Answer Instagram direct messages without leaving Smartsupp. The Instagram integration brings DMs from your Instagram Business or Creator accounts into the same Inbox as your live chat, Messenger, WhatsApp and email conversations. This article covers the requirements, the connection flow, managing connected accounts and the rules Instagram sets for replies.
We've broken the article into a few sections:
Instagram integration overview
When a customer sends a direct message to one of your Instagram accounts, Smartsupp picks it up and shows the conversation in your Inbox next to your other channels, labeled so you always know which Instagram account the customer wrote to.
Key things to know before you start:
Works with Instagram Business and Creator accounts; personal accounts can't be connected.
You can connect multiple Instagram accounts to one Smartsupp account, so brands with several profiles or markets see all their Instagram conversations in one place.
Each conversation shows which Instagram account the customer contacted.
You must reply within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, you can only reply directly in Instagram. This is an Instagram rule, not a Smartsupp limit.
Instagram sits in Settings → Channels, next to Email, Live chat, WhatsApp and Messenger.
💡 Tip: Instagram is one of the channels you can add to Smartsupp besides your website chat. You can also connect Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Email in the same way.
Requirements
The integration works only with Instagram Business or Creator accounts. If you use a personal Instagram account, switch it to a professional account in the Instagram app settings first. Switching is free and takes a few minutes.
You also need:
The login details of the Instagram account you want to connect. During the connection you sign in to Instagram and grant Smartsupp permission to read and reply to messages.
Access to Settings in your Smartsupp dashboard.
⚠️ Note: The connection runs through Instagram's own login and permission screens. Your Instagram password is entered on Instagram's page, never in Smartsupp, and Smartsupp doesn't store it.
Connect Instagram to Smartsupp
Step 1. In Smartsupp open Settings → Channels → Instagram and click Connect Instagram.
Step 2. Log in to Instagram with the username (or phone number / email) and password of the account you want to connect. You can also use Log in with Facebook if the account is linked to a Facebook profile.
Step 3. Review the permissions Smartsupp asks for and click Allow. All of them are needed: viewing the profile and media is required by Instagram, and access to messages is what lets Smartsupp receive and send your DMs.
Step 4. You're taken back to Smartsupp. The account appears in the Connected accounts table with the status Connected, and new Instagram messages start arriving in your Inbox.
To connect another Instagram account, click Connect Instagram (or the + button above the table) again and sign in with the next account. There's no limit on the number of connected accounts.
💡 Tip: If you're already logged in to Instagram in your browser, Instagram may skip the login step and use that account. To connect a different account, log out of Instagram first.
Manage connected accounts
All connected accounts are listed in Settings → Channels → Instagram under Connected accounts. For each account you see the Account name and avatar, the Handle (for example @brandname), the Account type (Business or Media Creator) and the connection Status.
Edit: open the three-dot menu (⋯) next to the account and choose Edit to change the account's settings (see below).
Disconnect: choose Disconnect in the same menu to remove the account from Smartsupp. New messages to that account will no longer arrive in Smartsupp; you can connect it again at any time.
Disconnected status: if Instagram drops the connection (for example after a password change or revoked permissions), the status changes to Disconnected and Smartsupp shows a notification bar asking you to reconnect. Click the reload button next to the status; if that doesn't help, disconnect the account and connect it again.
Collect email before the conversation expires
In the account's Edit settings you can turn on Collect email before conversation expires. When enabled, Smartsupp automatically asks the customer for their email address before the 24-hour reply window closes, so you can follow up by email even if the Instagram conversation expires. You can customize the message text; the default is “This conversation will expire soon. Please share your email so we can follow up later.” Click Save to apply it.
Reply to Instagram conversations
Instagram conversations work like any other conversation in your Inbox: open it, type your reply and send. The conversation is labeled with the Instagram account the customer wrote to, so teams managing several profiles always know which brand they're answering for.
24-hour reply window: Instagram lets businesses reply only within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, you can answer only directly in the Instagram app, not from Smartsupp. The same rule is shown as a warning on the Instagram settings page.
Email collection: with Collect email before conversation expires turned on, the customer is asked for their email automatically before the window closes.
Automations: Flows and Mira AI currently work in your website chat. Instagram messages are answered by your operators.
⚠️ Note: Replies and actions are real: a message you send from Smartsupp is delivered to the customer on Instagram. Keep an eye on the 24-hour window so you don't lose the chance to reply from Smartsupp.
What's next?
Facebook integration — connect Facebook Messenger so Page DMs land in your Smartsupp Inbox.
WhatsApp integration — bring WhatsApp Business conversations into the same dashboard.
Inbox – categories — keep Instagram, Messenger, email and chat conversations organized as they grow.
💡 Need more help? Contact our support team — we’re happy to assist!