How to Add an Instagram Account to Facebook Business Manager

Connecting your Instagram profile to Facebook Business Manager is one of those small, foundational steps that unlocks a massive suite of professional tools. It’s the gateway to running effective ad campaigns, enabling Instagram Shopping, and giving team members or agencies secure access to your assets. This guide will walk you through exactly how to get it done, step by step, and troubleshoot any common hiccups you might run into along the way.

Before You Start: Why Connecting Instagram is a Game-Changer

You might be wondering if this is actually worth the effort. It absolutely is. When your Business Manager and Instagram accounts aren't connected, you're leaving powerful capabilities on the table. Ticking this box isn’t just an administrative task - it’s a strategic move that centralizes your marketing efforts.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what you unlock:

• Powerful Advertising Capabilities: This is the biggest reason for most brands. Connecting Instagram allows you to create ads directly for Instagram placements (like Feed, Stories, and Reels) through Ads Manager. You can also run specialized ad formats, create lookalike audiences based on your Instagram followers, and retarget people who have engaged with your profile. Without this connection, your advertising options are severely limited.
• Instagram Shopping Setup: If you're an e-commerce brand, this is non-negotiable. To tag products in your Instagram posts and Stories, you first need to connect your account to Business Manager. This is how you link your Instagram profile to your Facebook Catalog, making your feed a fully shoppable experience for followers. To learn more, read our guide on how to activate Instagram Shop.
• Secure and Delegated Access: How do you give an agency or a new social media manager access to run ads on your Instagram without handing over your personal login credentials? This is the answer. By connecting your account to Business Manager, you can assign permissions to specific people or partner agencies, allowing them to manage ads or view insights without compromising your account's security. You maintain full ownership and can revoke access at any time. For detailed steps, see our guide on how to add someone to manage an Instagram account.
• Centralized Asset Management: Facebook Business Manager is designed to be your command center for all Meta-related marketing assets. By adding your Instagram account, you're bringing it into the fold alongside your Facebook Page, ad accounts, Pixels, and catalogs. This keeps everything organized, streamlines workflows, and gives you a clear overview of who has access to what.

Pre-Flight Checklist: Get These 3 Things Ready

Before you jump into the step-by-step instructions, taking 60 seconds to make sure you have these three things in place will save you a lot of potential frustration. Think of it as your digital mise en place.

1. An Instagram Business or Creator Account

You cannot connect a personal Instagram account to Business Manager. Your profile must be set to either a Business or a Creator account. Most brands have already done this, but it’s always good to double-check.

How to Check and Switch:

1. On your Instagram profile, tap the three lines in the top-right corner and go to Settings and privacy.
2. Scroll down to Account type and tools.
3. If you see the option to “Switch to professional account,” you’re currently on a Personal account and need to follow the prompts to switch. If you see the options to “Switch to business account” or “Switch to creator account,” you’re all set. Our comprehensive guide on how to convert an Instagram account to a business account can walk you through the process.

The switch is free and instant, and it's what gives you access to insights and the ability to run ads.

2. A Facebook Business Page

Your Instagram professional account needs to be associated with a Facebook Business Page. Pretty much every business on Instagram already has one, but it’s a necessary box to tick. This page needs to be owned by the Business Manager account you’re trying to use.

3. Admin Access to Your Facebook Business Manager

You must have Admin-level permissions within the Facebook Business Manager to add new assets like an Instagram account. If you just have "Employee" access, the options to add new accounts will be grayed out or entirely hidden.

How to Check Your Role:

1. Go to business.facebook.com/settings.
2. Under the “Users” section, click on People.
3. Find your name in the list. Your access level will be shown right underneath your name. It should say “Admin access.” If it says "Employee access," you’ll need to ask someone who is an admin to either add the account for you or elevate your permissions.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Connecting Your Instagram Account

Once your checklist is complete, the actual process is quite straightforward. Just follow these steps carefully.

Step 1: Navigate to Business Settings

First things first, head over to your Facebook Business Manager. The easiest way to get there is by navigating directly to business.facebook.com/settings. If you manage more than one business, be sure to select the correct Business Manager account from the dropdown menu in the top left. For more details on accessing this, check out our guide on how to access Facebook Business Manager.

