Connect Instagram
Connect your professional Instagram account to receive and reply to direct messages from Magnitude.
Instagram DMInstagram has become a storefront and a full-fledged customer service channel. By connecting your professional account, every direct message (DM) lands in your Magnitude inbox, where your AI agent replies instantly and your team can step in at any time.
What you need
To connect Instagram, you need a professional Instagram account (Business or Creator account). Two connection methods are available: one-click connection, which we recommend, or entering your credentials manually if you prefer full control.
Channel management is reserved for administrators of your workspace.
Two ways to connect
At the "Create the channel" step, after naming the channel, a selector offers "Automatic connection" or "Manual entry".
Automatic connection (recommended)
Click "Connect with Instagram" and authorize your account: "Connect your professional Instagram account in one click." Everything is set up without you having to copy a single credential. The connection relies on a secure protocol (OAuth 2.0) and a long-lived token.
Manual entry
If you prefer to enter the credentials yourself, switch to "Manual entry" and fill in:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| "Instagram Business Account ID" | The identifier of your professional account. It usually starts with 17841. |
| "Instagram Access Token" | Your account's access token, masked as you type like a password. |
Then click "Next": Magnitude verifies the credentials ("Verifying credentials..." then "Credentials verified") before continuing.
Choose "Connect with Instagram" whenever you can: automatic connection avoids copy-paste mistakes and sets up a long-lived token, for a channel that stays connected longer without intervention.
Choose the agent that replies
At the "Add agents" step, choose which AI agent handles this channel, or "No agent (configure later)" to let your team reply manually at first.
Once the channel is created, its row shows a status pill that summarizes what the AI is doing:
| Pill | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "AI active" | An agent is assigned, active and in production: it replies to your customers. |
| "Test mode" | The agent is in test mode: it works without actually replying to customers. |
| "AI disabled" | An agent is assigned but currently switched off. |
| "No agent" | No agent is assigned: your team replies by hand. |
This pill reflects the state set on the agents page; it can't be changed here. To go further, see create your first agent and reply to customers.
Starter questions
"Starter questions" are clickable buttons offered to your visitors when they open the conversation. They steer the exchange from the very first second: "Buttons offered when a visitor opens the conversation. 4 maximum."
To set them up:
- Open "Advanced configuration" on your Instagram channel's row.
- Go to the "Starter questions" section and click "Add a question".
- Write up to four short questions (for example "How does it work?"). The "Customer-side preview" panel shows you the exact rendering the visitor will see.
- Click "Save and publish". The status changes to "Published".
To remove everything at once, use "Clear all".
When a visitor taps one of these questions, it is sent as a normal message: your agent replies immediately, exactly as it would to a question typed by hand.
Channel health
From "Advanced configuration", Magnitude checks your channel's status live:
- Valid token: your Instagram connection is active. "Invalid or expired token" signals that the account needs to be reconnected.
- Active subscription: your channel is properly subscribed to receive incoming messages. If it shows "Subscription missing", click "Resubscribe" to restore delivery.
The "Refresh" button re-runs the check. Administrators can add "Alert recipients" who will be notified by email if the channel goes into error.
Rename and delete
Click the channel name in the list to rename it (Enter to confirm, Esc to cancel): this name is internal and is never shown to your customers.
Deleting removes the channel without erasing your history: "All previous messages linked to this channel will be archived." You simply stop receiving new messages on this account.