Instagram messaging
Reply to Instagram DMs from Conversations, turn on message access and learn Meta's 24-hour and 7-day rules.
4 min read
In medical tourism, many patients ask their first question on Instagram — a comment under a before-and-after photo, or a DM. Connect Instagram messaging to MedicalGrow and those DMs land in the same inbox as your WhatsApp and Facebook messages, so no patient slips through.
Before you start
- Your Instagram account must be a professional account (Business or Creator) linked to your clinic's Facebook Page.
- The Facebook & Instagram integration must be connected, with the Instagram account selected in the Meta popup — see Connect Facebook and Instagram.
- Allow access to messages must be on in the Instagram app (below).
Turn on message access in Instagram
If this setting is off, Instagram doesn't share your messages with any connected tool, and DMs won't reach the panel even though the integration looks connected.
- In the Instagram app, go to your clinic's profile and open Settings and activity from the ☰ menu at the top right.
- Go to Messages and story replies → Message controls.
- Under Connected tools, switch on Allow access to messages.
Note
Instagram menu names can vary slightly by app version and language. If your phone is in another language, look for the equivalent of Settings and activity → Messages and story replies → Message controls → Connected tools.
Reply to Instagram DMs
- Open Conversations from the left menu.
- Select the conversation with the Instagram icon on the avatar.
- In the reply box, check that Instagram is selected as the channel, type your message and click Send.
Your reply reaches the patient as an Instagram DM. You can send photos and files, and X-rays or intraoral photos the patient sends appear in the conversation. For channel selection and attachments, see Replying and channels.
What comes in, and what doesn't?
| Comes in | Doesn't / limited |
|---|---|
| Instagram DMs (text, photos, videos, files) | Group chats |
| Replies to your stories (as DMs) | Post comments (reply to these in Instagram) |
| DMs from ads (the "Send message" button) | Messages on personal (non-professional) accounts |
Note
Comments on posts you publish directly on Instagram don't appear in Conversations; reply to them in the Instagram app. Flows such as sending an automatic DM to people who comment aren't available to users in your plan; if you need one, message our support team.
Meta's reply window rules
On Instagram and Messenger, businesses can only message within limited time windows. The rules are Meta's and apply to every tool:
- 24-hour window: you can reply freely within 24 hours of the patient's last message. Each new message from the patient restarts the clock.
- 7 days — human agent: after 24 hours, and up to 7 days from the last message, only replies written by a team member are allowed. Automated messages can't be sent in this period.
- After 7 days: you can't send anything until the patient writes again. Attempts fail with an error.
Tip
In your first reply, invite Instagram patients to share their WhatsApp number. Once you have it, you can keep long-term follow-up going with WhatsApp templates without hitting the time limits.
Example: Emma de Vries from the Netherlands replies "Implant price?" to your story on Friday evening. On Monday morning (past 24 hours, within 7 days) a coordinator can reply by hand — but an automatic "Our price list is attached" message can't be sent.
Common issues
No Instagram DMs at all. Check in order: is the account professional, is it linked to the Page, is Allow access to messages on, was the Instagram account selected in the Meta popup? Then reconnect the integration.
"Message failed to send". Most likely the 7-day window has passed. Wait for the patient to write again, or reach them on another channel (WhatsApp, email) — see Messaging troubleshooting.
We reply to the same DM from the phone and from the panel. Replies sent from the Instagram app don't always appear in the panel. Make it a rule to reply only from the panel so the conversation history stays complete.
Related articles
Didn't solve your problem?
Ask the assistant or message our support team.