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Connect your Instagram business account

Instagram only lets third-party apps post on its behalf if the account is a Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook page. The good news: when you connect Facebook, we connect Instagram automatically.

Step 1: Make sure your Instagram is a Business or Creator account

  1. Open the Instagram app on your phone.
  2. Go to your profile → menu (☰) → Settings and privacy.
  3. Scroll to For professionals → Account type and tools.
  4. Tap Switch to professional account. Pick Business or Creator.
  5. Pick a category that fits your org (e.g. "Nonprofit Organization"). Save.

Step 2: Link Instagram to your Facebook page

  1. Still in Instagram → Settings → Account type and tools → Linked accounts.
  2. Tap Facebook and link the Facebook page you admin (not your personal profile).
  3. Confirm in Facebook when it pops up.

Or do it from the Facebook side: go to your Facebook page → Settings → Linked accounts → Instagram → Connect.

Step 3: Connect on ScanRaise

  1. Go to your org's Social accounts page (Dashboard → org → Social).
  2. Click Connect with Instagram (or Connect with Facebook - either works since they share a token).
  3. Sign in to Facebook, pick your page, approve permissions including instagram_content_publish.
  4. You will be bounced back to ScanRaise. Both Instagram and Facebook show a green "Connected" pill.

Manual path: paste a Page Access Token

If the one-click flow does not work for you, follow the manual Facebook setup at Connect your Facebook page → Manual path, then come back here and grab one extra value: your Instagram business account ID.

  1. Open developers.facebook.com/tools/explorer, paste your long-lived Page Access Token in the field at the top right.
  2. In the request box at the top, type {your_page_id}?fields=instagram_business_account and click Submit.
  3. The response shows { "instagram_business_account": { "id": "1234567890" } }. Copy that long number - that is your Instagram business account ID.
  4. Back on ScanRaise, expand "I have a Page Access Token already" on the Instagram card, paste the Instagram business account ID and the same long-lived Page Access Token, and click Save token.

Common gotchas

Instagram says no pages found.
Your Instagram account is still personal, OR it is not linked to a Facebook page. Run Steps 1 and 2 above.
Connect worked, but posting fails with "image required".
Instagram requires every post to have an image. ScanRaise auto-attaches a 1080x1080 social card from your campaign data, so this should be automatic. If you see this error, your campaign may have no fundraisers yet (we generate the social card from a fundraiser's short code). Add a class or fundraiser to the campaign and retry.
Can I post to my personal Instagram?
No. Meta's API only allows third-party posting to Business or Creator accounts. Switch the account type per Step 1.
Will posts say "via ScanRaise"?
No. Posts appear natively from your Instagram handle.
Back to Social accounts Still stuck? Contact us