Connect your Instagram account’s direct messages and handle them from the unified inbox, with your AI assistant or your team. Messenger (Facebook) has its own guide: Messenger: connect your page.
How it connects
Today the connection uses your own credentials (BYOK): your own app in Meta for Developers. Permissions stay in your app and you can revoke them whenever you like. We are preparing one-click guided connection (“Connect with Instagram”), which won’t require creating an app.
What you need
- An Instagram Business or Creator account (personal accounts can’t be connected; switching is free in the app).
- A Business type app in Meta for Developers with the Instagram product (API with Instagram Login).
The token
| Token | What it is | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
IGAAQ… | Instagram Login token, generated in your app under Instagram → API setup. | The recommended one. It lasts 60 days and MuseRelay renews it automatically. |
EAA… | Facebook Page token. | Requires pages_messaging with advanced access at Meta. |
Step by step
- In MuseRelay, Channels → Create channel → Instagram.
- Fill in the Instagram Account ID (numbers only) and the Instagram Access Token.
- Under App Secret and advanced settings, paste the App Secret (required): MuseRelay uses it to check that every message really comes from Meta, and without it messages are rejected. With an
IGAA…token it’s the “Instagram app secret” (Instagram → API setup with Instagram login), not the general one; with anEAA…token, the one in App settings → Basic. The App ID is optional. - Save. The Webhook configuration at Meta card appears with the URL and verify token.
- In your Meta app, under Instagram → Webhooks, paste the URL and token and subscribe to the events the dashboard lists (at least
messages). The app must be in Live mode. - Click Test connection in the channel.
Token renewal
IGAA… tokens are renewed automatically every night when they have 10 days or less left. MuseRelay also checks the connection every 6 hours and emails you 30, 15 and 7 days before a token expires and if the channel stops working. If your account gets disconnected (for example, because you revoked the permission at Meta), generate a new token and update it under Channel settings.
Which messages it receives
- Text and attachments (image, audio, video, file): they are downloaded and the assistant gets a description of their content.
- Story mentions, reels and shared posts: they show in the conversation (“Mentioned you in their story”, “Shared a reel”, “Shared a post”, with its caption).
- Story replies: they arrive as text.
From the inbox you can send text and files (up to 10 of 25 MB). The assistant replies with text.
24-hour window
Meta allows replies within 24 hours of the customer’s last message, which covers everyday customer service. Between 24 hours and 7 days, a person on your team can reply from the inbox as human support (you are asked to confirm it and it is logged); Meta only accepts it if your app has that permission. Beyond that you can’t write, and Instagram appointment reminders only go out within 24 hours.
Channel options
- Channel AI agent: people only or the assistant of your choice; you can pause and resume it.
- External automation (n8n, Make) — on request if you prefer your own flow.
- Take over any conversation from the inbox.
- Sync with Meta, Test connection and enable or disable the channel.
What it doesn’t do yet
- Reply to comments on posts or lives.
- Reactions and read receipts.
- Buttons or quick replies sent by the assistant.
- Proactive messages or broadcasts.
- One-click guided connection (in preparation).
Own credentials or guided connection, how long access lasts, who renews it, which alerts you get and what to do if the channel stops working: full guide.