> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.callkaro.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Instagram Channel

An Instagram chat agent replies to Direct Messages, post comments, or both, on a connected Instagram account.

## Agent types

Chosen when the agent is created, and shown as a tag in the Chat Agents table:

| Type                    | Handles              |
| ----------------------- | -------------------- |
| **DM Agent**            | Direct messages only |
| **Comment Agent**       | Post comments only   |
| **DM & Comments Agent** | Both                 |

## What differs from WhatsApp

|                                 | WhatsApp | Instagram                                                                       |
| ------------------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Conversation & Features panel   | Yes      | Replaced by [Instagram Settings](/chat-agents/configuration/instagram-settings) |
| Follow-ups                      | Yes      | Not available                                                                   |
| Function types                  | All      | Custom functions only                                                           |
| Direct Send on custom functions | Yes      | Not available                                                                   |
| Reply gating                    | —        | Reply mode: all, or decide per message                                          |
| Human transfer setting          | —        | Yes                                                                             |
| Live / In-Progress status       | —        | Yes                                                                             |

## Connect the account

The Instagram integration is only required when you make the agent live — you can build and test one before connecting anything.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Integrations">
    **Dashboard → Integrations**, find Instagram.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Log in with Instagram">
    Connect the account the agent will answer for.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Go live

Instagram agents carry an explicit status, unlike WhatsApp agents which go live by being assigned to a number.

| Status          | Meaning                                                |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **In-Progress** | Being built. Not answering anything                    |
| **Live**        | Answering DMs and/or comments on the connected account |

Toggle it from the **Status** column in the Chat Agents table, or from the agent's own header.

<Warning>
  Publish the version you want live **before** flipping the status. Going live serves the published version, not whatever is open in your builder.
</Warning>

## Reply gating and handover

Two Instagram-specific behaviours worth setting deliberately, both covered in [Instagram Settings](/chat-agents/configuration/instagram-settings):

* **Reply mode** — answer everything, or judge each message first against a decision prompt. On a comment agent, gating is close to essential.
* **Human transfer** — hand a conversation to a person when your criteria are met. The bot then stops replying to that contact until someone releases it from the Inbox.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Instagram Settings" icon="sliders" href="/chat-agents/configuration/instagram-settings">
    Reply mode, decision prompt, human transfer
  </Card>

  <Card title="Monitoring" icon="chart-line" href="/chat-agents/monitoring">
    The Inbox, handoffs and analytics
  </Card>
</CardGroup>