Configuring Instagram channel (Zendesk Workspace) Follow

Note: You must have the Zendesk Agent Workspace with Social messaging enabled to use this feature.

How to add an Instagram Direct channel

1. In the Instagram app, go to Settings > Privacy > Messages. Under Connected Tools, toggle on Allow access to messages.
   
   Note: This step must be performed in the Instagram mobile app. It cannot be performed via Instagram Web.
   
   
2. Open your Zendesk admin account.
   
   
3. In Admin Center, click  Channels in the sidebar, then select Messaging and social > Messaging.
   
   
4. Click Add channel and select Instagram Direct from the drop-down.
   
   
5. Click Continue with Instagram Direct to open the Instagram set-up flow.
   The set-up flow will ask you for the following information. Follow the instructions in the flow to add this information.
   

   Action	Description
   Authenticate to your Facebook profile	This is the admin profile linked to your company's Facebook Business Manager. You can Continue with the existing profile or sign in to another account.
   Provide permission to share your Instagram Account with Zendesk.	Zendesk needs this permission to connect your Instagram Professional Business Account to the Agent Workspace.
   Provide permission to share your Facebook Page(s) with Zendesk.	Zendesk needs this permission to connect your Instagram Professional Business Account to the Agent Workspace. We recommend that you select all pages.
   Accept the selected permissions	These permissions are needed to send and receive messages from Agent Workspace.

6. When you've finished the set-up flow, click Done.
   
   
7. Select the Instagram channel you wish to connect from the drop-down, then click Next.
   
   
8. Assign a name to the new Instagram channel you are connecting, then click Add channel. Note that agents need add comments to an Instagram message from within the Zendesk Agent Workspace; replies made directly in Instagram will not add a comment to the related ticket.

As with Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct allows a business only seven days to respond to the end user before the messaging window closes. To prevent messages from being sent but not delivered, the composer will be blocked once the messaging window is closed. The only way to re-open is if the end user sends a new message.

Additionally, Instagram requires that you respond to an end user’s initial message within 24 hours, either by agent engagement, or with an automated message using the auto-responder or chatbot.

Once you’ve added Instagram to your social messaging channels, you can configure how it appears and functions. See Configuring Instagram channel for more details.