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Connecting to Instagram

Let customers chat with your agent through Instagram Direct Messages. Great for businesses that engage with customers on social media.

What you need​

  • An Instagram Business or Creator account
  • Your agent trained and tested
  • A Facebook account linked to your Instagram (required for business features)

How it works​

  1. You connect your Instagram Business account to TAB
  2. Customers send you a Direct Message on Instagram
  3. Your agent automatically responds
  4. Conversations are saved in your Customers section

Setting up Instagram​

Step 1: Go to Channels​

  1. Go to Agents and select your agent
  2. Click Channels
  3. Find Instagram and click Setup

Step 2: Connect your account​

  1. Click Connect Instagram
  2. A popup will open for Instagram Business Login
  3. Log in with your Instagram credentials
  4. Authorize TAB to access your messages
  5. Complete the connection

Connecting Instagram Click Connect Instagram and sign in with Instagram Business Login to link your account.

Step 3: Verify connection​

Once connected, you should see:

  • Status showing "Connected"
  • Your Instagram username displayed

Step 4: Test it​

  1. From a different Instagram account, send a Direct Message to your business account
  2. Your agent should respond automatically
  3. Check the Customers section to see the conversation

Connection status​

Check your connection status in Channels:

  • Connected - Working properly, agent responds to DMs
  • Disconnected - Not active, agent won't respond to DMs

You can toggle the connection on and off without having to re-authorize. If you need to fully remove the connection, use the Remove Channel option.

Managing Instagram conversations​

Where to find them​

All Instagram conversations appear in your Customers section, just like website chats and WhatsApp messages.

Identifying Instagram customers​

Customers from Instagram will show:

  • The channel as "Instagram"
  • The customer's Instagram username
  • The full conversation history

Response timing​

Your agent responds automatically - usually within seconds. Customers get the same fast response day or night.

Tips for Instagram​

Set expectations​

Let customers know they're chatting with an AI. Your agent's introduction should be clear about what it can help with.

Keep answers concise​

Instagram DMs are a mobile-first channel. Long paragraphs are hard to read on phones. Train your agent to give shorter, focused answers.

Match your brand voice​

Customers reaching out via Instagram often expect a casual, approachable tone. Consider setting your agent's tone to "Friendly" if it matches your brand.

Limitations​

Currently not supported:

  • Taking over from the AI mid-conversation in real time (your agent can still escalate — see our Roadmap)
  • Composing your own image or file replies
  • Reels comments

Good for:

  • DM conversations
  • FAQ and support
  • Lead capture
  • Information requests

Images​

Instagram DMs handle images in both directions:

  • Customers can send images. Photos a customer sends — including images shared from posts and stories — are saved to the conversation and read by your agent, so they can ask "do you have this in blue?" with a picture attached.
  • Your agent sends product images. When it recommends products from a connected store, it sends the product photo alongside the details.

Disconnecting Instagram​

If you need to disconnect:

  1. Go to Channels > Instagram
  2. Click Disconnect
  3. Confirm the action

Your agent will stop responding to Instagram DMs. Past conversations remain in the Customers section.

Troubleshooting​

Connection fails

  • Make sure you have an Instagram Business or Creator account (not a personal account)
  • Verify your Instagram is linked to a Facebook account
  • Try the connection process again
  • Clear your browser cache and retry

Agent not responding

  • Verify the connection is still active in Channels
  • Check your agent is trained
  • Test in the Playground to make sure the agent works
  • Check you have credits available

Next steps​