What is business chat on Instagram?
Business chat on Instagram is the label on a DM with a business account. Here’s what it means for you, and for the business.
ManySetter teamUpdated 4 min read
Chapter 01The label
What the Business chat label means
Instagram adds Business chat to the header when the account you’re messaging is a business account. It tells you who you’re talking to.
A business chat is a chat with a business account on Instagram.
Instagram said it added the label to set business chats apart from personal ones, and began rolling it out in January 2025, per Social Media Today (opens in a new tab).
Chapter 02If you message a business
What it changes for you
Here’s what Instagram’s own help pages say about the chat, your data and encryption:
| Question | What Instagram says |
|---|---|
| Who’s on the other side?What Instagram says: A business account. Business chat shows in the header. | A business account. Business chat shows in the header. |
| Is it end-to-end encrypted?What Instagram says: No. Instagram stopped supporting end-to-end encrypted chats on May 8, 2026. | No. Instagram stopped supporting end-to-end encrypted chats on May 8, 2026. |
| How may Meta use it?What Instagram says: To speed up business replies, personalize ads and improve features like translations and AI. | To speed up business replies, personalize ads and improve features like translations and AI. |
| What does the business get?What Instagram says: Suggested replies and actions, from automatic processing of messages. | Suggested replies and actions, from automatic processing of messages. |
| What can it see of you?What Instagram says: Your public info, like any other account. | Your public info, like any other account. |
At launch, Instagram said the label changed nothing in its privacy policy or terms, per Social Media Today. Two things stay in your hands:
Choose which chats to accept
Where to click: MessagesRequests
Check your message requests, then accept only the business chats you want.
Set what accounts can see
Where to click: ProfileMenuAccount privacy
Below Who can see your content, tap Account privacy to go private or public.
ManySetter
Your business chats, answered
An AI setter for Manychat: it qualifies the Instagram chats your flows start, then books the call.
- Works inside your Manychat flows
- Replies from your offer, in your tone
- Books the call or hands off
Build and test free · Works with your Manychat account
Chapter 03If you’re the business
The business inbox: Primary, General and Requests
On the business side, a professional account gets an inbox with three folders in the mobile app, per Instagram Help (opens in a new tab):
Primary
Chats to see first. Unread alerts are on; swipe a chat to General.
General
Chats to answer later. Unread alerts stay off unless you turn them on.
Requests
Chats not yet accepted, plus hidden ones that may be spam or offensive.
Reply to or accept a request, and that person’s next messages go straight to Primary. In All requests, Top requests sorts them by important accounts.
Answering through Manychat?
Instagram moves requests you answer with a third-party tool to General, even if your settings point to Primary (third-party inbox article (opens in a new tab)). Set it up with our Instagram account setup guide.
Chapter 04Automate
Answer business chats automatically
Saved replies and suggestions help you type faster, but you still send each one. To answer on its own, a business connects a tool like Manychat:
- 01A lead reaches outComment, keyword or Story reply
- 02Manychat starts a flowIn the business chat
- 03The setter repliesFrom your offer
- 04Call bookedOr handed to your team
Manychat flows can start from a keyword (opens in a new tab), a comment (opens in a new tab) or a Story reply (opens in a new tab). Per Manychat, Meta allows automated messages only within 24 hours (opens in a new tab) of the person’s last interaction.