Why aren't my Instagram DMs showing up in VenueAI?

After you connect Instagram to VenueAI, most venues see leads start flowing within minutes. If it's been more than an hour and you haven't seen any Instagram DMs come through as leads, it's almost always because of one of two settings on the Instagram app itself.

Instagram keeps these settings locked away in a menu that's easy to miss. Connecting VenueAI through Facebook does not flip them for you — you have to do it manually, one time, on the phone that manages your Instagram account.

Both settings take under a minute to fix. Do them in order.

Setting 1 — Allow VenueAI to see your messages

Without this turned on, Instagram will block VenueAI from seeing any of your DMs, even though you've connected the two accounts.

  1. Open the Instagram app on your phone
  2. Tap your profile picture at the bottom right
  3. Tap the menu icon at the top right (three horizontal lines)
  4. Tap Settings and privacy
  5. Tap Messages and story replies
  6. Scroll to the very bottom — find a section called Connected tools (sometimes called Partner messaging)
  7. Make sure the toggle labeled "Allow access to messages" is ON (green)

If it's off, tap it to turn it on. Done.

Setting 2 — Make sure new inquiries are accepted so VenueAI can respond

By default, Instagram sends messages from people you don’t follow into a separate Message Requests folder. VenueAI cannot see or respond to these messages until they are accepted — Instagram does not forward them to connected tools automatically.

Most of your wedding and event inquiries will come from people who don’t follow you yet, so it’s important to stay on top of these requests.

Here’s what to do:

  • Open the Instagram app
  • Go to your Messages
  • Tap Requests (top right)
  • Review and accept any new inquiries

Once a message is accepted, it moves into your main inbox and VenueAI will pick it up and respond right away.

Pro tip: The more consistently you accept real inquiries, Instagram may start recognizing those types of messages as important and send more of them directly to your main inbox over time. It’s not guaranteed, but staying consistent helps reduce how many get stuck in Requests.

Why these two settings exist

Instagram is cautious about third-party apps having access to private messages. The "Allow access to messages" toggle is their opt-in — it has to be turned on per-account by the owner.

The Message Requests folder is a spam filter. It works well for regular users, but for a business account trying to capture leads, it's counterproductive because inquiries from new customers are exactly what you want to receive. Routing them to the main inbox keeps VenueAI in sync with reality.

How to test that everything's working

Once both settings are on:

  1. Ask a friend (from an account that does not follow your business page) to send a DM to your Instagram account — something simple like "Hi, is this venue available in June?"
  2. Wait 30 seconds
  3. Log in to VenueAI — the message should appear in your conversations within a minute, and if you have AI replies enabled, VenueAI will respond to the inquiry automatically

If the message shows up in VenueAI: you're all set.

If it doesn't, check the following quickly:

  • In Instagram DMs, tap "Requests" at the top right — if the test message is sitting there, the setting in Step 2 above isn't saved correctly. Go back and try again.
  • If the message isn't in Requests or in your main inbox, your friend's message may not have been sent (check with them) or your Instagram account may have additional privacy restrictions — in that case, reach out to VenueAI support.

Other common questions

"I already had an Instagram Business account and connected through VenueAI. Do I still need to do these steps?" Yes. Even though connecting through Facebook grants VenueAI official permission to access your account, these two Instagram app settings are separate and must be set manually. This is Meta's design, not something VenueAI controls.

"Will old messages already in my Requests folder show up in VenueAI once I change the setting?" No. Changing the routing only affects new incoming messages. For messages currently in Requests, you'll need to manually accept them in Instagram — at that point VenueAI will start seeing future messages in that conversation.

"Does this apply to Facebook Messenger too?" No. Facebook Messenger messages come through automatically once your Page is connected. These two settings are specific to Instagram.

"I did both steps and it's still not working." Reach out to VenueAI support. Include the time of your test message and the Instagram handle of the account that sent it — we can trace the delivery on our end and tell you what's happening.