Instagram

Instagram Integration

Connect your Chatislav AI agent to Instagram Direct Messages so customers can chat with your assistant directly from your Instagram profile.
The integration uses Meta’s official Instagram API and OAuth flow (through Facebook), and also supports human handoff from bot to human.

 

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Instagram Professional Account: Business or Creator account (personal accounts are not supported)
• Facebook Page linked to that Instagram account
• Admin access to the connected Facebook Page
• Chatislav account with at least one AI agent created

Important Notes:

• Your Instagram account must be converted to a Professional Account
• Your Instagram must be linked to a Facebook Page in Meta settings
• You do not need to create a Meta Developer app or set up webhooks manually – Chatislav handles this automatically via OAuth

 

Step 1: Enable Message Access on Instagram

First, make sure Instagram allows API access to your messages:

1. Open the Instagram app for your Professional Account
2. Go to Settings → Privacy → Messages (or Messages and story replies depending on the version)
3. Find Allow access to messages (or similar option) and enable it

 

If this option is disabled, Chatislav will not be able to receive or send Instagram DMs.

 

Step 2: Open Integrations in Chatislav

1. Log in to your Chatislav dashboard
2. Select the AI agent you want to connect to Instagram
3. In the left sidebar, click "Integrations"

 

4. In the Integrations list, find the "Instagram" card

 

Step 3: Instagram OAuth Flow

1. On the Instagram card in Chatislav, click "Connect"

 

2. If an info/warning modal appears (explaining how the integration works), confirm it by clicking "I understand" (or the equivalent button)
3. You will be redirected to the Facebook/Meta OAuth screen
4. Log in to your Facebook account if you are not already signed in

 

5. In the first step of the wizard, click "Continue" / "Get started"
   • This step lets you sign in and, if needed, convert your Instagram into a Professional account

 

6. Log in to your Instagram account if you are asked to sign in separately

 

7. Choose the business(es) that are associated with your Instagram pages
   • If you don’t have an existing business, use the option like "Opt in all current and future businesses"

 

8. Next, choose the Facebook Page(s) that are linked to your Instagram account

 

9. Then select the Instagram Professional account(s) you want to integrate with Chatislav

 

10. Review and confirm the permissions that Chatislav requests (read/send messages, manage messages, access linked pages, etc.)

 

11. Click "Save" / "Continue" to complete the OAuth flow
12. After a few seconds you will be redirected back to Chatislav, where you’ll see a message that Instagram was connected successfully and the "Connected" status on the integration card

 

Step 4: Manage Connected Instagram Accounts

Once connected, the Instagram card will show as "Connected" and display a Manage option.

1. Click "Manage" on the Instagram card

 

2. A modal/panel will open with a list of connected Instagram accounts

 

For each Instagram account you’ll typically see:

• Instagram handle (e.g. @yourbrand)
• Linked Facebook Page
• Status: Active / Inactive
• Toggle to enable/disable integration

3. To enable an Instagram account for this AI agent:
   • Turn the toggle ON / click "Enable"
   • Status will change to Active
   • New DMs will be routed to your Chatislav AI agent

 

4. To disable temporarily:
   • Turn the toggle OFF / click "Disable"
   • Status will change to Inactive
   • New DMs will no longer be processed by the agent

 

Note: When you open the Manage modal, Chatislav refreshes the list of available Instagram accounts and linked Pages in the background, so you always see up‑to‑date data.

 

Step 5: Add More Instagram Accounts Later

If you need to connect additional Instagram Professional accounts:

1. Open the Instagram integration card and click "Manage"
2. Click "Connect new account" (or similar button) at the bottom

 

3. You’ll be redirected again to the Meta OAuth flow
4. Select any new Instagram accounts / businesses you want to add
5. Complete the flow and return to Chatislav
6. The new Instagram accounts will appear in the Manage list and can be enabled/disabled per agent

 

Step 6: Relationship with Facebook Integration

Instagram messaging is technically linked to Facebook Pages in Meta:

• Each Instagram Professional account is connected to a Facebook Page
• When you remove or change the Facebook integration, it may impact Instagram messaging
• If a Facebook Page used by Instagram is removed, Chatislav will show a warning before deleting it

 

Important: If you disable a Facebook Page, Instagram DMs might continue to work for a while, but you should keep both integrations consistent to avoid unexpected behavior.

