If you are having trouble sending out Instagram Messages using Instagram Automation, go through the following steps to make sure that everything is set up correctly:
- Ensure you have an Instagram Business (if you have 500k+ followers) account. In your Instagram mobile app, go to Menu → Settings and privacy → Account type and tools → select ‘Switch to professional account’ and follow the instructions. Here's a detailed guide for switching your account type.
- Ensure that the Instagram account you’d like to connect is linked to a Facebook Business Page you are an admin of. You must go to Edit Profile → Public business information → Page → Connect existing Page or Create Facebook Page. Here's a video guide.
- If your Instagram account is linked to a Facebook page but its connection needs updating, you will see an alert in Meta Business Suite or on your page. Just click on the Get Started button and follow the prompts to review and update your connection.
- Open your Instagram App and select your Business account. Go to Settings —> Privacy —> Messages. Scroll down to Connected Tools
"Allow Access to Messages" should be toggled to ON.
- In Handover Protocol, assign the Primary Receiver role to Manychat.
You typically won’t have to check the Handover Protocol on your Facebook page, but if you’re having trouble sending out Instagram Messages with Instagram Automation, follow these instructions to make sure it’s correctly enabled:
- On your Facebook page, go to Page Settings —> Advanced Messaging
- Find the Handover Protocol section
- Click Configure next to "Instagram receiver"
- Ensure that Manychat is selected as the Primary Receiver
6. Check Message Requests in Settings Section on your Instagram account.
To manage Requests, go to your Instagram Account > Settings. Find Privacy > Messages.
Make sure your default Message control section is set up and/or change it to the following view:
7. Check Age/Country restrictions on your Facebook page linked to the Instagram account.
If you've tried all of the above steps and are still experiencing issues, Refresh Permissions and please contact our support.
Note:
- If your automated Manychat message is sent in separate chunks of text on the Instagram end – keep in mind that IG Text messages must be UTF-8 and be within the limits of 1000 bytes. This includes both text and media files in a message. URLs in the text must also be valid and properly formatted. More on that here and here.
- User Input prefills (like a prefilled Email or Phone Number that people usually can click in a Messenger dialogue) do not show up on Instagram. This is the innate limitation of Facebook API that will hopefully be lifted soon.
- If you assign a new Facebook page to your Instagram account – your Manychat Instagram Automation will cease to work! The only way to get it back in running is by contacting Manychat Support and asking them to reconnect the Instagram account on their end. Then it will start working again!
- Currently, IG automation has a limitation of 400 symbols per text block. This means if you create a text message that is more than 400 symbols in size – that text message will be split in two or more text blocks in your IG chat.
