Instagram setup

Overview

The Instagram channel lets your AI Agent answer Instagram direct messages (DMs) natively through a direct Meta integration. It is generally available to all customers, and connecting is fully self-serve from the dashboard — sign in with Meta and inbound DMs start routing to your Agent.

For an introduction to social channels, see Social channel onboarding.

This feature may not be included with your organization’s subscription package. For more information, see Ada’s Pricing page, or contact your Ada team.

Limitations

Instagram DMs have the following constraints:

Professional accounts only: The connected Instagram account must be a professional account (Business or Creator).
One account, one AI Agent: An Instagram account can be connected to a single Agent at a time. If it is already connected elsewhere (for example, through Sunshine Conversations), remove that connection first.
Supported media: Messages support text, images, and video. Voice notes and other audio attachments are not supported.

Capabilities & configuration

The Instagram channel supports two-way rich messaging and per-account configuration.

Messaging: Handles inbound and outbound text, images, and video over Instagram DMs.
Interactive elements: Renders interactive elements with automatic text fallback across mobile and web Instagram clients.
Human Handoff: Supports Handoff to a human agent, end to end.
Multiple accounts: Connects several Instagram accounts to the same AI Agent, each managed independently.
Default reply language: Sets the language your Agent replies in, per connected account.

Quick start

The fastest way to go live is to connect an account from the dashboard. For requirements, account management, and troubleshooting, see Implementation & usage.

To connect Instagram:

Open the Config area (gear icon, bottom-left of the sidebar), and under Channels, open the Social Channels page.
On the Instagram row, select Connect via Meta.
In the pop-up, sign in to the Instagram professional account and grant the requested permissions.
Set the default reply language for the account.

Your AI Agent is now live on Instagram.

Implementation & usage

Requirements, the connection flow, and ongoing account management are described below.

Requirements

Confirm the following before connecting:

The Instagram account is a professional account (Business or Creator).
The person connecting has admin access to the AI Agent and is an admin of the Instagram and Meta assets being connected.
Pop-ups are allowed in the browser — the Meta login opens in a pop-up window.

Connect an account

The connection runs entirely through Meta login; no tokens are entered manually.

To connect an Instagram account:

On the Social Channels page, select Connect via Meta on the Instagram row. (The button reads Configure once an account is connected.)
Sign in to the Instagram professional account and grant permissions in the pop-up.
Wait for the pop-up to close and the page to refresh.

The connected account appears on the Instagram row.

Manage accounts

Each connected account is managed independently from the Instagram panel.

Enable or disable the account with the toggle. Inbound DMs route only to enabled accounts.
Add another account to connect an additional Instagram account. One login connects one account.
Reauthenticate an account that shows Unable to connect by re-running the Meta login. This is needed when the token has expired or permissions were revoked.
Delete the account to remove it from the integration.

At least one account must be added and enabled for inbound DMs to reach your AI Agent.

Troubleshooting

Use the following to resolve common connection issues.

Symptom	Likely cause and fix
Instagram row not visible	Refresh the dashboard (hard refresh).
Pop-up does not open	Allow pop-ups for the dashboard origin and retry.
Connect spins or times out	The connect flow timed out. Retry, and confirm the account is a professional account with a linked Page.
Account shows Unable to connect	The token expired or permissions were revoked. Reauthenticate the account by re-running the Meta login.
Inbound DMs not arriving	The account or the integration is disabled, or the account is connected to another AI Agent. Confirm both are enabled and that the account is not connected elsewhere.

Continue with related social channel topics:

Social channel onboarding — set up and manage social channels.
Social channels overview — all social integrations.