 

Step 7: Test the Integration

1. Open your Instagram profile (from another account or test account)
2. Tap "Message" to send a DM to your Professional account

 

3. Send a simple message like "Hi" or a common support question
4. Your Chatislav AI agent should respond automatically within a few seconds

 

5. Verify that:
   • Messages are received correctly
   • Responses are sent back to Instagram DM
   • The conversation flows naturally
   • Your agent is using the correct knowledge base and language

 

Human Handoff (Take Over Instagram Conversations)

Just like Facebook, you can pause the AI and respond manually to Instagram DMs from the Chatislav dashboard.

1. In the left sidebar, go to "Chats & Analytics" → "Chats"
2. Filter by Source: Instagram (or use the Instagram filter in the UI)

 

3. Click on the specific Instagram conversation you want to take over
4. At the top of the conversation, click the "Hand off to human" toggle/icon
   • When enabled, the AI agent stops replying
   • Replies you send from the dashboard are treated as human messages

 

5. When you’re done, click the same toggle/icon again to return control to the AI

 

Note: If you remove the Instagram (or related Facebook) integration, you will still see old conversations in Chats, but human handoff may no longer be available for those threads because the underlying connection is gone.

 

Troubleshooting

No Instagram DMs Are Received

Problem: Users send DMs to your Instagram account, but nothing appears in Chatislav.

Check:

• Instagram account is Professional (Business/Creator), not personal
• Instagram is linked to a Facebook Page
• The Instagram integration card shows "Connected" in Chatislav
• In Manage, the Instagram account status is Active
• In Instagram settings, Allow access to messages is enabled

 

Agent Not Responding

Problem: Messages arrive in Chatislav, but the AI agent does not reply.

Solutions:

• Confirm that the correct agent is selected for this integration
• Test the agent inside Chatislav (web chat) to ensure it responds normally
• Verify that the knowledge base is trained and enabled
• Check if human handoff is currently active for that conversation (AI is paused)

 

Instagram Account Not Showing in Manage Modal

Problem: You completed OAuth, but don’t see your Instagram account in the list.

Solutions:

• Check in Meta settings that the Instagram account is properly linked to a Facebook Page
• During OAuth, make sure you selected the correct business, Page and Instagram account
• Try Connect new account again and carefully review the selection steps

 

OAuth / Redirect Issues

Problem: After clicking Connect, OAuth doesn’t open or you see an error.

Solutions:

• Disable pop‑up blockers for the Chatislav domain
• Try another browser or clear cache/cookies
• Make sure you are logged into the correct Facebook account that owns the Page/Instagram

 

Best Practices

1. Prepare your profile: Make sure your Instagram bio and highlights explain that a smart assistant can help with FAQs.
2. Train on real questions: Use real DM questions to train the agent’s knowledge base.
3. Use handoff for VIPs: For high‑value conversations, switch to human handoff and then back to AI when appropriate.
4. Monitor analytics: Regularly review Chats & Analytics → Chats/Analytics to see how Instagram performs compared to other channels.
5. Keep integrations clean: Remove old/unneeded Instagram accounts and keep only those you actively use.

 

Security & Permissions

• Chatislav uses Meta OAuth – you never copy tokens manually
• Access tokens are stored securely and refreshed automatically
• Only the minimum required permissions are requested (DM read/send, manage messages, etc.)
• Only users with the right permissions in Chatislav can manage integrations

 

Your Instagram integration is now ready.
Users can message your brand on Instagram and get instant, AI‑powered replies from your Chatislav agent, with the option for your team to jump in any time.