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Instagram DMs

Msghub integrates with Instagram to receive and respond to customer DMs directly from your dashboard. Route messages to your AI chatbot for automatic responses or to human agents for complex queries.

Instagram Setup

Prerequisites

  • Instagram Business Account
  • Facebook Business Account
  • Meta app with Instagram permissions

Connect Instagram to Msghub

  1. Go to Settings → Channels → Instagram
  2. Click Connect Instagram Business Account
  3. You'll be redirected to Meta's login page
  4. Log in with your Facebook/Meta account
  5. Authorize Msghub to access your Instagram Business Account
  6. Select your Instagram business account
  7. Click Confirm
  8. Msghub will verify the connection

Once connected, you can receive and respond to Instagram DMs.

Receiving Instagram DMs

When a customer DMs your Instagram account, the message appears in your Msghub inbox.

Inbox View

  1. Go to Inbox
  2. You'll see all conversations from all channels (SMS, WhatsApp, Email, Instagram, etc.)
  3. Click on an Instagram conversation to open it
  4. You'll see the full conversation history

Incoming Message Event

Msghub sends a webhook event when a new DM arrives:

{
  "event": "message.received",
  "messageId": "msg_xyz789",
  "channel": "instagram",
  "from": "@shopvibes",
  "contact": {
    "id": "contact_123",
    "name": "Sarah",
    "instagramHandle": "@shopvibes"
  },
  "message": {
    "type": "text",
    "text": "Hi! I saw your reel about the summer collection. Do you ship internationally?"
  },
  "receivedAt": "2024-04-08T10:30:00Z"
}

Responding to DMs

Via Dashboard

  1. Go to Inbox
  2. Click on the Instagram conversation
  3. Type your response in the message box
  4. Click Send

Via API

curl -X POST \
  https://your-msghub.com/api/v1/messages/send \
  -H "X-API-Key: mk_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "channel": "instagram",
    "to": "@shopvibes",
    "body": "Hi Sarah! Yes, we ship to 40+ countries. Shipping is free on orders over $75."
  }'

AI Chatbot for Instagram

Route Instagram DMs to your AI chatbot for automatic responses.

Setup

  1. Go to Settings → Channels → Instagram
  2. Enable AI Chatbot
  3. Select your chatbot flow
  4. Click Save

Now, when a customer DMs you:

  1. Msghub receives the message
  2. Routes it to your AI chatbot
  3. The chatbot responds automatically
  4. If the chatbot can't resolve the issue, it escalates to a human agent

Example Flow

Customer: "Hi! I saw your reel about the summer collection. Do you ship internationally?"

AI Chatbot: "Absolutely! We ship to 40+ countries. Shipping is free on orders over $75. Want me to check availability for a specific item?"

Customer: "Yes! The linen jumpsuit in size M"

AI Chatbot: "Great choice! The linen jumpsuit is in stock in size M. Would you like me to add it to your cart?"

Customer: "Yes, please"

AI Chatbot: "Perfect! I've added it to your cart. You can checkout here: [link]. Is there anything else I can help with?"

Human Handoff

When the AI chatbot can't resolve an issue, it escalates to a human agent.

Escalation Triggers

The chatbot escalates when:

  • The customer asks a question it can't answer
  • The customer requests a human agent
  • The conversation requires human judgment (refunds, complaints, etc.)

Agent Inbox

  1. Go to Inbox
  2. You'll see escalated conversations marked as "Escalated by AI"
  3. Click on the conversation to open it
  4. You'll see:
    • Full conversation history
    • Customer profile
    • AI's summary of the issue
    • Suggested responses

Responding as an Agent

  1. Click on the escalated conversation
  2. Type your response
  3. Click Send

The customer sees your response as coming from your brand, not from an AI.

Instagram Media

Customers can send you photos, videos, and other media via DM.

Receiving Media

When a customer sends media, Msghub receives:

{
  "event": "message.received",
  "messageId": "msg_xyz789",
  "channel": "instagram",
  "from": "@shopvibes",
  "message": {
    "type": "image",
    "url": "https://msghub.com/media/img_abc123.jpg",
    "caption": "Is this product available?"
  },
  "receivedAt": "2024-04-08T10:30:00Z"
}

Sending Media

curl -X POST \
  https://your-msghub.com/api/v1/messages/send \
  -H "X-API-Key: mk_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "channel": "instagram",
    "to": "@shopvibes",
    "type": "image",
    "media": {
      "url": "https://example.com/product.jpg",
      "caption": "Yes! This product is available in all sizes."
    }
  }'

Conversation Management

Conversation Status

Mark conversations as resolved or pending:

curl -X POST \
  https://your-msghub.com/api/v1/conversations/conv_123/status \
  -H "X-API-Key: mk_live_..." \
  -d '{
    "status": "resolved"
  }'

Possible statuses:

  • open — Conversation is active
  • pending — Waiting for customer response
  • resolved — Conversation is complete
  • archived — Conversation is archived

Conversation Tags

Tag conversations for organization:

curl -X POST \
  https://your-msghub.com/api/v1/conversations/conv_123/tags \
  -H "X-API-Key: mk_live_..." \
  -d '{
    "tags": ["product_inquiry", "vip_customer"]
  }'

Instagram Stories & Reels

When customers reply to your Stories or Reels, the replies appear as DMs in your inbox.

Story Replies

When a customer replies to your Story, it appears as a DM:

{
  "event": "message.received",
  "messageId": "msg_xyz789",
  "channel": "instagram",
  "from": "@shopvibes",
  "message": {
    "type": "text",
    "text": "Love this! When will it be available?"
  },
  "context": {
    "type": "story_reply",
    "storyId": "story_abc123"
  }
}

Reel Comments

When customers comment on your Reels, you can respond via DM:

  1. Go to Inbox
  2. Look for comments from your Reels
  3. Click to open the conversation
  4. Respond via DM

Best Practices

Response Time

  • Respond quickly — Aim for under 1 hour
  • Use AI for instant responses — Chatbot responds immediately
  • Set expectations — "We typically reply in minutes"
  • Business hours — Set auto-reply for after-hours

Message Content

  • Be friendly — Instagram is casual and conversational
  • Use emojis — Sparingly, for personality
  • Be helpful — Answer questions directly
  • Include CTA — "Shop now", "Learn more", "DM us"

Conversation Flow

  • Acknowledge — "Thanks for reaching out!"
  • Answer — Provide the information they need
  • Action — Tell them what to do next
  • Follow-up — Check if they need anything else

Compliance

  • Get consent — Before sending promotional messages
  • Respect privacy — Don't share customer info publicly
  • Keep records — Log important conversations
  • Honor opt-outs — Respect "don't contact me" requests

Troubleshooting

Not receiving DMs

  1. Check connection — Is Instagram connected in Settings?
  2. Check permissions — Does Msghub have permission to access DMs?
  3. Check account — Is it a Business Account (not Personal)?
  4. Check notifications — Are notifications enabled?

Slow response time

  1. Check chatbot — Is the AI chatbot enabled?
  2. Check internet — Is there a connectivity issue?
  3. Check load — Is Msghub overloaded?

Messages not sending

  1. Check account — Is the Instagram account connected?
  2. Check recipient — Is the recipient a valid Instagram user?
  3. Check content — Does the message violate Instagram's policies?

See Also