Connecting your Instagram and Facebook accounts is the very first thing to do after signing up — without it, scheduling, analytics and competitor research cannot work. The whole flow takes 2–3 minutes. This guide walks through it and explains the permission screens so you know exactly what you are agreeing to.
What you need before starting
- An Instagram Business account (not a personal account). If your account is currently personal, switch it to Business under Instagram → Settings → Account → Switch to professional account. It is free and reversible.
- A Facebook Page linked to that Instagram account. If you do not have one, create a free Facebook Page at facebook.com/pages/create.
- Admin access to both — you must be the page admin, not just a follower or editor.
If you sell anything online, switching to a Business account is worth doing anyway — analytics, ad eligibility and contact buttons all need it.
Step 1: Open the connect screen
From the Manva dashboard: Settings → Connections → Add connection → Instagram + Facebook.
You will see a "Connect with Facebook" button (Meta requires us to use Facebook's OAuth even for Instagram, since Instagram Business accounts are managed through Facebook).
Step 2: Sign in to Facebook
Click the button. A Facebook login popup opens. Sign in with the account that admins your Facebook Page and Instagram account.
Use the Facebook account that owns the page — not your team member's. If multiple people manage the page, the connection should come from the page owner so no future ownership changes break it.
Step 3: Choose the page and IG account
After signing in, Facebook shows two screens:
- Pick the Facebook Page(s) to connect. Tick only the page(s) you want Manva to manage. If you admin many pages but only want to connect one, untick the rest.
- Pick the Instagram account linked to that page. There is usually only one option per page.
Step 4: Review the permissions
This is the screen people skip — and it is the one worth reading. Manva asks for the minimum-required Instagram and Facebook permissions to do scheduling, analytics and OAuth. Here is what each permission lets us do:
| Permission | Why we need it |
|---|---|
| pages_show_list | List the pages you admin so you can pick the right one |
| pages_read_engagement | Read post engagement (likes, comments, reach) for your analytics dashboard |
| pages_manage_posts | Publish scheduled posts to your Facebook page |
| instagram_basic | Read your Instagram profile and account info |
| instagram_content_publish | Publish scheduled posts to your Instagram account |
| instagram_manage_insights | Read post insights (impressions, reach) for analytics |
| business_management | Required by Meta for any business-class API integration |
We do not ask for permission to read your personal messages, your friends list, your photos, or to post on your behalf to your personal profile.
Step 5: Authorise
Click Allow (or "Done"). Facebook redirects you back to Manva. Within a few seconds the connection appears under Settings → Connections with a green status badge and your account handle.
You will also receive a confirmation email so you have a record of when the connection was made.
What you can now do
With the connection live:
- Schedule and auto-publish posts to Instagram and Facebook from the post composer
- See analytics — likes, comments, reach, saves — on every published post
- Run competitor research using Instagram's Business Discovery API (only public profile data)
- Find your best time to post based on when your audience is actually active
- Auto-respond to DMs (if you turn on the optional auto-responder)
Re-connecting after a token expiry
Meta access tokens expire periodically (usually 60 days). When that happens, Manva auto-refreshes them in the background — you do not need to do anything. If a refresh fails (e.g. you changed your Facebook password), you will see a yellow warning badge in Settings → Connections asking you to reconnect. The reconnect flow is the same as the initial one and takes 30 seconds.
Disconnecting
If you ever want to revoke access:
- From Manva — Settings → Connections → click the IG/FB row → Disconnect
- From Facebook directly — Facebook → Settings & privacy → Settings → Apps and Websites → find Manva.ai → Remove
Either method instantly cuts off all access. Existing scheduled posts that are not yet published get cancelled.
Common issues and fixes
"No Instagram accounts found" — Your Instagram is still a personal account. Switch to Business inside Instagram → Settings → Account.
"No pages to choose from" — You are not an admin of any Facebook Page. Either become an admin of an existing one or create a new free Page.
"Permission denied" after authorising — Facebook sometimes mid-session-times-out. Sign out of Facebook in another tab, try again, and tick all permissions on the consent screen.
Connection works but nothing publishes — Re-check that the IG account is actually linked to the Facebook Page (Instagram → Settings → Linked accounts → Facebook). Without that link, the API cannot publish.
Frequently asked questions
Does Manva post anything I have not approved? No. Every scheduled post requires your explicit approval before it goes live. Auto-publish only fires for posts you have actively scheduled.
Can I connect multiple Instagram accounts? Yes. Repeat the connection flow for each account. Useful for businesses running multiple brands.
What about LinkedIn / X (Twitter) / YouTube? Each has its own connection flow under Settings → Connections, similar to this one.
A 2-minute connection unlocks everything Manva's Social Media Agent can do. If you only set up one thing today, this is the one.