Instagram Shared access
Why it matters for agencies
Instagram Shared access is the right route for a social media manager who posts, comments and replies by hand inside the Instagram app. It gives a person access to the account, and it does not connect a tool, so it does nothing for comment-to-DM automation. An agency that does both usually uses two routes side by side: Shared access for the people posting, and the DM tool's own connect step for the automations.
Three details from Instagram's and Meta's help centres, read on 9 and 12 October 2026, shape how an agency uses it:
- The inbox is a separate switch. Accepting an invitation does not open the account's DMs. The owner turns inbox access on person by person, and story access is its own switch too.
- The owner sees what was done. Shared access keeps an activity record of the posts, comments, likes and follows each person made on the account.
- Not every account has it, and the number of people is limited. Shared access is available to eligible accounts only, and not to teens. The invite limits come from Meta One, Meta's paid subscription plans: up to 4 people on Advanced, 8 on Expert and 30 on Max. Meta says Meta One is in limited testing and not available everywhere yet (read 12 October 2026).
How is it different from partner access and a connect link?
Instagram Shared access, Meta Business Suite partner access and a DM tool's connect link each hand over a different thing:
| Route | Who it gives access to | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Shared access | A person, invited from the profile | Posting, commenting and replying in the Instagram app |
| Meta Business Suite partner access | Another business portfolio, such as an agency's | Ads, Pages and content across Meta's tools |
| A DM tool's connect link | A tool, approved by the owner on Instagram's own login screen | Automations such as comment-to-DM |
How to give an agency access to Instagram without the password sets out all three in full, and connect a client's Instagram without the password shows inDM's connect link, screen by screen.
How does the owner take Shared access back?
The owner removes a person from the same Shared access screen the invitation was sent from, without needing that person's help. A connected tool is removed separately, in Instagram's settings under Apps and websites.