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Instagram · Message requests

Why do my Instagram messages land in the “Requests” folder?

Short answer: there are really two separate things here, and they often get mixed up. The first is which tab a message shows in (Requests vs. your inbox); the second is which app the message goes to (Instagram Direct vs. Facebook Messenger). When you run ads, the second one is what really matters.

30-second summary

  • The “Requests” folder = people who don’t follow you. Ad audiences mostly don’t follow you, so their first message lands here. This is normal and can’t be turned off.
  • The real risk is the message going to Messenger. An ad built in Meta Ads Manager can route the message to Facebook Messenger — in which case it never reaches your Instagram DMs.
  • The fix: Run the ad from the Instagram app (destination defaults to Instagram Direct), or in Ads Manager set the message destination to Instagram only.

Why does the “Requests” folder exist?

Instagram collects messages from people who don’t follow you (or have never messaged you before) into a separate “Requests” tab as spam protection. On business accounts this filter is stricter; messages it suspects are spam can even drop into a “Hidden requests” sub-folder. Since ads, by definition, reach new people who don’t follow you yet, most first messages show up under Requests. So the cause isn’t that you ran the ad “from Meta” — it’s that the audience doesn’t follow you.

Route ad messages to the right place

1

Simplest path: run the ad from the Instagram app

In the Instagram app, use “Boost post” under your post → choose the “Get more messages” goal. This makes the message destination Instagram Direct automatically — conversations arrive in your Instagram DMs and don’t drift to Messenger.Instagram → open the post → Boost post → Goal: Get more messages → Instagram Direct.
2

If you use Ads Manager: set the destination to Instagram ONLY

In Meta Ads Manager, a message ad can route the conversation to Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp. If Messenger stays selected, messages go to Facebook Messenger and won’t appear in your Instagram DMs.Engagement objective → Ad set → Messaging apps → Ad type “Click to message” → from the apps pick Instagram only, and leave Messenger unchecked.Note: to build this ad in Ads Manager, your Instagram professional account must be linked to a Facebook Page.
3

Accept the first “Request” — let the assistant take over

Even with the right destination set, a non-follower’s first message can appear under the Requests tab. Tap “Accept” and the conversation moves into your normal inbox; the Talkano assistant continues from there.Instagram DM → Requests tab at the top → open the message → Accept.

How this relates to Talkano

The Talkano assistant works on Instagram Direct; it does not support Facebook Messenger. That’s why routing ad messages to Instagram Direct is essential — it’s what lets the assistant see and answer them. Once the conversation is in your Instagram DMs, the assistant replies 24/7 from your business knowledge, and hands off to you when it isn’t sure. If a message accidentally goes to Messenger, Talkano can’t see it — because that isn’t a supported channel.

Still can’t see your messages?

If you’ve routed the ad to Instagram Direct and checked your Requests, but messages still don’t show up, send us a screenshot of your ad settings — info@roomanos.com. We’ll look into it together.

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