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By connecting your Instagram Professional account to ChatbotX, you can leverage AI Agents to automate Direct Messages (DMs), respond to Story Mentions, and convert post comments into leads through “Comment-to-DM” automation. ChatbotX provides two connection methods for Instagram:
  • Login with Instagram — Connect directly via Instagram OAuth authentication. Simple process, no Facebook Page linking required.
  • Login with Facebook — Connect via Facebook OAuth authentication. Requires linking a Facebook Page to your Instagram account before getting started. Best when you want to manage multiple Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts at once.
Choose the method that suits you and follow the guide below.

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Prerequisites

Common requirements (both methods):
  1. Instagram Professional account — your Instagram account must be set as a Business or Creator profile. If you are using a personal account, follow this official guide to switch.
Additional requirements (only for “Login with Facebook” method):
  1. Linked Facebook Page — your Instagram account must be linked to a Facebook Page where you have Admin access.
  2. Admin access — you need “Full Control” or Admin permissions on the linked Facebook Page.
  3. Personal Facebook account — you must be logged in on your browser with the Facebook account that manages that Page.
Make sure “Allow Access to Messages” is turned ON in the Instagram mobile app. Go to Settings and privacy → Messages and story replies → Message controls and toggle Allow Access to Messages to ON. This is required for third-party tools to receive your Direct Messages.

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Step 1: Open the Channel Configuration in ChatbotX

1

Navigate to Channels

Log in to your ChatbotX dashboard. Go to Settings → Channels.
2

Add Instagram

Find the Instagram icon and click the “Add Instagram” button.
3

Choose your connection method

The Add Instagram window will pop up showing both connection methods. Choose the method that suits you and follow the corresponding instructions in Step 2 below.

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Step 2: Authenticate and Complete Connection

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Method A — Login with Instagram

This method connects directly via Instagram OAuth. You do not need to link a Facebook Page first.
1

Grant access permissions on Instagram

The browser will display an access request window from Instagram:
  1. Ensure the following permission options are toggled ON:
    • Access and manage comments
    • Access and manage messages
  2. Click the Allow button at the bottom to authorize the application access.
2

Complete connection

The system redirects you back to the ChatbotX dashboard and displays the Connect Instagram notification. Click the Continue button to finish.

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Method B — Login with Facebook

This method connects via Facebook OAuth. You need to link your Facebook Page to your Instagram account first before proceeding.
1

Link your Facebook Page to your Instagram account

If your Facebook Page is already linked to your Instagram account, skip this step and go to Step 2.2.
  1. Go to the Facebook Pages Manager, select the Page you want to link, and open Settings.
  2. Go to Linked Accounts and connect your Instagram Professional account — select Instagram, click “Connect account”, and follow the Instagram login prompts.
  3. If everything is successful, you will see the message “Instagram connected.” on the settings page.
2

Authenticate via Meta and grant permissions

Back in ChatbotX, after selecting Login with Facebook, the system will redirect you to the Meta (Facebook) permission granting interface:
  1. Continue with your personal account — click Continue to allow ChatbotX to access your name and profile picture. (On the Meta interface it may appear under the registered name ChatConnectX.)
  2. Choose the Facebook Pages you want to connect — select Opt in to all current and future Pages (recommended) or Opt in to current Pages only, then click Continue.
  3. Choose the Instagram accounts you want to connect — select Opt in to all current and future Instagram accounts or Opt in to current Instagram accounts only, then click Continue.
  4. Review access permissions — review the full list of permissions the application is requesting and click the Save button at the bottom.
3

Complete connection

The interface displays a successful connection message. Click the Got it button to finish and return to ChatbotX.

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Step 3: Sync Contacts and Chat History (Optional)

After completing the connection, a dialog will appear asking if you want to sync existing contacts and chat history.
  • Enable sync — allow ChatbotX to import existing Instagram contacts and up to 3 months of conversation history from this account. Note: for accounts with many conversations, this sync process may take several hours to complete.
  • Don’t sync — skip importing old data and start fresh with new customer interactions.

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Step 4: Finalize and Verify

After being redirected back to the system, your Instagram account will appear on the ChatbotX dashboard.
  • Confirm connection — make sure the correct Instagram account is displayed with the Instagram icon.
  • Check integration — click Test Now to send a test message and confirm the AI Agent is working.

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Step 5: Test Automation

Your Instagram account is now connected. You can test it using one of the following methods:
  • Option 1: Create a Flow — go to the Flows section in the sidebar, create a simple welcome message or an interactive menu, then send a DM to the Instagram account to verify the response.
  • Option 2: Set up an AI Agent — go to the AI Agent tab to configure your agent’s personality. After saving, send a DM to the Instagram account from another account to test the AI response.

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FAQ

This is the most common issue during setup. It is usually because your account does not meet Meta’s requirements.Check account type — make sure your Instagram account is set as Business or Creator. Personal accounts are not supported by the Meta API for third-party integrations.Admin permissions — you must have Admin access on the Facebook Page linked to that Instagram account. If it is already linked but still not showing, go to Facebook Page Settings → Linked Accounts, disconnect and then reconnect the Instagram account to refresh the access token.How to fix — go to your personal Facebook profile → Settings & Privacy → Settings → Business Integrations. Find ChatbotX, click Remove, then go back to Step 1 to start over.
If the status shows “Connected” but messages are not appearing, check the following:Enable ‘Allow Access to Messages’:
  1. Open the Instagram app on your phone.
  2. Go to Settings and privacy → Messages and story replies → Message controls.
  3. Scroll down to the Connected tools section and toggle ‘Allow Access to Messages’ to ON.
Check AI Agent — make sure you have assigned an AI Agent to this Instagram channel in the AI Agent Settings.
Absolutely. ChatbotX fully supports interactive features to boost customer engagement. Your AI Agent can be configured to automatically send thank-you messages or provide information when someone replies to your Story or mentions your account.24-Hour Rule — like Messenger, AI can only respond within a 24-hour window from the user’s last interaction.
Yes, this is a powerful feature for converting followers. You can set up your AI Agent to automatically reply to comments on your posts and simultaneously send a DM to that user (for example, sending a discount code when a user comments “Interested”). This increases conversion rates without manual effort.
According to Meta’s policy, bots are only allowed to respond to customers within 24 hours of the customer’s most recent message. After 24 hours, you must use Message Tags or Marketing Messages to continue the conversation.
You do not need to disconnect the existing connection. Simply repeat the Add Instagram process. When the Meta window appears, click Edit Settings and check the new Instagram account. The system will automatically update the list without affecting previously connected channels.