Setup Β· Connecting
Connect your Instagram account
Connecting takes about a minute, but it happens inside Meta's own login window, where nothing looks like CommentTap. This guide explains what will happen on each screen, which three permissions we ask for and why, and what to do when Instagram says no. Read it once and the connection becomes a formality you can repeat for any account you manage.
Best practices
What this guide covers
Before you start: a professional, public account
Instagram only exposes comments and direct messages through its API for professional accounts, so a personal account cannot be connected at all. Open the Instagram app, go to Settings, then Account type and tools, and switch to a Business or Creator account β both work the same for CommentTap. Make sure the profile is public: private accounts do not deliver comment events, so a campaign on a private profile would simply never fire.
What happens on Meta's screens
After you press Continue with Instagram, Meta opens its login window. First you sign in to the Instagram account you want to automate β check the username shown at the top, because Meta remembers the last account you used in that browser. Then Meta lists the permissions CommentTap requests and asks you to allow them. When you confirm, Meta sends you straight back to CommentTap, where the account appears with a green Healthy status and you can pick the post for your first Tap.
The three permissions and what they are for
We ask for exactly three things. Access to your profile and media lets you pick a post or reel from a list instead of pasting links. Managing comments lets CommentTap post the public reply under a matching comment. Managing messages lets it send the direct message and read replies in your inbox. We never ask to manage ads, publish content on your behalf, or read data about your followers, and each permission is used only in response to someone who commented or wrote to you first.
Fixing the most common errors
If you see that the account is not a professional account, switch it as described above and connect again. If the account is already connected to another workspace, disconnect it there first, or ask that workspace's owner to do it. If the link expired, start again from the Accounts page β a connection attempt is valid only for a few minutes for security. If Instagram reports a temporary error, wait a minute and retry; persistent failures usually mean the profile is private or the account type has not finished switching.
Key takeaways
- Only public Business or Creator accounts can be connected.
- CommentTap asks for three permissions and never for ads or publishing.
- Check the username on Meta's screen before you approve β it is easy to connect the wrong account.
How it works
Three steps from comment to lead
- 01
Choose a post and keyword
Pick any reel or post and the words that should trigger a reply β like 'guide' or 'price'.
- 02
Add your message and offer
Write the DM, then attach a link, PDF, coupon code or booking page. Preview it on a phone as you go.
- 03
CommentTap sends it β and tracks it
Every match gets an instant DM. Clicks, emails and leads show up in your analytics automatically.
FAQ
Questions, answered
- Do I need a Facebook Page to connect Instagram?
- No. CommentTap uses Instagram's own login, so a professional Instagram account is enough and no Facebook Page has to be linked to it.
- Can I connect more than one Instagram account?
- Yes, on plans that allow it. Each account connects separately from the Accounts page and every campaign chooses which account it runs on.
- What happens to my token over time?
- Instagram issues a long-lived token that CommentTap refreshes automatically. If a refresh fails, the account shows Needs attention and a Reconnect button that repeats this flow.