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Sometimes a Messenger or Instagram channel connects cleanly — no error, the inbox appears in Cura — but messages still don’t reach the AI, or a different tool answers instead. When that happens, the fix is almost always a setting on Meta’s side, not in Cura. Cura can connect to your Page or Instagram account, but it can’t override how Meta routes your messages or what your Instagram privacy settings allow. This article covers the four most common connected-but-silent situations on Messenger and Instagram. If the channel won’t connect at all (an error during the popup), see I can’t connect a channel instead. If a reply is being blocked because too much time passed since the customer’s last message, that’s a messaging window, not a connection problem.
Throughout this page, look for the label on each fix: By design (fix on Meta) means it’s a Meta rule you change in Facebook or Instagram settings — Cura can’t do it for you. Fixable in Cura means there’s an action inside Cura that resolves it.

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Messenger is connected, but the AI never sees messages (or another app answers)

What you see: Your Facebook Page connected without error and the inbox appears in Cura, but inbound Messenger messages never trigger an AI reply. Sometimes another tool (a previous chatbot, or the Meta Business Suite inbox) answers them instead. Why it happens: Meta’s Handover Protocol decides which connected app receives a Page’s incoming messages. Among all the apps behind a Page, only one can be the Primary Receiver — and by default Meta sends every new conversation to that app. If another tool is set as your Page’s Primary Receiver, Cura only receives standby copies it isn’t allowed to reply to, so the AI stays silent. This is a Meta routing rule, not a Cura limit.
By design (fix on Meta). This is the single most common cause of a “connected but silent” Messenger inbox when you’re switching from another chatbot. The old tool is still your Page’s Primary Receiver.
1

Open your Page's advanced messaging settings

On your Facebook Page, go to Settings → New Pages experience → Advanced messaging. (Only someone with Full control of the Page can open this — see the note below.)
2

Find the Messenger receiver

Under App settings, locate Messenger receiver (part of the Handover protocol) and click Configure.
3

Set Cura as the Primary Receiver

Open the Primary Receiver dropdown and select the Cura app. If a different tool is listed and you no longer use it, remove it so it can’t grab messages again.
With Cura set as Primary Receiver, send a test message to your Page from another Facebook account — it should now appear in the Cura Inbox and get an AI reply.
Configuring the Handover Protocol requires Full control (“Facebook access”, not just Task access) of the Page. If you don’t see the Advanced messaging option, ask a Page admin to grant you Full control, or to make the change for you. See the Page-role steps in I can’t connect a channel.

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Instagram is connected, but DMs never reach Cura

What you see: Your Instagram account shows as Connected in Cura, but no direct message ever triggers an AI reply. The inbox stays empty even when you DM the account yourself. Why it happens: Instagram has a privacy switch that must be on for any connected tool to read or send your DMs: Allow access to messages (under Connected tools). If it’s off, Cura connects successfully but Instagram never hands it your messages. This is the most common Instagram ticket by far, and it applies to both Business and Creator accounts.
Fixable — but on Instagram, by you. This one lives in the Instagram mobile app, not in Cura. It takes about 20 seconds.
1

Open the Instagram app on your phone

Use the phone logged into the Instagram Professional account you connected to Cura.
2

Go to Message controls → Connected tools

Tap your profile, open the menu, then Settings and activity → Messages and story replies → Message controls → Connected tools.
3

Turn on Allow access to messages

Toggle Allow access to messages to on.
Send a test DM to your Instagram account from another phone — it should now land in the Cura Inbox and get an AI reply.
If the toggle is already on and DMs still don’t arrive, the linked Facebook Page’s Handover Protocol may be routing Instagram messages to a different app — the same Primary Receiver rule as Messenger above applies to the Instagram receiver on that Page. Set Cura as the Primary Receiver there too.

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Instagram won’t connect or doesn’t appear in the list

What you see: During Add Channel → Instagram, your account doesn’t appear to select, or Cura reports it can’t find an Instagram Business Account linked to your Facebook Pages. Why it happens: Meta’s messaging API only works with an Instagram Professional account (Business or Creator) — personal accounts cannot be connected. And when you connect Instagram through Facebook login, that Professional account must be linked to a Facebook Page, because Instagram’s messaging permissions and handover settings live on the Page.
By design (fix on Meta). These are Meta prerequisites, not Cura restrictions — Cura can’t connect a personal account or an unlinked one.
1

Switch Instagram to a Professional account

In the Instagram app: Settings → Account type and tools → Switch to professional account, and choose Business or Creator.
2

Link it to a Facebook Page

Make sure the Instagram account is linked to a Facebook Page — a basic placeholder Page is fine. Link it from Facebook Page → Settings → Linked accounts → Instagram, or from the Instagram app’s Accounts Center.
3

Retry the connect

Back in Cura, run Add Channel → Instagram again, signing in with the Facebook account that administers that Page.
Your Instagram account now appears and the inbox is created.
A full walk-through of the connect errors (wrong Facebook account, deselected permissions, account type) lives in I can’t connect a channel.

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Messenger or Instagram worked, then went quiet after a Facebook change

What you see: A Messenger or Instagram channel that worked for weeks suddenly stops receiving or sending. Often the channel shows a needs reconnect state in Cura. Why it happens: Meta invalidates the access token Cura uses whenever the connected Facebook account changes its password, when that person loses admin access to the Page, or when someone removes Cura from their Facebook Business Integrations. Meta does this for security — the old session (error 190) is killed. Cura keeps trying with the dead token until you re-authorise. Instagram’s access also lapses on its own roughly every 60 days if it can’t be refreshed.
Fixable in Cura. You don’t need to remove and re-add the channel — use Reconnect on the existing inbox to mint a fresh token.
1

Reconnect with an admin Facebook account

Go to Integrations → Channels, open the affected channel, and click Reconnect. Sign in with a Facebook account that still has admin / Full control of the Page.
2

Leave every permission on

On Facebook’s blue permission screen, keep every requested permission toggled on — deselecting one is what caused a “connected but silent” state in the first place.
3

Confirm it's live

Send a test message to the Page or Instagram account — it should reach the Cura Inbox again.
Cura proactively refreshes WhatsApp and Instagram tokens for you in the background and flags the channel before it goes dark. Messenger Page tokens don’t expire on a timer, so Cura reacts the moment a send fails. Either way, Reconnect is the fix. See A channel shows as disconnected for the full reset steps.

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Still stuck?

  • If the channel shows already connected (to another workspace or tool) when you try to add it, see This channel is already connected.
  • If a specific customer’s reply is failing but others work, the messaging window may have closed for that conversation.
  • Anything else, contact support@cura.so with your Page or Instagram account name.