How to Connect Instagram DMs to Converge

Instagram DM integration requires a Business or Creator Instagram account. Personal accounts cannot be connected to third-party platforms like Converge due to Instagram's API policies.

How to convert your account: Open Instagram and go to Settings → Account type and tools. Choose "Switch to Professional Account" and follow the prompts. You'll need to select a category for your account (e.g., "Shopping & Retail", "Professional Services").

Link to a Facebook Page: As part of the setup, you'll be asked to connect your Instagram account to a Facebook Page. This is required because Instagram is owned by Meta, and the Instagram Graph API is accessed through Facebook's developer platform.

Creator vs Business: Both account types work with Converge. Creator accounts are designed for influencers and public figures, while Business accounts are for companies and brands. Choose whichever fits your use case.

Already have a professional account? Make sure it's properly linked to a Facebook Page. Go to Instagram Settings → Linked Accounts → Facebook and verify the connection. If it's not linked, you'll need to link it before connecting to Converge.

In Converge, navigate to Settings → Platforms and click Instagram. You'll see information about what the integration does and a Connect Instagram button.

When you click Connect Instagram, Converge will redirect you to Facebook's authorization page. This is the same OAuth flow used for Messenger and WhatsApp.

Log in with the right account: Make sure you're logging in with the Facebook account that is the admin of the Facebook Page linked to your Instagram account. If you log in with the wrong Facebook account, your Instagram account won't appear in the list.

Why redirect to Facebook? Instagram's API is accessed through Facebook's developer platform. This is because Instagram and Facebook are both owned by Meta, and Meta centralizes API permissions through Facebook Business Manager.

After logging in, Facebook will show you a list of Instagram accounts connected to your Facebook Pages. Select the Instagram account you want to connect to Converge.

Review permissions: Facebook will show you the permissions Converge is requesting. For Instagram, these include:

• Instagram Manage Ins Messages — Read and respond to DMs
• Webhooks — Receive real-time notifications for new messages
• Basic display — Access your Instagram profile information

These permissions are necessary for Converge to receive and send DMs on your behalf. We never access your Instagram posts, stories, insights, or followers list.

Click Continue or Authorize to grant the permissions. You can revoke access at any time from Facebook Business Integrations settings.

You'll be redirected back to Converge, and you should see a success message confirming that Instagram is now connected. The status will update to "Connected" with your Instagram username displayed.

Test the connection: Send a DM to your Instagram account from a personal Instagram account. You can use a second account or ask a colleague to send you a test message.

What you should see:

• The DM appears in your Converge inbox within 5-10 seconds
• The customer profile shows their Instagram username and profile photo
• Visual content (photos, videos) in DMs displays properly
• You can reply from Converge and the customer receives it in their Instagram DMs

Common connection issues:

• "No Instagram accounts found" error: This means your Instagram account isn't properly linked to a Facebook Page. Go to Instagram Settings → Linked Accounts → Facebook and link it to a page you manage.
• Permissions error: Some Instagram accounts have additional verification steps. If you see a permissions error, try disconnecting and reconnecting. You may also need to verify your identity with Meta.
• Messages not syncing: After connecting, it can take a few minutes for Instagram to activate webhook delivery. Try sending another test message after 5 minutes.

Success indicator: When someone DMs your Instagram account and it appears in Converge — and when you reply from Converge and they receive it in Instagram — your connection is fully working. Instagram DMs are now part of your unified inbox.

Pro tip: Instagram DMs often include visual content like photos and videos. Converge displays all of this, so you can see exactly what the customer is sharing. You can also use quick replies for common questions like pricing, shipping, or returns.