Meta Agent
Prepare your Meta accounts
Everything you need to sort out on Facebook and Instagram before connecting the agent, explained one click at a time.
Before connecting the agent you need to prepare your Facebook and Instagram accounts. These are one-time steps you carry out from your phone or computer and take just a few minutes. Every single step is explained here, with nothing taken for granted: if you follow the instructions in order, you cannot go wrong.
The checklist: what you need to have at the end
By the end of this page you will need all four of the following things ready. We go through them one at a time in the sections below; this is just the checklist so you know where you're headed.
- A Facebook Page you administer. A «Page» is your business's public profile on Facebook, separate from your personal profile. You must be an administrator of it, meaning you have full control. If you don't have one, further down I'll explain how to create it.
- A «professional» Instagram profile. It must be of the Business or Creator type, not personal. It's free and takes one minute to switch from the Instagram app.
- Instagram linked to the Facebook Page. The two accounts must be associated with each other: this link is what allows Instagram messages to be managed through the Page.
- The «Allow access to messages» toggle enabled on Instagram. A setting inside Instagram that authorizes connected tools to read and manage your direct messages. If it's off, the agent will not see Instagram DMs.
Step 0 — Don't have a Facebook Page yet? Create one
If you already have a Facebook Page for your business, skip this step and go to Step 1. If you don't have one, create it now: you need it as a foundation for everything else.
Open Facebook and sign in to your personal profile
On a computer go to facebook.com and sign in; or open the Facebook app on your phone. Use your personal profile: the Page will be created linked to this profile, which will become its administrator.
Open the Page creation flow
On a computer go to facebook.com/pages/create. On your phone: tap your menu (the three lines or your photo), search for «Pages», then «Create» or «+».
Enter a name and category
Type your business name (e.g. «Hotel Sole»), choose a category that describes it (e.g. «Hotel», «Restaurant»), and add a brief description. Then press «Create Page».
Confirm you are the administrator
Since you created it, you are automatically the administrator with full control. Note down the exact name of the Page: you will need it to identify it during the connection.
Step 1 — Switch your Instagram to a professional account
A «personal» Instagram profile cannot receive messages and comments through an external tool. You need to convert it to «professional» (Business or Creator). It's free, done from the Instagram app on your phone, and you can always switch back.
Open the Instagram app and go to your profile
Tap your profile photo at the bottom right. Make sure you're on the right account: if you manage more than one, tap the username at the top to switch.
Open Settings
Tap the three horizontal lines (☰) at the top right, then «Settings and privacy» (or «Settings and activity»).
Find «Account type and tools»
Scroll to the bottom or use the search bar at the top of settings and type «professional account». Tap «Account type and tools».
Tap «Switch to professional account»
Follow the guided screens: tap «Continue» whenever prompted.
Choose Business or Creator
For a hotel, restaurant, B&B, or shop choose «Business». «Creator» is designed for public figures and influencers. If in doubt, choose «Business». Then confirm a category.
Complete and verify
Skip or complete the optional steps (phone, email, address). When you return to your profile, you should see the chosen category beneath your name: that confirms the account is now professional.
Step 2 — Link Instagram to your Facebook Page
Now you associate the two accounts. The most reliable way is to use Meta Business Suite, the free tool that lets you manage your Page and Instagram in one place. You can use it from a computer (website) or from the «Meta Business Suite» app on your phone.
Open Meta Business Suite
On a computer go to business.facebook.com and sign in with the Facebook profile that administers the Page. On your phone, install and open the «Meta Business Suite» app. It is different from the regular Facebook app.
Select the right Page
At the top left you will see the name of the Page you are working with. If you have more than one, tap it and choose the correct one.
Open Settings
Look for the gear icon «Settings» (usually at the bottom left on the website, or in the app menu).
Go to «Instagram accounts»
In Settings look for the entry «Instagram accounts» (or «Instagram»). Press «Connect account» or «Add».
Sign in with Instagram and authorize
Enter the username and password of your professional Instagram account and confirm the connection to the Page.
Keep message access enabled in Inbox
During or immediately after the connection, Meta shows a toggle such as «Allow access to Instagram messages in Inbox»: leave it turned on (ON).
Verify the connection
On the same «Instagram accounts» screen you should now see your Instagram profile listed as connected. If you see it, Step 2 is complete.
Step 3 — Enable «Allow access to messages» on Instagram
Open the Instagram app and go to your profile
Make sure you are on the correct professional account (check the username at the top).
Open Settings and privacy
Tap the three lines (☰) at the top right, then «Settings and privacy».
Open «Messages and story replies»
Scroll to the messages section and tap «Messages and story replies». If you can't find it, use the search bar at the top of settings and type «messages».
Open «Message controls»
Inside this section tap «Message controls».
Find «Connected tools»
Scroll down to «Connected tools».
Enable «Allow access to messages»
Turn the «Allow access to messages» toggle ON. If it asks for confirmation, accept. When it's green/active, you're done.
Step 4 — Check that you are an administrator of the Page
The final connection to yourang must be done from the Facebook profile that has «Full control» (administrator) of the Page. If you sign in with a profile that only has partial permissions, some authorizations may fail without a clear error message. Here is how to check.
Open Meta Business Suite → Settings
As in Step 2, enter Meta Business Suite and open the Page Settings.
Go to «People» or «Page access»
Look for the entry that lists the people with access to the Page (called «People» or «Page access»).
Check your access level
Next to your name it must say «Full control» or «Administrator». If you only see «Partial access», ask whoever has full control to promote you, or carry out the connection from their profile.
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