Instagram: the agent will soon reply to your direct messages

InstagramMessagingAvailable soon

Replying to Instagram direct messages is under development and not yet available, and no date has been announced. Today, the agent does not read messages received on Instagram.

Available soon. The Instagram integration cannot be used yet: what follows describes the intended use, with no date promised, and then what you can already do with Alyas.

Why connect Instagram to your agent

Instagram is the photo and video social network from Meta, the group that also owns Messenger and WhatsApp. Shops, salons and restaurants show their work there, and curious people write to them in direct messages.

These messages come in bursts after a post, often in the evening, and sometimes wait a long time. An agent that replies to them would reduce the risk of leaving someone unanswered who is torn between you and a competitor.

What the agent will do with Instagram

Available soon

Once the feature is released, the agent will reply to direct messages sent to your Instagram account, using the same information it uses elsewhere.
It will hold the conversation for you on everyday questions, and flag to your team whatever needs a person.
The exact scope, in particular what will or will not be handled in the inbox, will be set out at release.
No date is promised: the work is in progress, not finished.

What already works today

The agent does not interact with Instagram at present, but it already replies to messages received on your business's WhatsApp number, provided you have a Twilio account with WhatsApp, Meta Business verification and a dedicated number.
It also replies to text direct messages on your Facebook Page through Messenger, though not to comments.
On your website, the Alyas chat appears as a widget in your colours and is limited to the domains you authorise.
Contact details left by visitors end up on the Leads page, with an email alert and a CSV export.

Get notified when Instagram is released

Leave your address and we will write to you once, on the day the integration opens.

Frequently asked questions

Does the agent read my Instagram messages today?

No. Replying to Instagram direct messages is under development; for now, the agent sees nothing of what arrives on that network.

Why is there no release date?

Because the work is not finished and Alyas prefers not to promise anything it cannot deliver. The catalogue status will change on the day the feature is actually in service.

My Instagram account is linked to a Facebook Page: can the agent already reply?

It can reply on Messenger, that is, to the Facebook Page's direct messages, but that does not cover Instagram messages. The two channels are separate.

What about the comments under my posts?

Nothing has been announced about them. The scope will be set out at release; on Facebook, the agent does not handle comments today.

Where should I start in the meantime?

Create your agent, feed it your website and documents, then connect WhatsApp or Messenger. It will then be ready to extend its replies to Instagram when the time comes.