Introduction
Your Rep AI assistant can now respond directly to customer messages on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp—providing the same intelligent, personalized support you offer on your website chat. Handle full conversations, answer questions, and even perform actions like canceling orders right within the messaging platform where your customers already are.
This feature is free during the introductory period. We're rolling it out for everyone to try before we introduce pricing in the future.
What AI Answering Can Do
Answer Customer Questions
Product information and recommendations
Shipping and delivery inquiries
Return and exchange policies
Order status updates
Store hours and contact information
Any question covered by your knowledge base
Perform Actions (Based on Your Configuration)
Cancel orders
Change address
Update customer information
And other support skills you've enabled
Follow Your Instructions
Use your brand voice and tone
Apply custom AI instructions specific to each platform
Follow the same training and guidelines as your other channels
Your AI uses the same powerful engine that handles your website chat and email support—including all your configured skills like order cancellation, shipping inquiries, return policies, and more.
AI Answering vs. Classic Mode
AI Answering is the recommended experience for most merchants. However, if you prefer to keep conversations on your website, you can use Classic Mode instead—which sends customers a friendly message with a link to continue chatting on your site.
AI Answering (Recommended) | Classic Mode (Optional) |
|---|---|
Answers questions directly in the chat | Redirects customers to your website |
Customer stays in their preferred app | Customer continues on your site |
Full AI capabilities available | Website chat experience |
Can cancel orders, check status, and more | All actions happen on website |
Answers product and policy questions | Full product carousels on website |
You can switch between modes anytime using the toggle in each platform's settings.
Current Limitations
No Product Carousels
Unlike your website chat, AI Answering on Meta platforms does not display visual product carousels. Your AI will answer product questions and provide recommendations in text form, but customers won't see the interactive product cards with images and prices. For the full visual shopping experience with product carousels, customers can visit your website chat—or you can use Classic Mode to redirect them there.
Human Agent Detection
When a human agent from your team responds to a conversation, AI Answering automatically pauses to avoid confusion. This intelligent handoff is currently available on Instagram and Facebook. WhatsApp support for human agent detection is coming soon—until then, be mindful of potential overlap on WhatsApp conversations.
Getting Started
For New Accounts
If you're connecting Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp to Rep AI for the first time, AI Answering will be enabled automatically. You don't need to do anything extra—just connect your account and your AI will start responding to messages right away.
For Existing Accounts
If you already have Meta integrations connected, you'll need to manually enable AI Answering for each platform. Look for the promotional card on your Rep AI homepage:
Homepage Card:
You'll see a card titled "New Feature: AI Answering for Meta Platforms" with the message: "Extend your AI to Facebook, Instagram & WhatsApp messages at no extra cost during launch period."
Click "Setup Now" to go directly to your integration settings
Click "Learn More" to read about the feature
This card will appear until you've enabled AI Answering on your connected Meta platforms.
How to Connect and Enable AI Answering
Connecting Instagram
Navigate to Integrations
Go to Settings → Integrations in your Rep AI Console
Select the Social tab
Find and click the Instagram card
Authorize with Meta
Click "Connect" to start the authorization process
You'll be redirected to Meta's login page
Log in with your Meta account that manages your Instagram business profile
Grant Rep AI the requested permissions for messaging
Select Your Accounts
After authorization, you'll see a list of your Instagram business accounts
Toggle ON the accounts you want Rep AI to manage
Each account shows its name and ID for reference
Enable AI Answering
Scroll to the "What's next?" section
Find the toggle: "Enable AI answering directly on Instagram"
Turn it ON to activate full AI responses
Leave it OFF if you prefer Classic Mode (redirect to website)
Add Custom Instructions (Optional)
Toggle "Use specific AI instructions for Instagram messages" if you want platform-specific guidance
Enter your instructions in the text field (e.g., "Use a friendly but professional tone, keep responses conversational...")
Use the "Polish prompt" button to improve your instructions
Test It Out
Send a test DM to your Instagram business account
Verify that Rep AI responds appropriately
Connecting Facebook
Navigate to Integrations
Go to Settings → Integrations → Social
Find and click the Facebook card
Authorize with Meta
Click "Connect" to start authorization
Log in with your Meta account that manages your Facebook business pages
Select which Facebook pages you want to connect
Grant the necessary permissions
Select Your Pages
You'll see a list of available Facebook pages
Toggle ON each page you want Rep AI to manage
You can connect multiple pages if you have several
Enable AI Answering
In the "What's next?" section, find "Enable AI answering directly on Facebook"
The description reads: "When enabled, your AI will reply directly on Facebook instead of redirecting customers to chat on your website."
