DMs are your brand's front desk
On Instagram, customer service happens in direct messages: "when is the restock?", "do you ship to Belgium?", "my order arrived damaged" — often right after a post or a story goes out, and often outside office hours. A slow reply is visible to the customer and costs you the sale. AI SmartTalk connects your Instagram professional account to an AI agent that answers DMs from your website, FAQ, documents and catalog, in the language the follower writes in.
The agent reads what followers actually send: text and emoji, voice messages, which are transcribed, and photos, which are described before it answers. It shows the typing indicator and marks messages as seen. When a conversation needs your team — a damaged parcel, a collaboration request, an unhappy customer — it moves to the AI SmartTalk inbox, where replies are sent back as Instagram DMs.
What the agent does
Answers DMs from your content
Questions about delivery, sizes, materials, opening hours or restocks are answered from your knowledge base, the same one your website chat uses.
Reads voice messages and photos
Voice messages are transcribed and photos described by a vision model, so a follower can show the item they are asking about.
Feels like a person on Instagram
The agent shows the typing indicator, marks messages as seen and keeps answers short and in plain text, as Instagram DMs expect.
Hands over to your team
With handoff on, your rules decide when a person takes over. The team is notified, replies from the AI SmartTalk inbox, and the AI stays quiet while they do.
Same agent as your other channels
Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and your website can share one agent and one knowledge base, so every channel gives the same answer.
Set it up
- 1
Use a professional account linked to a Page
Your Instagram account must be a business account, linked to a Facebook Page you administer. Switch account type in the Instagram app under Settings if needed.
- 2
Allow access to messages
In the Instagram app, open Settings → Messages → Connected tools and turn on "Allow access to messages", otherwise Meta does not pass DMs to AI SmartTalk.
- 3
Connect with Facebook and pick the account
In AI SmartTalk, open Integrations → Instagram, log in with Facebook, approve the permissions and choose the Instagram account the agent should manage.
- 4
Set handoff and test
Write your handoff rules, choose who is notified, then send a few DMs from a personal account, including a voice message and a photo.
Honest limits
What it does not do
AI SmartTalk answers direct messages only: comments under posts and reels, story mentions and live comments are not handled. Instagram lets a business reply within 24 hours of the person's last message, and the agent does not use message tags, so your team cannot answer from the inbox once that window has closed. Videos, files and shared posts are not read, and answers are limited to 1,000 characters. Personal Instagram accounts cannot be connected.
Frequently asked questions
Does it answer comments on my posts?
No, only direct messages. Comments on posts and reels and story mentions are not handled.
Why are my DMs not arriving in AI SmartTalk?
Check that the account is a business account linked to your Facebook Page, and that "Allow access to messages" is on in Settings → Messages → Connected tools in the Instagram app.
Can I still answer from the Instagram app?
You can, but to pause the AI while a person handles a conversation, reply from the AI SmartTalk inbox, where the whole conversation is kept.
How much does it cost?
AI SmartTalk plans start at €9.90 per month with AI included within the plan's monthly allowance of AI words, and there is a 30-day free trial.
Sources
More solutions
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