How to link your Instagram account to Facebook

To link Instagram to Facebook, make sure your Instagram account is a professional account, then connect it to your agency's Facebook Page and make sure both sit in the same Meta business account. Once that is done, you can schedule posts, run ads and see insights for both in one place.

Meta changes menu names and layouts regularly, so this guide explains what needs to happen and why, and not a fixed set of clicks. If your screen looks different from what you have seen elsewhere, look for the same option under a similar name, or check Meta's help centre for the latest steps.

Why the link matters for an agency

For an agency, the link between your Instagram account, Facebook Page and business account is what lets a marketing partner or your own team work with them properly. It is needed to:

• run ads on both Facebook and Instagram from one ad account;
• publish or schedule posts to both from one tool;
• read insights and results in one place;
• manage messages and comments together.

If you work with Lead Fleet on social or listing campaigns, we need your Instagram linked so we can manage, publish and report on your account. We will tell you which type of access we need. If you would rather not hand over a login, you can make the connection yourself and give us access through your Meta business account instead.

Before you start: what you need

• An Instagram professional account. This is a free switch inside Instagram, and you choose between a business and a creator account. For an agency or an agent as a brand, business is the usual choice.
• A Facebook Page for your agency. It should be a Page, not a personal profile.
• The right access to the Page. You generally need full or admin-level control of the Page to connect an account to it. If someone else manages it, ask them.
• Your Instagram login. You will need to log in to confirm the connection.

If your business uses a Meta business account (formerly called Business Manager, and now often called a business portfolio), you also need the right level of access there to add assets to it. Whoever set it up can check this.

Step 1: Switch Instagram to a professional account

In the Instagram app, look in your settings for the option to switch to a professional account. Choose the business type, pick a category (for an agency that is usually something along the lines of real estate agent or real estate agency), and add contact details you are happy to show publicly.

Check the contact details you add. They appear on your profile, so use the agency phone number and email, not a personal one.

Step 2: Connect Instagram to your Facebook Page

There are several routes, and Meta tends to offer more than one. The common ones are:

• From the Instagram app, in the settings for editing your profile or business information, where there is an option to connect or create a Page.
• From your Facebook Page settings, in the area for linked accounts, where you can connect Instagram.
• From Meta Business Suite or your business settings, where you can add or claim the Instagram account as an asset of your business.
• From Accounts Centre, which links your Facebook and Instagram accounts together for features like cross-posting and shared login.

Any one of these may work for you. If one route does not offer what you expect, try another. When you confirm, make sure you choose the correct Page, especially if you manage several, such as one per branch.

Step 3: Add the accounts to your Meta business account

Linking Instagram to the Page is not always enough for ad management and partner access. If you use a business account, make sure the Page and the Instagram account are both listed as assets in it. This is also where you give a person or agency access, with the level of permission they need and no more.

Giving access through the business account is generally safer than sharing a password, because you can see who has access and remove it at any time.

Common problems and fixes

• "I can't find the option to connect." Check the Instagram account is professional, not personal.
• "It won't let me pick my Page." You may not have enough access to the Page. Ask the Page's full controller to grant it or do the step themselves.
• "The Instagram account is already connected elsewhere." It may be tied to an old Page or another business account. Disconnect it from the old one first, if you have the right to.
• "Insights or ads are missing." Check both accounts appear in the same business account, and that the person working on them has been given access to each.
• "Two-factor login is blocking me." Have the account holder approve the login, or ask them to complete the connection themselves.

Protect the accounts while you are at it

Because these accounts hold your agency's reputation and ad budget, it is worth a few minutes on security. Use a unique password, turn on two-factor authentication, and keep at least two trusted people with full control of the Page, so that you are never locked out if one person leaves.

What to do once it is linked

Linking is the start, not the finish. If you want to use the connection well, plan what you will post and when. Our social media plan for real estate is a good starting point, and how listing ads on social media can help your agency explains how advertising fits in.

If you want advertising to be measured properly, you will also need tracking in place, which we cover in our guide to the Meta Pixel.

If you are stuck on a step or would prefer us to handle the setup, book a call with Lead Fleet and we will point you in the right direction.