How to Add a Social Media Manager to Instagram

Handing over the keys to your Instagram account feels like a huge step, and doing it the right way separates a smooth process from a potential security nightmare. This guide provides the official, secure method for adding a social media manager, agency, or team member to your Instagram account. We'll also cover exactly what permissions they’ll need to do their job effectively without giving away unnecessary control.

Before You Begin: The Most Common Mistake

We’ve all been tempted by the quick fix: just sending your username and password in a message. This is the single biggest mistake brands and creators make when delegating social media tasks. Sharing your master login credentials is a massive security risk. It gives someone complete control over your account, including the ability to change the password, delete your content, and access your private direct messages. It also makes you liable for any actions they take from your account.

Furthermore, if your Instagram is linked to your personal Facebook profile, you could be accidentally sharing access to more than just your business. A clean, professional handoff means using the proper tools built by Meta (Instagram’s parent company) for this exact purpose. The official process not only protects your account but also gives you granular control over what your social media manager can and cannot do.

The Foundation: Connecting Instagram to a Meta Business Page

To grant professional, role-based access to your Instagram account, it must first be connected to a Facebook Page within the Meta Business Suite. If you’ve run ads or used promotions before, chances are you’ve already done this. But if not, it’s a non-negotiable first step.

Here’s how to check or complete this connection:

• Your Instagram account must be a Professional Account (either Creator or Business). You can switch this in your settings by going to Settings and privacy >, Account type and tools >, Switch to professional account.
• Log into the Facebook account that has admin access to your corresponding Facebook Business Page.
• Go to your Facebook Page, navigate to Settings >, Linked Accounts.
• Select "Instagram" and follow the prompts to connect your Instagram account. You will need to log in to finalize the connection.

Once your accounts are linked, you are ready to manage permissions through the central hub for businesses: Meta Business Suite.

How to Add a Social Media Manager via Meta Business Suite (The Right Way)

Meta Business Suite is the official platform for managing your business assets across Facebook and Instagram. This is where you’ll invite your social media manager and assign them a specific role. Follow these steps carefully.

Step 1: Navigate to Meta Business Suite

Go to business.facebook.com and log in. Make certain you’ve selected the correct Business Account from the dropdown menu in the top left corner if you manage more than one.

Step 2: Access Your Business Settings

In the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, you'll see a gear icon labeled "Settings." Click on it. This will take you to the main settings page for your entire Meta Business Account.

Step 3: Go to the "People" Section

In the main settings menu on the left, find the "Users" section. Underneath it, click on a tab called "People." This is the dashboard that shows everyone who has access to your business assets. You should see your own name listed there as an admin.

Step 4: Invite Your Social Media Manager

In the top right corner of the "People" screen, you'll see a blue button that says "Add people." Click it. A dialog box will pop up, prompting you to invite a new team member.

Enter the email address of the social media manager you want to invite. It's important to use the email address they use for their own Facebook account. This invitation assigns access to their professional profile, not their personal one, so you won’t see their vacation photos or private information.

Step 5: Assign Business Account Access

The next screen is the most important part of the process. This is where you decide the level of permission you want to grant. You'll see several options, from basic "Employee" access to full "Admin" control.

For most social media managers, simply assigning them an employee access level is sufficient. You can also click "Show advanced options" to see more details.

• Employee Access (Recommended): This is the default and safest choice. It lets them work on assigned accounts and tools. You will specify exactly which ones in the next step.
• Admin Access: Grant this with extreme caution. Admin access gives them full control over your Business Account, including the ability to add and remove other people (including you), change settings, and delete the account. This is usually reserved for business owners or senior partners.

Once you’ve made your choice, click "Next."

Step 6: Assign Specific Instagram Tasks and Assets

Now, you get to choose exactly what your social media manager can do. The screen will be divided into different assets like your Facebook Page, Instagram account, Ad accounts, and Catalogs.

1. Find your Instagram account in the list of assets and select it using the checkbox.
2. On the right side of the screen, a list of permissions will appear. This is where you customize their role. Toggle the switches for the tasks you want them to manage.

Use the guide below to make an informed decision on what to enable.

Understanding Permissions: What to Give Your Social Media Manager

Giving someone blanket "admin" powers is unnecessary and risky. By customizing access, you empower your manager to do their job without giving them keys to areas they don’t need. Here’s a breakdown of the common Instagram permissions in Meta Business Suite and what they mean:

• Content: This is the most common permission. Enabling it lets a user create, publish, manage, and delete posts, Stories, Reels, and live videos. They can also view post insights. This is the bare minimum for any content creator or scheduler.
• Messages: This permission allows the manager to view and respond to Direct Messages (DMs) in the Meta Business Suite's unified Inbox. This is vital for community managers but might not be necessary for a strategist who only schedules content.
• Community Activity: Turn this on to let someone view and respond to comments, delete comments, and manage other community interactions. This is a must-have for anyone handling your audience engagement. You’ll find the options to toggle comment and DM access once you have selected a lower permission level. These options will be grayed out for Admin access as that level gets all permissions by default.
• Ads: This lets the user create, manage, and view performance for Instagram ads linked to your account. Give this to your ad specialist or media buyer.
• Insights: Allows the user to view all the follower demographics and post performance analytics for the account. A strategist or analyst absolutely needs this, as does anyone responsible for reporting on performance.

Select the permissions mix that aligns with your manager’s responsibilities, click "Invite," and you’re done! Your social media manager will receive an email invitation. Once they accept, they will be able to access your Instagram account professionally through Meta Business Suite or a connected third-party tool - without ever needing your personal password.

What Your Social Media Manager Sees

Once they accept your invitation, your social media manager won't be logging into your Instagram app on their phone. Instead, they will access your brand through professional tools:

• Meta Business Suite: They can log into business.facebook.com and access the Content Calendar, Inbox (for DMs and comments), and Planner specifically for your account.
• Creator Studio: Although being phased out, some still use Creator Studio to schedule posts and view analytics.
• Third-Party Management Platforms: This is the most common workflow. Platforms like Postbase connect professionally using the official Meta API. Once you grant permissions in Business Suite, the manager can securely connect your brand's account to their management tool to schedule content, reply to DMs, and pull analytics reports.

Your Onboarding Checklist After Granting Access

Adding the user is just the first step. Setting them up for success is next. A good onboarding process ensures your new manager hits the ground running and understands your brand voice from day one.

• Share Brand Guidelines: Provide a document detailing your brand’s voice, tone, visual style, and target audience persona.
• Review Content Pillars: Outline the key themes or topics your content focuses on. What do you talk about, and what do you avoid?
• Set Communication Expectations: How will you communicate? Weekly check-in calls? A shared Slack channel? A project management platform? Define the process for content approvals. Does every caption need to be reviewed, or do they have creative freedom within certain guardrails?
• Define Goals and KPIs: What does success look like? Are you focused on growing followers, increasing engagement rates, or driving website traffic? Set clear, measurable goals for them to work toward.

Final Thoughts

Effectively delegating your Instagram management is a vital step for scaling your brand. By using Meta Business Suite to assign roles and permissions, you maintain full control and security over your digital assets while empowering your team to create, engage, and grow your community professionally.

Once your manager is connected, equipping them with the right tools is the next important step. Instead of having them juggle multiple native apps, a unified platform can streamline everything. We built Postbase to eliminate the friction social media managers feel every day, giving them a central place to plan content on a visual calendar, manage comments and DMs in one inbox, and track analytics that actually matter - all from a clean, modern interface that just works.