Inbound

Overview

The Instagram Inbound Messages Trigger is an input node (inbound trigger) based on social conversation events. Its main function is to monitor the direct messages (DM) channel of business profiles and instantly trigger an automation flow or chatbot the moment a user sends a new private message to the brand.

Support Retention Rule: Keeping the state intelligence pattern of the other channels, this component has a native safety lock. It will only start executing the automation if the contact does not have any human support or open ticket in the system. If the user is already being assisted by an operator, the messages they send will continue to go straight to the human agent’s screen, ignoring this trigger to avoid loops or breaks in the support experience.

Configuration Parameters

Trigger settings link the automation to the brand’s official account through the following criterion:

• Channel: Drop-down menu used to select which Instagram Business Account integrated with the platform will be monitored by this specific flow. It lists all linked business profiles that have permission to receive messages enabled via the Instagram Messaging API.

Visual Builder

The graphical interface focuses on isolating the starting point and keeping channel architecture search simple:

• Profile Text Search: The drop-down menu offers an internal search field (Type your search here) to quickly locate the correct business account in workspaces that manage multiple brands or branches.

• Initial Node Without Input: In the flow graph editor, this component is positioned at the far left starting edge of the screen. It has no subsequent input connectors, since the energy that starts its execution comes exclusively from an external stimulus (the message sent by the user in the DM).

Special Operators

The logical properties of this component manage the capture of social identities and the control of conversation windows:

• Social Profile Payload Injection: As soon as the user sends the message, the trigger engine captures the public data authorized by the Meta API, such as the Username (Instagram Username) and the User ID (IGSID), making these variables immediately available for personalization and greetings in the next blocks.

• Default Response Window (Meta’s 24-hour rule): Activating the component records the user’s exact entry timestamp. The system uses this marker to control the standard 24-hour window set by Meta, ensuring that subsequent automated replies in the flow are sent within the eligible communication time frame.

Practical Examples

The table below shows classic trigger behavior scenarios according to the user’s current status on the platform:

Selected Account (Channel)	User Status in the Panel	User Action in the DM	Trigger Behavior
@loja_ficticia	No open tickets.	Sent "I’d like to know the price of that product".	Triggers the flow: The trigger captures the contact and starts the self-service chatbot menu.
@marca_suporte	In support with Agent Mariana.	Sent a photo or screenshot in the DM.	Ignores the trigger: The content goes straight to Mariana’s screen; the automation does not interfere with the conversation.
@loja_ficticia	Waiting in the Business Waiting Queue.	Sent the message "Is anyone there yet?".	Ignores the trigger: The contact remains in the human dashboard’s waiting queue, keeping the original arrival priority.