Instagram & Messenger

Connect Instagram and Facebook Messenger so Omni can respond to customer messages automatically.

Overview

When you connect Instagram and Messenger, Omni responds to customer messages on your behalf — using the same knowledge as your website widget. Customers message your Instagram account or Facebook Page, and Omni handles the conversation with your products, FAQs, policies, and opening hours at hand.

All conversations appear in your Omniops dashboard alongside your other channels.

Prerequisites

  • Instagram Business or Creator account — personal accounts cannot receive automated responses (this is a Meta API restriction)
  • Facebook Page connected to your Instagram account
  • Admin access to that Facebook Page

If your Instagram is still a personal account, you can switch to a Business or Creator account in the Instagram app under Settings > Account > Switch to Professional Account. It's free and takes about two minutes.

How to Connect

  1. Go to Settings > Integrations in your Omniops dashboard
  2. Select Instagram / Messenger
  3. Click Connect with Meta
  4. Sign in with your Facebook account and authorise Omniops
  5. Select the Facebook Page and Instagram account you want to connect

Once authorised, Omni begins responding to new messages immediately.

What Happens After Connecting

  • Instagram DMs — when someone messages your Instagram account, Omni responds automatically using your trained content.
  • Facebook Page messages — when someone messages your Facebook Page via Messenger, Omni handles that too.
  • Dashboard visibility — all conversations from both channels appear in your Conversations page, alongside website widget and other messaging channels.
  • Seamless handover — if a conversation needs a human, it's escalated to your team through email or a dashboard notification.

What Omni Knows

Omni responds using everything you've trained it on:

  • Product catalogue and pricing
  • Product availability
  • FAQs and policies
  • Opening hours and contact details
  • Any custom Q&A pairs you've added

The responses match the tone and accuracy of your website widget — same knowledge, different channel.

Limitations

  • Personal Instagram accounts are not supported. Meta's API only allows automated messaging for Business and Creator accounts.
  • Story replies and mentions are not currently handled — only direct messages.
  • Meta review — Meta may require a brief app review before enabling automated responses for your account. This is handled automatically during the connection process, but can occasionally take a day or two.