insideDM

Connect your Instagram account

3 min readUpdated 9 Oct 2026

In short

Press Connect on Instagram — in setup’s Channels step, or later in Set up › Connections — and sign in to Instagram in the window that opens. You need an Instagram professional account (Business or Creator).

Where it isSet upConnections

Before you start

  • A professional account. Your shop’s Instagram must be a Business or Creator account. If it’s a personal account, switch it in the Instagram app first.
  • Your Instagram login. You sign in on Instagram’s own page. insideDM never sees your password.
  • Pop-ups allowed. Instagram opens in a small window. If your browser blocks pop-ups, allow them for insideDM.

Connect during setup

  1. In the Channels step (“Where do your customers message you?”), press Connect on the Instagram card.
  2. A window opens on Instagram. Sign in with your shop’s account and allow access.
  3. The window says Account connected and closes.
  4. The Instagram card now shows your @handle, followers and posts, and whether it’s a Business or Creator account. Press Continue.

Connect from your dashboard

  1. Go to Set up › Connections and choose Channels.
  2. On the Instagram tile, press Connect. A window opens on Instagram.
  3. Sign in and allow access. The window closes, and the Instagram tile now reads “1 account connected”.

What your agent can do once it’s connected

  • Read and reply to your direct messages.
  • Reply to comments on your posts.
  • Send a short order form the customer fills in.

It can’t message someone who has never written to you first.

Disconnect or reconnect

To disconnect, open Set up › Connections, press the settings button on the Instagram tile, then Disconnect. Confirm, and enter the one-time code we send you. Instagram stops feeding your workspace at once — your past conversations stay.

If the tile says Not working, press the reconnect button on the tile and sign in to Instagram again. The tile’s details say what went wrong.

If something’s not right

  • “Please allow popups to connect Instagram.” — your browser blocked the Instagram window. Allow pop-ups for this site and press Connect again.
  • “That Instagram account is already connected to another workspace.” — an Instagram account can belong to one insideDM workspace at a time. Disconnect it there first, or connect a different account.
  • “Timed out waiting for Instagram to connect.” — the Instagram window was closed before you allowed access. Press Connect again and finish in the window.
  • The wrong account got connected — you were signed in to a different Instagram account in that browser. Disconnect it, sign in to the right account on instagram.com, and connect again.
  • Connected, but DMs aren’t arriving — in the Instagram app, open Settings and activity › Messages and story replies › Message controls › Connected tools and turn on Allow access to messages.