Meta Agent
Prepare your Meta accounts
Everything you need to set up 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-off operations, done from your phone or computer, and they take a few minutes. Here is every single step, nothing taken for granted: follow them in order and you cannot get it wrong.
The checklist: what you need to have at the end
By the end of this page you should have all four of these ready. We set them up one at a time in the sections below; this is just the checklist so you know where you are heading.
- A Facebook Page you administer. A “Page” is your business's public profile on Facebook, different from your personal profile. You must be an administrator, i.e. have full control. If you don't have one, I explain how to create it below.
- A “professional” Instagram profile. It must be a Business or Creator account, not a personal one. It is free and takes a minute to change from the Instagram app.
- Instagram linked to the Facebook Page. The two accounts must be associated with each other: it is this link that lets Instagram messages be handled through the Page.
- The “Allow access to messages” switch on in Instagram. A setting inside Instagram that authorises connected tools to read and manage your direct messages. If it is off, the agent will not see Instagram DMs.
Step 0 — No 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, create it now: it is the foundation for everything else.
Open Facebook and log in to your personal profile
On a computer go to facebook.com and log in; or open the Facebook app on your phone. Use your personal profile: the Page will be created under it, and that profile becomes 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), look for “Pages”, then “Create” or “+”.
Enter name and category
Write your business name (e.g. “Hotel Sole”), pick a category that describes it (e.g. “Hotel”, “Restaurant”) and a short description. Then press “Create Page”.
Confirm you are the administrator
Since you created it, you are automatically the administrator with full control. Note the exact Page name: you will need it to recognise it while connecting.
Step 1 — Turn your Instagram into a professional account
A “personal” Instagram profile cannot receive messages and comments through an external tool. You must convert it to “professional” (Business or Creator). It is free, done from the Instagram app on your phone, and always reversible.
Open the Instagram app and go to your profile
Tap your profile picture at the bottom right. Make sure you are on the right account: if you manage more than one, tap the username at the top to switch.
Open the 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 the 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. When in doubt choose “Business”. Then confirm a category.
Finish and verify
Skip or complete the optional steps (phone, email, address). When you return to your profile you should see the chosen category under your name: that means the account is now professional.
Step 2 — Link Instagram to your Facebook Page
Now you associate the two accounts. The most reliable way is Meta Business Suite, the free tool Meta gives you to manage Page and Instagram in one place. You can use it on a computer (website) or through the “Meta Business Suite” app on your phone.
Open Meta Business Suite
On a computer go to business.facebook.com and log 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 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 the settings look for “Instagram accounts” (or “Instagram”). Press “Connect account” or “Add”.
Log in with Instagram and authorise
Enter the username and password of your professional Instagram account and confirm the link to the Page.
Keep inbox message access on
During or right after linking, Meta shows a switch like “Allow access to Instagram messages in Inbox”: leave it on (ON).
Verify the link
On the same “Instagram accounts” screen you should now see your Instagram profile listed as connected. If you do, Step 2 is complete.
Step 3 — Turn on “Allow access to messages” in 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 the settings and type “messages”.
Open “Message controls”
Inside that section tap “Message controls”.
Find “Connected tools”
Scroll down to “Connected tools”.
Turn on “Allow access to messages”
Switch “Allow access to messages” to ON. If it asks for confirmation, accept. When it is green/on, you are done.
Step 4 — Check that you are a Page administrator
The final connection to yourang.ai must be made from the Facebook profile that has “full control” (administrator) of the Page. If you log in with a profile that only has partial permissions, some authorisations can fail without a clear error message. Here is how to check.
Open Meta Business Suite → Settings
As in Step 2, go into Meta Business Suite and open the Page's Settings.
Go to “People” or “Page access”
Look for the entry listing 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 it only says “Partial access”, ask whoever has full control to promote you, or run the connection from their profile.
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