Step 2: Go to the Instagram Accounts Section

In the main navigation menu on the left side of your screen, look for the Accounts dropdown. Click on it, and then select Instagram Accounts from the list. This is the central hub for all Instagram profiles connected to your business.

Step 3: Begin Adding Your Account

You’ll see a big blue + Add button. Click it. A new menu will pop up with an option to “Connect your Instagram account.” Click on that bright blue button to proceed.

Step 4: Log In to Your Instagram Account

A new pop-up window will appear, prompting you to log in to Instagram. Enter the username and password for the Instagram Business account you want to connect. If you have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled on your Instagram account (which you absolutely should!), you may be asked to enter a code from your authenticator app or phone.

Pro Tip: Sometimes, this pop-up might default to a personal Instagram account you were recently logged into on your browser. If it does, just click "Switch accounts" and enter the correct login details for your business profile.

Step 5: Assign People and Assets (Optional but Recommended)

Once you’ve successfully logged in, the account is officially connected to your Business Manager! But there's one more important step. You now need to tell Business Manager who from your team can work with this account and which ad accounts can use it for campaigns.

Assign People:

On the Instagram Accounts page, select the profile you just added. Click the Add People button. You can then select team members and assign them permissions, like creating ads or viewing performance insights.

Assign Assets (especially Ad Accounts):

This is the really important one for advertising. After adding people, navigate to the Connected Assets tab and click the Add Assets button. A list of your ad accounts will appear. Select any ad accounts that you want to authorize to run ads using this Instagram profile and click Add. Without completing this step, your ad managers won't be able to select your Instagram profile as a placement when creating campaigns.

Step 6: All Done!

That's it! Your Instagram account is now fully integrated into your Facebook Business Manager. You should see it listed under "Instagram Accounts" with a green dot and the word "Active" next to it. You’re now ready to manage permissions, create ads, and get a better handle on your cross-platform presence.

Stuck? Troubleshooting Common Connection Problems

Sometimes, things don't go as smoothly as planned. Here are a few of the most common issues people face and how to fix them quickly.

Problem: The "This Instagram account is already owned by another business" error.

What it means: This is a frequent headache. It means your Instagram account is already connected to a different Facebook Business Manager somewhere. This often happens if a former employee or an old agency set it up and never disconnected it.

The Fix: You need to gain access to that old Business Manager account and remove the Instagram account from it first. If you don't know who owns it, you may need to go through Facebook's business support channels to reclaim ownership, which can take time. Before doing that, check with past agencies or team members to see if they can simply log in and remove it for you.

Problem: The Instagram login pop-up just keeps spinning or asking you to confirm it's you.

What it means: This is usually triggered by Instagram's security measures, especially two-factor authentication.

The Fix: Keep your phone handy. Open your Instagram app on your phone while attempting to connect in Business Manager. Often, a notification will pop up in the app asking you to confirm a login attempt from a new location. Approve it there, then return to your computer and try again. It should go through an instant later.

Problem: The login pop-up window doesn't appear at all.

What it means: Your browser's pop-up blocker is doing its job a little too well.

The Fix: A simple one! Check the right side of your browser's address bar for a small icon indicating a pop-up has been blocked. Click it and choose "Always allow pop-ups and redirects from facebook.com," then try again.

Final Thoughts

Connecting your Instagram account to Facebook Business Manager is an essential housekeeping task that lays the groundwork for smarter, more efficient social media marketing. By following these steps, you centralize your assets, secure your profiles, and unlock the full advertising power of the Meta ecosystem.

Now that you've centralized your professional accounts, the next step is often streamlining the day-to-day management of your content. Managing Reels, Stories, and posts across multiple platforms can feel like a chore. That’s why we built Postbase – a modern social media tool designed from the ground up to handle today's video-first reality. With a visual calendar for planning, unified scheduling, and an inbox that brings your comments and DMs together, you can focus on creating great content instead of wrangling clunky software.