One Meta app, two surfaces
Instagram Direct and Messenger run through the same Meta app. One credential set, two channels, unified routing.
Channel · Meta
Instagram + Messenger DMs in one conducted line
OrcaLinq treats Instagram and Messenger DMs as first-class channels with AI-first answering, semantic routing, and human handoff. One Meta app, two channels, zero forced switches for your team.
Why this channel
DMs are first-touch for ecommerce, creators, and local services
Instagram and Messenger DMs carry pre-sale questions, complaints, story-reply intent, and lead capture. Treating them as a real channel — with AI-first answering and human handoff — recovers conversations most teams ignore or batch-reply to once a week.
Window-aware routing
The platform tracks the active window per conversation. Matriarch policy respects Meta's 24-hour and 7-day rules so no message tag is misused.
AI for routine, human for high value
Common pre-sale questions get an answer fast. Complaints, refund requests, story-reply complaints, and high-cart-value conversations route to a person.
Same-Wake transcript
Every Instagram or Messenger conversation lands in the per-tenant Wake with audit, replay, and analytics access.
Setup
Connect Instagram + Messenger with one Meta app
- 1. Create a Meta app. Add the Messenger and Instagram Graph permissions you need (page messaging, IG basic display, IG messaging).
- 2. Connect your Page and Instagram Business account. Capture the Page access token, page ID, and IG business ID.
- 3. Add credentials to the dashboard. Stored encrypted, scoped to tenant, never returned via API.
- 4. Configure the webhook on Meta. Verify with the platform's verify token. Inbound is signed with HMAC.
- 5. Subscribe to message and message_postback events. (And, if you handle stories, story-reply and post-mention events.)
- 6. Set routing policy. Define which intents AI answers, which route to humans, and which escalate immediately. Configure window-based outbound rules.
Tradeoffs
Constraints worth knowing before launch
Standard messaging window
Free-form replies require an active 24-hour window from the customer's last message. The platform tracks window state and surfaces it on the Podium so agents don't accidentally try to send free-form outside the window.
Message tags
Outside the window, specific Meta message tags allow targeted notifications (account update, post-purchase update, confirmed event). Use them honestly — Meta penalizes misuse.
Quality and rate limits
Meta enforces quality and throughput rules per page. The Podium surfaces health status (green/yellow/red) so issues are visible before quality is downgraded.
Permission review
Meta requires app review for messaging permissions before you can DM users outside your test list. Plan a 1–2 week buffer for review on first launch.
Security and credentials
How tokens, webhooks, and media are handled
- Page access tokens encrypted at rest. Per-tenant key wrap; plaintext never leaves the request handler.
- Webhook signature verified on every inbound. X-Hub-Signature HMAC validation is mandatory.
- Tenant scoping at the data plane. Tenant-scoped state boundaries ensure no cross-tenant query path exists.
- Media stored in tenant-scoped buckets. Signed URLs with short TTLs; no public file links.
- Rotation without downtime. Update the token in the dashboard; old token is no longer used the same instant the new one is active.
- App-secret rotation supported. Required when Meta rotates app secrets or when your team's security policy mandates it.
Example conversation
A story-reply that becomes a sale
Customer (Instagram story reply, 19:14): "Is this lipstick available?" (replying to a story showing a new lipstick drop)
AI (story context attached, live catalogue lookup): "Yes! That's our 'Mumbai Sunset' lipstick — in stock, ₹890, free shipping above ₹999. Want me to send the link, or you can also tell me your usual shade and I'll suggest similar tones?"
Customer: "Send link please. Also do you have a darker plum?"
AI: "Link: [PDP] Yes, the 'Indian Plum' is darker — same finish, ₹890. I can send a comparison swatch image — want it?"
Customer: "Yes! And combo discount?"
AI: "Two-lipstick combo is 10% off when bought together. Adding both to your cart now — checkout link: [...]. Anything else from the new drop?"
Wake captures: story context, catalogue lookups, customer asked about combo, conversion link sent. If the customer asked about a refund instead, the same Sonar+Matriarch flow forces handoff to a human regardless of confidence.
Meta channels FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need separate apps for Instagram and Messenger?
No. One Meta app with the right permissions covers both Instagram Direct and Facebook Messenger. The platform stores your Page access tokens and Instagram business ID separately, but the routing, knowledge, and handoff are unified.
What about the 24-hour window?
Meta enforces a 24-hour standard messaging window per conversation. Within the window, the AI can reply freely. Outside the window, specific message tags or one-time notifications are required depending on the use case. The platform tracks the window state per conversation and the Podium surfaces it visually.
Can the same agent reply to Instagram and Messenger?
Yes. Agent endpoints are channel-agnostic. A reply from Telegram, WhatsApp, or the PWA can land on either Instagram or Messenger based on where the conversation originated. The Pod travels with the conversation.
Are media messages supported?
Yes. Image, video, audio, and (on Messenger) document messages are supported. Inbound media is downloaded into tenant-scoped storage with signed URLs; outbound is uploaded to Meta using your Page tokens.
Do you support Instagram comments?
Direct Messages are the primary supported surface. Comment handling — including story-reply DMs and post-mention triggers — is supported. General comment moderation on posts is on the roadmap with explicit beta status when it ships.
What about Instagram story replies?
Story replies arrive as DMs with story context attached. The AI can answer questions about the story (product price, drop date) and route to a human when the question goes beyond what's safe to answer from approved knowledge.
How is the Page access token kept safe?
Encrypted at rest with per-tenant key wrap. Plaintext never logged or returned via API. Token rotation is supported without downtime; we recommend long-lived Page tokens with explicit rotation.
Related pages
Keep exploring
Connect Instagram and Messenger during the demo.
Bring your Meta app and a sandbox Page. We'll wire the connection, verify the webhook, and route a DM live through Sonar, Matriarch, and Wake.