Turn this toggle ON for full AI capabilities
Leave it OFF if you prefer Classic Mode
Add Custom Instructions (Optional)
Toggle "Use specific AI instructions for Facebook messages"
These instructions override general AI instructions for Facebook only
Enter your custom guidance and use "Polish prompt" to refine
Test Your Setup
Open Facebook and send a message to your connected page
Confirm that Rep AI responds with a full answer
Connecting WhatsApp
Navigate to Integrations
Go to Settings → Integrations → Social
Find and click the WhatsApp card
Authorize with Meta
Click "Connect" to begin
Log in with your Meta account that manages your WhatsApp Business
Grant the required permissions for messaging
Select Your Business Accounts and Phone Numbers
WhatsApp shows your business accounts (you may have multiple for different regions)
Under each account, you'll see associated phone numbers with country codes
Toggle ON each phone number you want Rep AI to manage
Enable AI Answering
Find "Enable AI answering directly on WhatsApp" in the settings
Turn it ON to activate full AI responses
Leave it OFF if you prefer Classic Mode
Add Custom Instructions (Optional)
Enable platform-specific instructions if needed
Enter your WhatsApp-specific guidance
Test Your Connection
Send a message to one of your activated WhatsApp numbers
Verify the AI responds with full answers
Customizing AI Behavior Per Platform
Each Meta platform has its own AI instructions toggle that lets you override your general AI instructions. This is useful when you want:
A more casual tone on Instagram vs. formal on WhatsApp
Different response lengths for each platform
Platform-specific policies or messaging
To add custom instructions:
Go to the platform's integration settings
Toggle ON "Use specific AI instructions for [platform] messages"
Enter your instructions in the text field
Click "Polish prompt" for AI-powered improvements
Save your changes
When this toggle is OFF, your general AI instructions apply to messages from that platform.
Smart Human Handoff
When your team members respond to a conversation, Rep AI automatically detects the human involvement and stops responding. This prevents confusing situations where both AI and humans are replying to the same customer.
Current Availability:
Instagram: Human agent detection active
Facebook: Human agent detection active
WhatsApp: Coming soon
On WhatsApp, until human detection is fully implemented, be aware that AI may respond even after your team has engaged. Coordinate with your team to avoid overlapping responses on WhatsApp conversations.
Pricing
AI Answering for Meta platforms is currently free during our introductory period. We're rolling out this feature for all merchants to try and gather feedback.
In the future, we will introduce pricing for this feature. We'll notify you well in advance of any changes so you can plan accordingly.
Tracking Performance in Analytics
All conversations from Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp are tracked in your Rep AI analytics dashboard, allowing you to measure engagement and performance across your social channels.
Traffic Source Filtering
You can filter your analytics by traffic source to see conversations from each Meta platform:
Instagram DM — Conversations from Instagram Direct Messages
Facebook DM — Conversations from Facebook Messenger
WhatsApp — Conversations from WhatsApp Business
Use these filters on your Analytics and Conversations pages to understand how customers engage with your AI on each platform, track response quality, and identify opportunities to improve.
Platform Filtering
Your analytics also include a separate Platform filter (e.g., Web, iOS, Android). Note that traffic source and platform are different dimensions:
Traffic Source tells you where the conversation originated (Instagram DM, Facebook DM, WhatsApp, Website, etc.)
Platform tells you what device or app the customer used
Currently, these filters work independently. If you want to analyze Meta channel performance specifically, use the Traffic Source filter and select the relevant Meta options (Instagram DM, Facebook DM, or WhatsApp).
Troubleshooting
AI Not Responding
Check that the "Enable AI answering" toggle is ON
Verify your account/page is toggled ON in the account list
Ensure your Meta connection is still active (look for "Connected" status)
Want to Use Classic Mode Instead?
Turn OFF the "Enable AI answering directly" toggle
Your AI will send a friendly redirect message to your website instead
Can't See the Homepage Card
The card appears for merchants who have Meta integrations but haven't enabled AI Answering
If you've already enabled it, the card won't appear
Connection Issues
Re-authorize your Meta connection if permissions have changed
Ensure your Instagram/Facebook/WhatsApp accounts are business accounts
Check that accounts are in good standing with Meta
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is AI Answering free? A: Yes, it's free during the introductory period. We'll announce pricing before making any changes.
Q: Will AI Answering be enabled automatically? A: For new connections, yes—AI Answering is ON by default. Existing connections need to manually enable it via the toggle in integration settings.
Q: Can I still redirect customers to my website instead? A: Yes! If you prefer the classic experience, simply leave the "Enable AI answering directly" toggle OFF. Your AI will send a friendly message with a link to continue the conversation on your website.
Q: Why don't I see product carousels like on my website? A: Meta messaging platforms don't support our interactive product carousel format. Your AI will answer product questions in text form. For the full visual experience with product images and carousels, use Classic Mode to direct customers to your website chat.
Q: What happens when my team responds to a customer? A: On Instagram and Facebook, the AI automatically pauses for that conversation. On WhatsApp, this feature is coming soon.
Q: Can I use different AI instructions for each platform? A: Yes! Each platform has a toggle to enable custom instructions that override your general AI settings.
Q: What skills does AI Answering support? A: AI Answering supports the same skills as your website chat—including order cancellation, returns, shipping inquiries, and more. The available actions depend on what you've configured in your Rep AI account.
Q: How do I know if it's working? A: Send a test message to your connected account. If AI Answering is enabled, you'll get a full response. If Classic Mode is enabled, you'll get a redirect link to your website.