| REQUIRED USER ROLE Administrator |
Set up Instagram Messaging (owned by Meta) to receive Instagram messages and Story replies in Gladly as Conversations.
Before you start #
Review the following information before you set up Instagram:
- Think about which Inbox to route messages to. You can create a new Inbox for Instagram Messaging or direct them to an existing Inbox.
- Set up Business Hours to trigger auto-replies based on your operating hours.
- Think about Topics Customers might ask through Instagram and use them to apply to Instagram Conversations.
- Consider creating an Instagram Rule to automatically close and route inbound messages from Instagram account identified as a bot or spam to your spam Inbox.
- Note that an Agent “liking” a message (nor auto-replies triggered via Rules or Business Hours) are not considered a reply and will not satisfy the Conversation SLA.
Watch Out – We recommend not adding an Entry Point(s) until you’re ready to receive incoming requests
Upon adding a new Entry Point, incoming requests from that Entry Point automatically route to the corresponding Channel’s primary Inbox. For example, upon adding Instagram Messaging as an Entry Point, direct messages from your Instagram account will automatically create a Conversation in Instagram Channel’s default inbox.
- Voice/SMS – Phone numbers can be purchased and held onto until you’re ready to complete the setup by connecting them as Entry Points.
- Chat (Glad App) – Upon configuring Glad App, it’s available to receive incoming chat requests as soon as it’s embedded on your website. Chats are routed to the Chat Channel’s default Inbox.
- Social Channels – Upon adding a social Channel Entry Point (e.g., , Instagram, or WhatsApp), messages automatically route to the social Channel’s default Inbox.
- Email – Once an email address is added, it’s ready to receive inbound emails in the email Channels’ default Inbox as long as email forwarding is activated.
Use Exceptions to link an Entry Point to a different Inbox if you don’t want to use the Channel’s default Inbox.
Meta enforced guidance to keep in mind #
- Rate Limit on Messages – Meta imposes a rate limit of 200 messages per 5 minutes per account.
- Paid Campaigns – Due to the imposed rate limit by Meta, it’s not recommended to run organic paid campaigns to drive engagement and messaging through Instagram.
Note – Instagram imposed limitations
Below are the limitations that Instagram is currently imposing on all partners using the Instagram API:
- Reactions sent from the Instagram App will not appear in the Conversation Timeline in Gladly.
- All reactions are always mapped to . This is currently a limitation of the Meta API.
Note – Convert Story @mentions to Conversations
By default, Stories @mentioning your company won’t create a Conversation. If you’d like @mentions to also create Conversations in Gladly, contact Gladly Support. Keep in mind that @mentions can potentially create hundreds — if not thousands — of Conversations in Gladly.
Configure Instagram Business in Meta Business Suite #
Before adding Instagram to Gladly, you must first set up and configure your Instagram Business account. Follow the instructions in the links below.
- See Set Up a Business Account on Instagram
to learn how to set up a Business account. - Next, add your Instagram Business account to your Meta Business page.
- Allow access to your Instagram Messages. Log into your Instagram Business account through the mobile app. From the Profile view, tap the menu icon on the top right corner of the screen, then tap Settings > Privacy > Messages. From the Message Controls screen, under Connected Tools, toggle “Allow Access to Messages” so it’s activated. This lets you receive Instagram messages in Gladly from your Instagram Business account.
Once your Business account is connected to a Meta Business page and you allow access to all messages through the Instagram app, continue to add Instagram to Gladly.
Note – Avoid using additional automation with Instagram Messaging
While Gladly works well with other Business Integrations, for Facebook Business, Gladly should be the sole destination for all inbound messages.
- Gladly does not support the Handover Protocol, meaning Gladly will not relinquish control of the Conversation to a third party or field request to take control of messages from third parties.
- Use of other Facebook automation (e.g., Facebook bots, auto-replies) should be avoided. Please use Gladly Rules to create additional automation within Gladly.
How to deactivate automation and find out if you’re using them
- Go to https://business.facebook.com/
- Click on the button in the right-hand corner that looks like a planet.
- Click the toggle to deactivate any automation.
2FA
If your Facebook Business page is set up for 2FA 
, you must also set up your Facebook account for 2FA if you are the Administrator adding the integration into Gladly.
Add Instagram Messaging #
Note – Popup blockers
If you’re using browser popup blockers, turn it off temporarily to allow the Instagram login modal to appear.
- Click on the top left corner of the screen.
- Click Settings.
- Under the Channels category, click Instagram Messaging. The Instagram Messaging page will show you a list of Instagram accounts configured in Gladly. It also includes the following details:
- Page Name – Name of the Instagram account as shown on the Meta Business page.
- Username – The username associated with the Instagram Messaging account.
- Page ID – The Page ID associated with the Instagram Messaging account found on the Meta Business page.
- Added By – Name of the person who added the account in Gladly.
- Added On – Date and time the account was added in Gladly.
- Click Add Instagram Messaging to add a new account.
- A window will pop up, prompting you to log into your Meta business account. Enter your Meta business email address and password.
- If you’re already logged in – Click Continue as [account name] to proceed.
- If it isn’t the right profile – Click Log into another account to log in using another email or password.
- If you see ‘Can’t Load URL’ error – This error means that your company’s login domain must be allowed. Please contact Gladly Support and provide this error.
- Once logged in, you’ll see a list of Instagram Professional Accounts for which your Meta account has Administrative privileges. Select the Instagram Professional Accounts for which you want to set the Entry Point for Gladly, then click Next.
- Next, you’ll see a list of the Facebook Page(s) your Facebook account has Administrative privileges for. Skip this step by clicking Next.
- You’ll be asked to provide Gladly permissions. Make sure to select Yes for everything, then click Done.
- A Manage Instagram Account will appear, asking you to confirm the changes to your account based on the Pages you allowed Gladly access to. Click OK.
- The Instagram account is now added as a new Entry Point. Next, go to the Entry Points settings page to link Facebook to a default Inbox.
- Select the default Inbox you want Instagram messages to go to. Add an exception if you have other Facebook accounts you want to link to a different Inbox.
- Click Save.
- Instagram is now added to your Messaging Channel. Agents assigned to the Inbox used for Facebook will receive new Facebook messaging requests whenever they’re available in the Messaging Channel.
on the top left corner of the screen.See Respond to Messages from Instagram to learn how to help Customers through Instagram Messaging.
Check your firewall #
Story @mentions or messages are served directly from Meta and may not appear in Gladly if your firewall blocks Meta. To avoid this, we recommend allowing traffic from fbcdn.net in your firewall.
