Connect Meta message channels
Grant Laney access to Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp assets, then confirm AI replies.
The AI assistant receives and answers customer messages from Instagram direct messages, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. You connect all three channels by granting access to assets in your Meta business portfolio. Your organization keeps ownership of each account and phone number. Two methods grant that access. Share Laney as a partner, or invite a Laney operator as a person.
Check availability before you open a channel
WhatsApp connects today. For Messenger and Instagram, ask Laney to confirm availability at the time you open the channel.
Before you begin
- You need a Meta business portfolio that owns the assets.
- You need administrator access to that business portfolio.
- Your Instagram account must be a professional account linked to a Facebook Page.
- The WhatsApp phone number must be free of the personal WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business apps.
- Confirm the Laney organization or branch to connect.
Each channel needs a different asset and returns a different identifier.
| Channel | Asset to prepare in Meta | Value Laney receives |
|---|---|---|
| The Page linked to the Instagram account | Instagram professional account ID | |
| Messenger | The Facebook Page | Page ID |
| The WhatsApp account and phone number | Phone number ID, WhatsApp account ID |
Instagram and Messenger can share the same Page. One Page permission serves both channels.
WhatsApp account setup has two ownership paths. Grant access to your existing WhatsApp account with the method that you selected above. Otherwise, Laney registers your phone number on a managed account. The number and the display name stay yours in both cases.
Add Laney as a partner
Open Users, then Partners in Meta Business settings.
Select Add, then select the option that gives a partner access to your assets.
Enter 397982957769007 as the partner Business Portfolio ID.
Select the asset for each channel you connect. Share Pages, Instagram accounts, and WhatsApp accounts separately.
Turn on Messages and calls for the Page. Turn on Messages for the Instagram account. Turn on full management for the WhatsApp account.
Save the change. Open the partner list again and check every shared asset and permission.
Read access alone cannot send replies
Analytics and content permissions do not read or send messages. A Page and an Instagram account can carry the same name, so check the asset type as well as the name.
Connect by inviting an operator
Some organizations cannot add an outside business as a partner. In that case, invite a Laney operator as a person and reach the same result. Your business verification must be complete first. The assets and permissions match the partner method.
Open Users, then People in Meta Business settings.
Select Add and enter the work email address of the Laney operator. Ask Laney for that address.
Choose Employee access. Admin access is not required.
Select the assets to connect. Assign the Page, the Instagram account, and the WhatsApp account separately.
Turn on Messages and calls for the Page. Turn on Messages for the Instagram account. Turn on full management for the WhatsApp account.
Send the invitation. Laney registers the channel after the operator accepts it.
This method depends on one person
The channel works through the invited operator's account. If you remove the operator from People or the operator loses access, the channel stops answering. Use partner sharing for a long-term channel.
Use one method, not both.
| Share as partner | Invite an operator | |
|---|---|---|
| Access belongs to | The Laney business | One operator |
| When the operator changes | No effect | You invite again |
| Your business verification | Not required | Required |
| Best for | An always-on channel | A blocked partner request |
Complete two more steps on Instagram
Granting asset access alone does not open Instagram. Two steps remain. When either one is missing, Instagram stays silent even while the other channels work.
First, sign in to the Instagram account to enable permission grants.
- Open Accounts, then Instagram accounts in Meta Business settings.
- Select the account in the list. Select Log in when the page asks for a login.
- Sign in with the Instagram account. Before this login, the account grants no permission to people, partners, or apps.
Next, allow message access in the Instagram app.
- Open your profile in the Instagram app, then go to Settings.
- Open Messages and story replies.
- Open Connected tools under Message controls.
- Turn on Allow access to messages.
Prepare the WhatsApp number
- Back up the chats if the number is registered in the personal or business WhatsApp app.
- Delete the account in that app to release the number.
- Confirm which WhatsApp account holds the number. Grant access to your own account with the method selected above, or let Laney register the number on a managed account.
- Receive the verification code by text message or voice call to finish the registration.
- Submit the display name and wait for approval from Meta.
- Add a payment method to the WhatsApp account.
One number belongs to one place
The WhatsApp Business app and Laney cannot use the same number at the same time. After you move the number, the app loses access to it.
Check the channel in Laney
Laney registers the channel after you grant asset access. Confirm the result in the dashboard.
- Open Accounts in the dashboard.
- Confirm that the selected organization matches the scope of the channel.
- Open the channel row. Confirm that Platform names the correct channel.
- Confirm that Status is connected.
Confirm the result
- The channel appears with a connected status under Accounts.
- A test message from a customer account receives an assistant reply within seconds.
- A thread for that channel appears under Conversations, and the sender becomes a customer.
- A photo stays visible in the thread, and the assistant reads its content.
Common problems
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| No channel answers. | Check that the selected access method still grants the messaging permission. |
| Only Instagram stays silent. | Check the Allow access to messages toggle on Instagram. |
| The Instagram account grants no permission. | Sign in to that Instagram account in Meta Business settings. |
| A working channel stops. | Check that asset access remains in place, then contact Laney. For the operator method, check that the operator is still listed. |
| Only older threads fail to send. | Meta allows free-form sends for 24 hours after the last customer message. |
After 24 hours, an organization starts a conversation only with an approved template. WhatsApp and Messenger support templates. Instagram does not.
Remove access
Check for active conversations on the channel before you stop access. Then remove the access the way you granted it. For partner sharing, remove the partner's access to the asset under Users, then Partners in Meta Business settings. For an invited operator, remove that person under Users, then People. New messages stop arriving on that channel. Past conversations stay in the dashboard.
To connect an ad account as well, read Connect a Meta ad account.