This article guides you through finding, reading and replying to Facebook Messenger and Instagram messages in the Engage inbox, so your team can answer social enquiries without ever opening Meta's apps.
NOTE: You'll need a connected Facebook Page or Instagram account before messages can arrive. We suggest reading our How to Connect Facebook Messenger to Engage and How to Connect Instagram DMs to Engage articles to get set up.
Step 1: Find the Conversation
New Facebook and Instagram messages land in your Engage inbox within seconds — no refresh needed. You'll see them in All conversations, or you can click Facebook or Instagram in the Channels section of the navigation rail to show only that channel. Each row displays a small Messenger or Instagram icon, and the sender appears with their real name and profile photo where Meta makes them available.
NOTE: If a sender shows as "Facebook user" or "Instagram user", Meta didn't share their profile details when the message arrived. We suggest reading our Facebook and Instagram Troubleshooting in Engage article for the one-click fix for Facebook senders (there's no equivalent refresh for Instagram).
Step 2: Open the Conversation
Click the conversation to open it. The header shows a Messenger or Instagram chip so you always know which channel you're replying on. Because most people who message you on social media aren't clients yet, the header also shows a Not a patient badge with Link patient and Create new buttons — you can reply straight away without linking anyone. We suggest reading our How to Link a Conversation to a Client in Engage article for connecting the conversation to a client record when you're ready.
Step 3: Write Your Reply
The composer's channel chip is locked to Facebook or Instagram — you can't switch a social conversation to SMS or email, because those channels need a client record with contact details. The From row confirms the identity your reply is sent from: your Facebook Page's name for Messenger, or your @username for Instagram. Type your message in the composer.
NOTE: Replies on Facebook and Instagram are text-only. You can't send attachments on these channels, and incoming photos or files appear in the conversation as "[attachment]".
Step 4: Send the Message
Click Send (or press Cmd/Ctrl + Enter). Your reply appears in the conversation immediately with a sending spinner, then becomes a normal message bubble once it's on its way.
TIP: Facebook and Instagram messages are free — there's no per-message credit charge and no monthly subscription for either channel.
Step 5: Retry or Unsend a Failed Reply
If Meta rejects your message, the bubble gets a red border with a "Failed to send" marker. Click the bubble to open a menu with Retry and Unsend. The most common cause is timing: Meta only accepts replies within a limited window after the person's last message, so a reply sent too late is refused — retrying won't help until they message you again.
IMPORTANT: A failed reply is only flagged on the message bubble itself — there's no separate alert — so glance at your last message before moving on to the next conversation.
If your clinic has disconnected its Facebook Page, existing conversations stay in the inbox but the composer is replaced by a read-only notice: "Facebook Page disconnected. You can't reply on Messenger until the Page is reconnected. Reconnect it in the Channel Catalog to start sending again." Click Reconnect Facebook to open the Channel Catalog and reconnect — none of your conversation history is lost.
TIP: Want new Facebook and Instagram conversations automatically assigned to the right team member or labelled on arrival? We suggest reading our Conversation Routing: Auto-Route Incoming Messages in Engage article.
We suggest reading our Facebook and Instagram Troubleshooting in Engage article for help when messages stop arriving or replies keep failing.
For more guides, refer to related articles below, select additional guides, or use the search bar at the top of the page. These guides will help you get the most out of your Pabau account.
Additionally, to help you fully utilize and understand your Pabau account, we recommend exploring additional guides and resources offered at the Pabau Academy.