Pages.
AI Agent is not responding Check that an Entry Point covers the Facebook or Instagram channel and that the agent has been published — an agent left unpublished does not answer real DMs. Then confirm the Agent is Active, not Paused, on the AI Agents list.
AI replied at first, then went quiet on a conversation Replying to that conversation yourself from the Instagram or Messenger app (or the Meta Business Suite inbox) pauses the AI on it, so it does not talk over you. Open the chat in Chats and turn the AI toggle at the top back on — it reads “AI paused” while the AI is off.
“Something went wrong” error Go back one step and retry. If it persists, close the window and start over. Clear browser cache if needed.
Multiple profiles and wrong one is selected If you manage multiple Pages or Instagram accounts, make sure you select the correct ones during the connection flow. You can disconnect and reconnect to change the selection.
“This Meta page is already connected to another account” The Page (or its linked Instagram account) is connected to a different account. Sign in to that account and disconnect the Page first (Settings → Channels → Channels → Instagram & Messenger → Disconnect), then connect it here. Common when moving a Page between accounts.

Next Steps