How Messenger and Instagram Replies Work
KnowStack answers messages sent to your Facebook Pages and to the Instagram accounts linked to them, using your knowledge base to draft or send each reply. You can review every reply before it goes out, or let a Page answer on its own once you trust it.
In the sidebar, open 'Communications', then 'Messenger' or 'Instagram'. Each has its own conversations, unanswered questions, leads and reply settings for every Page.
What you need
- A Facebook Page you manage, either with a role on the Page or through a Business portfolio.
- For Instagram Direct: an Instagram professional account linked to that Page.
- At least one knowledge base to answer from.
- A plan that includes Messenger and Instagram replies (see the table below).
- The 'Messenger Replies' permission on your role.
| Plan | Messenger and Instagram replies | Facebook Pages you can connect |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | Included | 1 |
| Starter | Not included | 0 |
| Professional | Not included | 0 |
| Business | Included | 5 |
| Enterprise | Included | 20 |
The limit counts Pages, not Facebook accounts. An Instagram account works through its linked Page, so it doesn't count as an extra Page. On plans without these replies, 'Messenger' and 'Instagram' don't appear in the sidebar.
An admin gives a role access by ticking 'Messenger Replies' when editing roles in Settings, on the 'Team' tab. People with it can connect Pages, change reply settings, send replies and act on leads. People without it don't see 'Messenger' and 'Instagram'.
How a message is handled
- A customer writes to your Page on Messenger, or to the linked Instagram account.
- Meta passes the message to KnowStack. It appears in 'Conversations' within seconds.
- If the customer sends several messages in a row, KnowStack waits about 6 seconds after the last one and answers them together in one reply.
- KnowStack checks whether it should answer: is the Page paused, does the message contain a word you listed for a person to handle or a topic it must never answer, has the Page reached its daily reply cap, is it outside business hours.
- If it may answer, KnowStack searches the knowledge bases the Page answers from and writes a reply using only what they say.
- In review mode, the reply waits as a draft, for up to 7 days, until someone sends it. On autopilot, it goes out straight away.
- If the knowledge base has nothing on the question, KnowStack writes no reply. The conversation is marked 'Needs a person' and the question goes to 'Insights'.
Every message is also checked for an email address or phone number. When a customer leaves one, it becomes a lead. See Leads, Working with Leads.
Messages reach KnowStack only while replies are switched on for the Page (Messenger) or the account (Instagram).
Tabs
| Tab | What it's for |
|---|---|
| 'Conversations' | The review queue. The number beside it counts drafts waiting for review |
| 'Insights' | Questions the knowledge base could not answer in the last 30 days, with a form to add the answer |
| 'Pages' ('Accounts' on Instagram) | Your connected Pages with their switches, settings and counts. An amber dot means something needs attention |
| 'Leads' | Customers who left an email or phone number |
Each Page row shows three counts: 'Awaiting review', 'Sent today' and 'Unanswered (7 days)'. A 'Review' or 'Autopilot' badge shows the mode, and 'Paused' appears when the Page is paused. When drafts are waiting, a 'Review' button opens them.
Banners appear at the top of the page only when something needs you: a Facebook account that needs reconnecting, another app answering one of your Pages, or drafts that are about to expire. The page refreshes itself while it is open.
Every draft counts toward your company's AI usage, whether or not you send it. If the company reaches its AI usage cap, new messages are still stored but no replies are drafted.