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Letting Octopods Reply When Another App Is Connected to Instagram/Messenger

Turn on two Meta settings so Octopods can reply in Instagram /Messenger conversations that another tool controls.

Written by Yousef Negmeldin

Why this is needed

Meta lets only one app reply to an Instagram/Messenger conversation at a time. If another tool is connected to your Instagram/Messenger account, like a chatbot, a CRM inbox or another helpdesk, it can own some of your conversations.

You still see those messages in your inbox. When you reply, Octopods takes the conversation over so your reply can be sent. Meta only allows that when two settings are on. Without them, replies in those conversations fail.

These settings are safe to turn on even if Octopods is your only app.
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Before you start

You need:

  • Admin access to the Facebook Page linked to your Facebook Account/Instagram Business Account.

  • An Instagram or Facebook Messenger channel connected in Octopods.

Step 1: Open Advanced Messaging

  1. Open your Advanced Messaging settings. Make sure you are on the Facebook Page linked to your Instagram account. If you manage several Pages, switch to the right one first.

  2. Under Connected Apps, find Octopods Omnichannel and click Edit.
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Step 2: Turn on "Take control of conversations"

  1. In the Octopods Omnichannel Settings window, scroll to Instagram permissions. Messenger has its own section with the same switches, so make sure you're in the Instagram one.

  2. Turn on Take control of conversations.

  3. Make sure Access standby channel is on too. It lets Octopods see messages in conversations another app controls.

  4. Click Save.

Step 3: Make Octopods the default routing app

  1. Open your Instagram Conversation Routing settings

    1. or your Messenger Conversation Routing Settings

  2. Make sure conversation routing is on.

  3. Under Default routing app, choose Octopods Omnichannel.

What happens when Octopods takes a conversation over

  • Octopods only takes a conversation over when you send a message in it from the connected provider.

  • The other app can no longer reply in that conversation. If a chatbot was handling it, the bot stops there.

  • Conversations that nobody replies to stay with the app that owns them.

Common Issues

  • The Advanced Setup or Conversation Routing pages are not present. You're not on the account that has the Page/IG account linked to it. Double check that your account is a Page account, not a User account.

  • Octopods Omnichannel isn't in Connected Apps. You're on a different Facebook Page. Switch to the Page linked to your Instagram account.

  • A reply failed and the conversation has a note from Octopods. That note means Meta refused the take over. Your message was not sent and won't be re-sent. Turn on the settings above, then reply again.

  • Meta Business AI answers your DMs. Conversations owned by Business AI need Meta's separate Take control of conversations with your Business AI setting.

What's next

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