How to Activate AI in Instagram

Every Instagram automation starts off, so Fuely AI stays quiet until you enable the sources you want it to handle. Activating AI on Instagram means three things: a connected Instagram account, enabled automations for the right sources, and a filled Knowledge Base so the AI has something to say.

You can configure automations before the account is connected — the setup is saved as a draft and goes live the moment the channel connects.

Also on WhatsApp or Facebook? See How to activate AI in WhatsApp and How to activate AI in Facebook for platform-specific steps.

Set it up in Automations

1. Go to Fuely AI → Automations.
2. Under Instagram, you'll see an automation for each source: direct messages, post & reel comments, ad comments, story replies, ig.me links, and ads that click to Instagram.
3. Turn on each source you want Fuely AI to handle. Enable only direct messages, only comment replies, or any combination — sources you leave off stay silent.
4. Adjust the settings on any automation if you want behavior different from your defaults; everything you don't touch follows Main bot.

Or ask the AI Co-Worker

Tell it what you want in chat:

"Answer all Instagram messages and reply to comments on my posts."

It applies the change and confirms what it set.

Fill the Knowledge Base

The Knowledge Base is what the AI knows; automations are where and how it behaves. Without it, Fuely AI can only give generic replies.

What to add:

• FAQs — common questions and your preferred answers
• Product or service descriptions — what you sell or offer
• Policies — shipping, returns, working hours, etc.
• Contact details — where to send customers who need human help

The more relevant content you add, the better the AI will answer your customers.

Test your setup

Open any Instagram automation and use the Test chat sidebar — it simulates a conversation with exactly that automation's settings, so you can check answers before customers see them. Ask a question covered in your Knowledge Base and verify the answer is accurate.

If the AI doesn't reply in a real conversation, check that the source's automation is turned on and that your Instagram account is still connected.

Important notes

Messaging limits

Instagram restricts who you can message and when:

• New contacts — 1 DM after they comment, then wait for them to reply first.
• Existing contacts — 24-hour window to reply after their last message.

Where DMs end up

• If someone follows you — DM goes to their main inbox.
• If they don't follow you — DM goes to their message requests folder with no notification.

Human takeover

Agents can take over any AI-handled conversation at any time. See How to stop AI during active conversations.