Connecting Instagram Direct to WazzaBee

Every Instagram Direct message will land in your WazzaBee dashboard. You can reply to customers from a single window without switching between apps. Connecting takes a couple of minutes and runs straight through the Instagram login: you do not need a separate Facebook page for it.

The key requirement: the account must be professional

Instagram opens access to conversations only for professional accounts: Business or Creator. With a personal account the login still goes through, but Instagram does not grant access to messages and the channel will not connect. That is an Instagram restriction, and there is no way around it.

So switch the account first and connect the channel afterwards, otherwise you will have to start over.

Step 1: Switch Instagram to a professional account

This is done in the Instagram mobile app (the web version may not have this option):

Open your profile → the hamburger menu in the top right corner
Settings and privacy
Find Account type and tools
Tap Switch to professional account
Pick a category (Shopping or Services, for example) and the Business type
You can skip linking a Facebook page: WazzaBee does not require it

If your profile already says “Professional account”, skip this step.

Step 2: Allow access to messages

In the Instagram app: Settings and privacy → Messages and story replies → Message controls
Turn on Allow access to messages (the option may be called “Connected tools”)

Without this switch the channel will connect, but incoming messages will not arrive.

Step 3: Connect the channel in WazzaBee

Go to WazzaBee → Channels
Click “+ Add channel” and choose Instagram
Click “Connect Instagram”: the Instagram login window opens
Log in with the account whose conversations you want to handle in WazzaBee
On the permissions screen click Allow: do not uncheck anything, or messages will not come through

Important: log in with your work account. If your browser is already signed in to your personal Instagram, log out first, otherwise the wrong account will be connected.

Step 4: Check that everything works

Your account appears in the channel list with a name like @nickname
The status should be Active (a green dot)
Ask someone to message you on Direct: it should show up in the Chats section

If the channel is simply named “Instagram Direct” without your handle, the permissions were not granted in full: connect the channel again.

What can go wrong

What you see	What it means and what to do
“Instagram does not grant access to this account's conversations”	The account is still personal. Switch it to professional (Step 1) and connect the channel again. Retrying without switching will not help.
“This Instagram account is already in use by another user”	The account is already connected to another WazzaBee dashboard. Disconnect the channel there or contact support.
“The authorisation session has expired”	More than 10 minutes passed since you clicked “Connect”. Just start the connection again.
The channel is active, but no messages arrive	Check “Allow access to messages” in your Instagram settings (Step 2). Keep in mind that only new messages reach WazzaBee: conversations from before the connection are not imported.
The wrong account got connected	Log out of Instagram in your browser, delete the extra channel in WazzaBee and connect again with the right account.

How often the channel needs to be reconnected

Instagram grants access for 60 days, but WazzaBee renews it automatically: there is nothing for you to do. You may need to reconnect only if you changed your Instagram password, revoked access in the Instagram settings or switched the account back to personal. In that case the channel gets a status telling you to reconnect.

Instagram Direct pricing

Plan	Conversations	Price
TEAM	500 per month	$23/month
EMPIRE	Unlimited	1$23/month

More on plans and payment in the Activation and billing section. If you work in Bitrix24, take a look at Instagram + Bitrix24: Open Channel and replying from your phone.