Why it matters
Instagram Messenger channels allow your team to respond to Instagram DMs without switching between apps. This centralises communication, improves response times, and enables team based workflows such as assignments, business hours, and autoresponses.
Key Concepts
Instagram Messenger Channel: A channel that connects an Instagram Business account to Whippy for receiving and sending direct messages.
Meta Account: The Facebook (Meta) account used to authenticate and grant Whippy permission to access your Instagram account.
Instagram Account Selection: The Instagram account linked to a Meta Business asset that will serve as the message sender and receiver.
Business Address and Google Place ID: Required to create any Whippy channel. The Google Place ID auto-populates when selecting an address from Google Maps suggestions.
Step-by-Step: Create an Instagram Messenger channel
Open the Channels settings.
Go to Organisation Settings and select Channels.
Start the channel creation flow.
Click Add channel in the top right corner. This begins the five step setup flow.
Step 1 of 5: Enter basic channel details.
Enter the Channel name, for example “Instagram Support” or “IG Sales”.
Choose an emoji that represents the channel.
Add a short Description.
Enter your Business address and choose the Google Maps suggestion so the Google Place ID is filled in.
Click Next.
Step 2 of 5: Select the channel type.
Choose Instagram.
Click Next.
Step 3 of 5: Select the communication provider.
Instagram channels automatically use Meta Instagram as the provider.
You will be asked to authenticate with Meta. Click Connect Meta Account.
A Meta login window appears. Complete these steps:
Log in to your Meta account.
Allow Whippy the requested permissions for Instagram and Facebook assets.
After authentication, return to Whippy and click Next.
Step 4 of 5: Select the Instagram account.
Use the dropdown to select the Instagram Professional / Business account you want to connect.
This list is based on the Instagram accounts connected to your Meta Business.
Ensure the logged in Meta user has full admin access to the Instagram linked asset.
Click Next.
Step 5 of 5: Review and create the channel.
Review the details:
Channel name
Emoji
Description
Channel address
Connected Instagram Account
Click Complete to finalise the channel.
Finish configuration in Meta if prompted.
Meta may require you to complete additional steps in Business Settings to finalise activation, such as:
Enabling Instagram message access
Confirming app integrations
Completing business verification
Follow any prompts as required.
Tips and Best Practices
Confirm that your Instagram account is a Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook Page. Personal Instagram accounts cannot be connected.
Log in using a Meta account with admin permissions for both the Facebook Page and Instagram account.
Use a clear channel name so teams can easily identify and route messages.
If your organisation manages multiple Instagram accounts, create separate channels for each one.
After creation, configure Business hours, Autoresponses, Users, and any routing logic to finalise how the channel behaves.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Possible Cause | Fix |
Instagram account not showing in the dropdown | Meta account does not have admin access, or the Instagram account is not linked to a Facebook Page | Link the Instagram account to a Facebook Page and ensure the Meta user is an admin, then reconnect. |
Cannot authenticate with Meta | Missing permissions during login | Reconnect and allow all requested permissions for Instagram and Facebook assets. |
Cannot click Next in Step 1 | Required address fields missing | Complete Business address and select from Google’s dropdown so the Place ID auto-populates. |
Channel appears but does not receive messages | Meta setup incomplete | Open Meta Business Settings and confirm message access is enabled for Instagram and the Whippy integration is active. |
Wrong Instagram account selected | Selection error during Step 4 | Edit the channel in Whippy, go to the Configuration tab, and reconnect the correct account. |