Instagram Direct (DM) API
The Instagram Direct API is Meta's interface for managing Instagram direct messages from external software: receiving DMs in a shared inbox, replying automatically, integrating bots and AI assistants. It requires an Instagram business or creator account linked to a Facebook Page, and is subject to reply time windows similar to Messenger's.
Instagram DMs are born inside a discovery context: people write after seeing a post, a story or an ad, often with questions about products and prices. The API takes these messages out of the app, into shared inboxes and automation systems: answers to frequent questions, handling of story replies, routing to agents. The requirements: a professional account linked to a Facebook Page and permissions granted through it.
Operationally, the integration lets you manage Instagram with the same rigor as the other channels: no DM lost among app notifications, automatic after-hours replies, a unified history for the customer who writes on Instagram today and WhatsApp tomorrow. The reply windows demand promptness on conversations: that's another reason pairing with an AI assistant is natural, because the first reply arrives instantly and the agent steps in when needed.
SendApp connects to Instagram DMs through the official API: messages enter the unified inbox and the AI assistant replies with the same training used on the other channels.
Frequently asked questions
From theory to practice
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