Instagram won't connect to Inbox
Updated August 24, 2026
Instagram direct messages land in the Inbox only when four things line up. The account needs an active Facebook integration. A Facebook Page must be linked both to your Instagram professional account and to a Pluspoint location. An Instagram channel must sit on that page, and a team must own that channel. Work down the checks below — each one names the message you see when that piece is missing.
Before you start
- You need Account Settings set to Full, or to be the account owner. Integrations and Channels are hidden from everyone else.
- The Instagram account must be a professional (business) account linked to a Facebook Page. Pluspoint cannot change that requirement — it is Meta’s.
- At least one team with Messaging access must exist, because every channel needs a team.
Where to find it
Integrations: Settings → Integrations, or https://app.pluspoint.io/account-settings/integrations. Channels: Settings → Channels, or https://app.pluspoint.io/account-settings/channels.
Step 1 — Check the Facebook integration
There is no separate Instagram integration; Instagram runs on the Facebook one.
- Go to Settings → Integrations.
- If the Facebook row shows Disconnected, select Reconnect and complete the Meta sign-in.
- If there is no Facebook row at all, select Add integration, choose Facebook, then Connect. In the Meta pop-up, grant Pluspoint every Page and Instagram account you want to use.
Step 2 — Link the page to a Pluspoint location
The channel form builds its page list from Facebook pages connected to a location. An unlinked page never appears.
- On the Facebook row, select Manage.
- In Manage integration, connect the page that carries your Instagram account to the right location.
- Save, then reopen the channel form so the page list refreshes.
Step 3 — Create the Instagram channel
- Go to Settings → Channels and select Add new channel.
- Choose Instagram and select Continue.
- Fill in Channel name.
- Pick the Facebook page your Instagram account is attached to. Only pages with a linked Instagram account appear. A page already used by another Instagram channel is left out too.
- Choose the Team that will handle these conversations.
- Leave Receive story mentions on if you want story mentions and replies to open conversations.
- Optionally turn on Link this channel to a location or brand — this only attributes conversations, it does not control who sees them.
- Select Done.
Step 4 — Check who can see the conversations
Conversations belong to the channel’s team, not to a location. If messages are arriving but you cannot see them, you are probably not in that team.
- Open Messaging → Inbox.
- In the navigation rail, select All — the default view is My conversations, which hides anything not assigned to you.
- If the channel is still missing from Channels in the rail, ask an admin for help. They can add you to the channel’s team, or move the channel to a team you belong to. Account owners and users with Account Settings set to Full see every team’s conversations.
What Instagram needs, and what breaks without it
| Requirement | Where you set it | What you see when it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Active Facebook integration | Settings → Integrations | The Instagram row in Add new channel is greyed out, with the tooltip “Connect your Facebook account in the Integration settings to continue” |
| Instagram professional account linked to a Facebook Page | Meta (Instagram and Facebook Page settings) | The page is missing from the Facebook page list, or saving fails with “No Instagram pages found” |
| The page connected to a Pluspoint location | Settings → Integrations → Manage | The page is missing from the Facebook page list |
| A team with messaging access | Settings → Teams | Save fails with “Please select a team for this channel.” or “This team has no messaging access. Choose a team with messaging permissions.” |
| The page not already used by another Instagram channel | Settings → Channels | Save fails with “This page is already connected to another channel.” |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The page you want is not in the Facebook page list | The page has no linked Instagram account, is not connected to a location, or already backs another Instagram channel | Fix the link in Meta, connect the page in Manage integration, or edit the existing Instagram channel instead |
| ”The page of an existing channel cannot be changed. Create a new channel instead.” | The page is fixed once the channel exists | Delete the channel and create a new one on the right page |
| ”Facebook is not available at the moment, please try again later” or “Facebook is not authenticated” | Pluspoint could not subscribe the page to Meta’s webhooks, so the half-made channel was removed | Reconnect the Facebook integration, then create the channel again |
| The channel card shows Disconnected | Meta revoked the Facebook token, which disconnects every Messenger and Instagram channel from that login | Reconnect the Facebook integration. Channels for pages that login still manages return to normal automatically |
| Story mentions never open a conversation | Receive story mentions is off on the channel | Edit the channel and switch it back on |
| You cannot start a brand-new Instagram conversation from Pluspoint | Instagram channels are incoming only | Reply inside an existing thread, or reach the customer on a channel that can initiate |
| The Channels and Integrations tabs are greyed out, with the tooltip “There was an issue with your subscription. Please check your billing details or contact support.” | The account uses more locations or users than the plan pays for, or the subscription lapsed | Fix it on Settings → Billing, which stays reachable in this state |