Instagram creator tools and controls sit in your settings. In the app, tap your profile, open the menu, tap Settings and activity, then choose Account type and tools under For professionals. On instagram.com, a creator account opens Settings and picks Creator tools and controls. Instagram's Help Center uses both names.

Where is Creator tools on Instagram?

Creator tools sit under For professionals in your settings, and the name on the entry depends on where you open it. Instagram's Help Center gives three routes (read 12 October 2026).

  • In the app. Tap your profile picture, tap the menu to open Settings and activity, then tap Account type and tools below For professionals (Set up a professional Instagram account).
  • On instagram.com. Click More, then Settings. A creator account selects Creator tools and controls, and a business account selects Business tools and controls. In the left-hand menu under For professionals, Professional account holds your category label and contact details.
  • From your profile. Tap Professional dashboard on your profile, or open Settings and activity and tap Insights below For professionals (About Instagram dashboards).

Instagram's own articles don't agree on one name. The setup article says Account type and tools, the branded content article says Business tools and controls or Creator tools and controls, and Instagram's February 2026 post for creators says Account Type and Tools. Look under For professionals and open whichever of those names you see.

Why can't I see Creator tools on my account?

You see the full set only on a professional account, which means a Creator or Business account. A personal account that is public gets a smaller set: Instagram's dashboard article says to tap Your dashboard below Your insights and tools.

In a post dated 26 February 2026, Instagram for Creators said all public accounts now have a foundational set of tools and insights, including a dashboard, and that moving to a professional account unlocks monetization and business features. Other features, it said, such as trial reels and channels, open up as you reach milestones.

Three more reasons the menu can look short:

  • Region and eligibility. The dashboard article says the tools you see vary by account type, region and eligibility. Several Help Center articles carry the note "This product or feature may not be available to you yet."
  • A private account. Switching a private personal account to professional makes it public, and pending follow requests are accepted. Our guide to switching to a professional account shows the steps.
  • The wrong account type for one tool. Instagram says marking a chat as unread is only for creator accounts, so a business account won't see it.

What is in Creator tools and controls on Instagram?

Instagram has no single page that lists everything in the menu, so this is the set its Help Center articles tell you to open from it. Each line names where Instagram says to find it.

  • Switching account type. Tap Account type and tools, then Account type, then Switch account type. You can change between creator, business and personal at any time. Instagram warns that going back to personal means you lose access to ads, may lose some tools, and disconnects any Facebook Page linked to the account. The differences between the two professional types are in creator vs business account.
  • The professional dashboard. It tracks reach, engagement and audience, shows a summary of the last 30 days, and gathers tools such as Subscriptions, the branded content tool, partnership ads and payouts. Business tools such as ads and frequently asked questions sit there too.
  • Requesting verification. In the app, tap Menu, then Professional dashboard, tap Settings at the top, and scroll to Request verification. Instagram says submitting a request does not guarantee a badge, and describes Meta Verified for businesses as a paid subscription.
  • Inbox tools. A professional account gets an inbox with Primary, General and Requests folders, and you can sort Requests by date received or by top accounts.
  • Earning tools. Branded content, the creator marketplace and Subscriptions have their own section below.

Which Instagram creator tools help you earn?

Instagram lists five monetization tools, each with its own eligibility page: Badges, Bonuses, Creator marketplace, Gifts and Subscriptions. Instagram says your account and content must follow its Community Standards, Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies to use any of them.

Branded content tools. Tap your profile, tap Menu, tap Business tools and controls or Creator tools and controls, tap Branded content, then Set up branded content tools. If you're eligible, tap Enable. If you're not, you can request a review. All branded content must be disclosed with the paid partnership label, and adding that label is only available in the app.

Creator marketplace. On your profile tap Professional dashboard, then Branded content, then Join creator marketplace. Instagram's requirements are that you are at least 18, have a professional and public account, have at least 1,000 followers, and agree to its partner monetization policies. The marketplace isn't available in Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria or Russia. Once you join, brands can message you in a Partnership messages folder. More on how it works is in our page on the Instagram creator marketplace.

Subscriptions. In the app, tap Professional dashboard, scroll to Monetization, tap Subscription, choose a monthly price and tap Publish. A price change applies only to new subscribers. Instagram's Help Center says its revenue share is currently 0%, and that Google and Apple collect 30% in fees for in-app purchases. We explain how this works in Instagram subscriptions.

Which tools manage your messages?

Two areas of the menu manage messages: the inbox tools above and the chat frequently asked questions. Instagram's chat article describes the second one (read 12 October 2026).

To set up frequently asked questions, tap your profile, tap Menu, tap Business tools and controls, then tap Frequently asked questions. Instagram says you can also reach it from Messages, under Tools. You can add up to four questions, each with an optional automated answer, and the feature is for business and creator accounts. When a person taps one of your questions, their message goes to your Requests, and you need to accept it before you can reply.

Creator accounts also get Mark as unread. Press and hold a chat in your inbox, then tap Mark as unread, and a blue dot reminds you to come back. Instagram says it only works as a reminder on your side: it doesn't mark anything unread for the other person, and it doesn't change your Activity Status.

The dashboard that gathers these tools, and what to do when it does not appear, is walked through in the Instagram professional dashboard.

Where this stops working

  • We read the Help Center, not a live creator account. Labels, menu order and paths in your app may differ from what we describe, because Instagram's own articles differ from each other.
  • Some of it isn't open to everyone. Instagram marks several features as possibly unavailable to you yet, and eligibility depends on your account, your follower count and where you live.
  • Some things we couldn't verify. We didn't confirm the eligibility figures for Badges, Bonuses or Gifts, so they are left out. We also didn't confirm what every entry in your own menu is called.
  • The menu is Instagram's own, not a list of outside apps. Scheduling tools, link pages and DM tools are separate products.

Instagram's chat questions are a good start for repeated queries, but they put people in Requests. If you want a keyword comment on a post to receive your link as a DM, inDM does that on Business and Creator accounts, through Instagram's own login.

Now you know which menu to open, why it can look different from someone else's, and which parts are worth setting up first.

Sources

Read on 12 October 2026: