Connect Instagram Direct

In the Instagram app, go to Settings → Account type and tools → Switch to professional account. Choose Business (recommended for brands) or Creator.

Professional accounts can connect to the Instagram Messaging API — personal accounts cannot. During setup, Instagram will ask you to link the account to a Facebook Page: do it, it's required for API access.

Instagram DMs are delivered through the Messenger platform (Instagram Messaging API). In your Meta app dashboard, click Add Product and choose Messenger.

Under Messenger Settings → Linked Accounts, connect the Instagram account that belongs to your Facebook Page. This grants your app access to the account's DMs.

Your app needs instagram_manage_messages and pages_manage_metadata to read and reply to DMs. For your own accounts, these work immediately in development mode.

To serve other businesses' Instagram accounts (agency use case), submit these permissions for App Review. Meta typically approves business-on-business messaging apps within a few days.

In DutyPilot, open Integrations → Instagram and click Connect with Facebook. A Meta login dialog opens — sign in and select the Facebook Page linked to your Instagram account.

DutyPilot receives your page token, links the Instagram account, and the channel flips to Connected.

In Meta App Dashboard → Messenger → Configuration, set the webhook URL and verify token from DutyPilot's Instagram card, then subscribe to the instagram_messaging field.

Every DM now flows into DutyPilot's unified inbox alongside WhatsApp, Messenger and your web widget.

Instagram requires apps to tag outbound messages. DutyPilot handles this automatically: replies within the 24-hour customer-service window use the standard messaging tag; after that window, only approved message tags can be used, so DutyPilot switches to human handoff for late follow-ups.

Practical takeaway: the AI replies instantly to incoming DMs, and anything needing a late follow-up is escalated to your team to send manually.