Why Instagram needs a Professional account and a Facebook Page
Meta only exposes post metrics for Professional accounts linked to a Facebook Page. Personal accounts cannot be connected.
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To connect Instagram you need a Professional account — either Business or Creator — that is linked to a Facebook Page.
Why
This is a Meta requirement, not ours. Meta's API only exposes post-level metrics (reach, impressions, saves, and the rest) for Professional accounts, and it only exposes them through the Facebook Page the account is linked to. On a personal Instagram account there is no way for us to read the performance of your sponsored posts, which means we cannot verify your post for a campaign or report results back to the brand.
The permissions we request are read-only:
| Permission | What it is for |
|---|---|
instagram_basic | Your username, profile, and media list |
instagram_manage_insights | Metrics on your posts |
pages_show_list | Finding the Page your Instagram account is linked to |
pages_read_engagement, pages_manage_metadata | Reading Page-level data Meta routes Instagram metrics through |
email | Matching the connection to your Social Native account |
None of them allow posting, deleting, or messaging.
Switching your account
Both steps are done inside Instagram, not here:
- Switch to a Professional account. In the Instagram app: Settings → Account type and tools → Switch to professional account. Choose Creator or Business — either works.
- Link a Facebook Page. During the switch Instagram will offer to link or create a Facebook Page. You do not need to post anything on the Page; it just has to exist and be linked.
Instagram's own guide has the current screens: help.instagram.com/570895513091465.
Once that is done, come back to Profile → Connected accounts and connect Instagram.