How to connect Instagram
Connect your professional Instagram account to receive and reply to customers' direct messages in Cognizy.
2 min readBasicUpdated on November 12, 2026
Where to find it in Cognizy
Video lesson coming soon. For now, follow the steps below.
With Instagram connected, customers' direct messages arrive in Serve › Conversations, alongside WhatsApp, and your team or the AI can reply from there. Authorization happens in Meta's own window: Cognizy never sees your password.
Where to find it in Cognizy
Before you start
- Only the owner and admins can connect channels.
- Instagram needs to be a professional account (Business or Creator). Personal accounts can't connect.
- Have your Instagram login and password ready. You'll enter them in Meta's window, not in Cognizy.
- In the Instagram app, check your messaging settings to make sure access for connected messaging tools is allowed.
- Takes about 3 minutes.
Step by step
- Step 1:
In the footer of the menu, click Settings.
- Step 2:
Under Channels, click Instagram and Messenger.
- Step 3:
Under Connect with 1 click, click Connect with Instagram. Cognizy takes you to Meta's window.
- Step 4:
In Meta's window, log in with your professional Instagram account, check the account and the requested permissions (messages and comments), allow access, and finish.
- Step 5:
You'll return to Cognizy and the account will appear under Instagram with the Active badge. From here on, direct messages will arrive in Serve › Conversations.
How to know it worked
The account appears in the Instagram section with the Active badge. Ask someone to send a direct message to the profile: it should show up in Serve › Conversations within a few seconds.
If something goes wrong
The window says the account isn't professional.
In the Instagram app, switch to a professional account (Business or Creator) in your account settings and connect again.
It connected, but messages aren't coming through.
In the Instagram app, open messaging settings and allow access for connected messaging tools. Also check that the channel shows as Active in Cognizy.
It shows Channel limit reached.
Your plan has a maximum number of channels. Remove a channel you're not using, or change your plan under Settings › Plan and usage.
It shows Failed to connect via Meta.
The authorization was canceled or a permission was unchecked. Click Connect with Instagram again and leave all permissions turned on.
I logged in with the wrong account.
Log out of Instagram in your browser, click Connect with Instagram again, and log in with the business account.
Next step
Create an automation to reply to comments via direct message, under Promote › Comment → Direct.
Sign in with your Cognizy account to save your progress.
Sign in