Summary
Before you can connect your Instagram account to WATI, you must complete a few essential setup steps. This guide walks you through the required prerequisites to ensure a smooth integration. Following these steps will allow you to manage Instagram Direct Messages (DMs) via WATI and automate customer interactions efficiently.
Instagram integration is available on Growth, Pro, Business plans for Wati customers.
Instructions
Prerequisites
1. Ensure You Have an Instagram Professional Account
To integrate Instagram with WATI, your account must be a Professional account, as required by Facebook's API policies. Instagram offers two types of Professional accounts:
Business Account
Creator Account The main difference between a Professional account and a Personal account is that Professional accounts must be public and provide additional business tools for engagement and analytics.
How to Check or Convert to a Professional Account
If you are using a Personal Instagram account, you need to convert it to a Professional account:
Open the Instagram app on your mobile device.
Go to your profile and tap on the hamburger menu (☰) in the top-right corner.
Select Settings and Privacy> Account type and tools.
Tap Switch to the professional account.
Follow the prompts and choose between a Business or Creator account.
Complete the setup process.
If you don’t have an Instagram account, learn how to create one here.
2. Link Your Instagram Account to a Facebook Page
Another essential requirement is to link your Instagram account to a Facebook Page managed by your business. This step is necessary for authentication when connecting Instagram to WATI.
How to Link Instagram to a Facebook Page
Open Facebook and navigate to your Business Page.
Click on Settings > Linked Accounts > Instagram.
Click Connect Account and log in with your Instagram credentials.
Confirm the linking process.
For a detailed guide, check out this step-by-step tutorial.
3. Enable WATI Access to Your Instagram Messages
To allow WATI to access and manage your Instagram DMs, you must enable message permissions within the Instagram app.
Steps to Enable Message Access:
Open the Instagram app on your mobile device.
Go to your profile and tap on the hamburger menu (☰) in the top-right corner.
Scroll down and select Messages and story replies.
Tap Message controls.
Enable the setting for Allow access to messages.
For more details, refer to Instagram’s official guide.
Final Step
Once all prerequisites are completed, you are ready to proceed with connecting your Instagram account to WATI!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Account requirements
1. What type of Instagram account is required to connect with WATI?
You must use an Instagram Professional account. Personal accounts are not supported for integration with WATI.
2. Can I use either a Business or Creator account?
Yes. Both Business and Creator professional accounts are supported, as long as the account is public.
Setup and linking
3. How do I convert my personal Instagram account to a professional account?
You can convert it directly from the Instagram app by going to Settings and Privacy → Account type and tools → Switch to professional account, then following the on-screen steps.
4. Why do I need to link my Instagram account to a Facebook Page?
Linking your Instagram account to a Facebook Page is required for authentication. This allows WATI to securely connect and manage Instagram messages.
5. Do I need admin access to the Facebook Page?
Yes. You must have the required permissions on the Facebook Page to successfully link it with your Instagram account.
Permissions and access
6. What permissions do I need to enable for WATI to manage Instagram DMs?
You need to enable message access in the Instagram app by turning on Allow access to messages under Messages and story replies → Message controls.
7. Can I manage Instagram messages in WATI without enabling message access?
No. Without enabling message access, WATI cannot read or respond to Instagram Direct Messages.
Plans and availability
8. Which WATI plans support Instagram integration?
Instagram integration is available on the Growth, Pro, and Business plans.