Connect Instagram and Instagram Ads

Link your Instagram Business account to YourLio with Facebook login, then switch on auto-replies for comments on your Instagram ads.

Overview

Connecting Instagram lets YourLio reply to DMs, comments, and story replies on your Instagram account. Connecting Instagram Ads on top of that lets it reply to comments on your ads too, and follow up in DMs.

Both use the same Facebook login. You can pick your ad account while connecting Instagram, or come back and add it later.

Before you start

You'll need:

An Instagram Professional account (Business or Creator)
That account linked to a Facebook Page
The Page in a Meta business portfolio you have admin access to
For Instagram Ads: an ad account in the same business portfolio

Personal Instagram accounts can't be connected. Switch to a Professional account in the Instagram app first, then link it to your Facebook Page.

Open the Instagram integration

In YourLio, go to Settings → Integrations in the left sidebar.
Open the Social tab.
Click Connect next to Instagram.

The Social tab on the Integrations page, listing Instagram, Messenger, and Instagram Ads

Choose how to connect

The Instagram page shows two buttons:

Button	Use it when
Connect with Facebook	Recommended. Needed for Instagram Ads, and lets you pick the Page and ad account.
Connect Instagram	You only want DMs and comments, and log in with Instagram directly.

Click Connect with Facebook. The steps below follow that path.

The Instagram integration page with the Connect Instagram and Connect with Facebook buttons

Log in with Facebook

A Facebook window opens. Log in with the Facebook profile that manages your business portfolio. The window shows the app name as Helio AI. That's YourLio, so it's safe to continue.

Pick your business portfolio

Under Business portfolio, choose the portfolio that owns your Instagram account and Facebook Page.

Meta's "Select the business assets to share" screen with the Business portfolio dropdown

Select your assets

Fill in each dropdown:

Page: the Facebook Page linked to your Instagram account.
Instagram account: the account you want YourLio to manage.
Ad account: the ad account that runs your Instagram ads. Pick one now if you want Instagram Ads. You can skip it otherwise.
Click Next.

All four assets selected: business portfolio, Page, Instagram account, and ad account

If the dropdowns say Previously shared, you've connected these assets before. Select them again; nothing is duplicated.

Review and confirm

Meta lists what YourLio will get access to. Check that the business, ad account, Facebook Page, and Instagram account are the ones you picked, then click Confirm.

Meta's review screen listing the business, ad account, Facebook Page, and Instagram account

Wait for Connecting your account to finish. When you see "… has been connected to Helio AI", click Finish. Skip Add payment method; YourLio doesn't need it.

Meta's confirmation screen with the Finish button

Finish connecting in YourLio

You're sent back to YourLio, which opens a Finish connecting Instagram window.

Under Instagram account, select your account.
Under Ad account (optional):
- Select your ad account to switch on Instagram Ads now, or
- Choose Skip ads for now to connect Instagram only.
Click Connect.

The Finish connecting Instagram window, with the Instagram account and optional ad account choices

When it's done you'll see Instagram connected successfully. The page shows your account, a Connected badge, and Instagram is active.

The connected Instagram overview, showing the account, automations, and connection health

Check Connection health at the bottom. Account linked, Receiving comments, and Receiving messages should all have green ticks. If one doesn't, click Refresh status.

Turn on automations

Connecting doesn't switch anything on. Each automation card on the Overview tab starts as Off. Click Configure on a card, or open the Config tab:

Automation	What it does
Comment to DM	Replies under comments on your posts and reels, then follows up in DMs
AI Chat	Answers DMs with AI and greets new customers with a welcome menu
Stories	Replies when people respond to your stories or mention you
Comment tags	Labels each comment, then decides whether Comment to DM handles it or it gets deleted

For example, to set up AI Chat: toggle it on, edit the Welcome menu greeting and buttons, check the Live preview on the right, then click Save AI Chat settings.

The Config tab with AI Chat selected, showing the welcome menu editor and live preview

Test it

Send your Instagram account a DM from a different Instagram account. The conversation shows up in the YourLio Inbox, with the AI reply alongside it.

A test DM in the YourLio inbox next to the same conversation in Instagram

Connect Instagram Ads

Instagram Ads replies to comments on your ads and follows up in DMs. It needs Instagram connected with Facebook and an ad account.

If you picked an ad account in "Finish connecting Instagram", Instagram Ads is already connected. Skip to Set up ad replies.

Otherwise:

Go to Settings → Integrations → Social.
Click Connect next to Instagram Ads.
On the Connect Instagram Ads screen, click Connect with Facebook.
Repeat the Facebook login steps. This time, make sure you select an Ad account.
Back in YourLio, in Finish connecting Instagram, select your ad account under Ad account (optional) and click Connect.

If Instagram was connected with the Connect Instagram button, connecting Instagram Ads switches it to Facebook login. Your Instagram settings are kept.

Set up ad replies

Open Instagram Ads from the Social tab. The header shows Connected and the Page, Instagram account, and ad account in use.

Turn on the Automation switch in the top right.
Set the default rules for ad comments: which comments to reply to, the public reply, and the DM. The preview on the right updates as you edit.
Choose whether to Enable new ads automatically. New ads then start replying with these defaults.
Choose whether to Skip reaction-only comments, such as "🔥" or "nice".
Click Save ad defaults.

To give one ad its own rules, click Manage individual ads in the Library. It opens the Ads tab of your Instagram Library.

Troubleshooting

You see	What to do
No Facebook Page available or 0 with Instagram linked	Link your Instagram account to a Facebook Page in Instagram or Meta Business Suite, then reconnect.
Could not load your Meta accounts	Click Connect with Facebook again and approve every permission Meta asks for.
Connection session expired	You waited too long on the Meta screens. Start the connection again.
Instagram account missing from the Meta dropdown	It's in a different business portfolio, or it's not a Professional account.
A Connection health item isn't green	Click Refresh status. If it stays red, click Reconnect account and approve every permission.

Next steps

Connect Facebook and Facebook Ads to automate your Facebook Page as well