Set up your Meta app and connect Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp

Facebook and Instagram connect through a Meta app. You add the app once, then connect accounts; both happen on Settings → Social accounts. An agency can add several apps, for example one per client Business Manager; every login made through an app becomes a separate connection.

#Before you start

• A Meta (Facebook) developer account and a Business Manager.
• Admin access to the Facebook Page you want to connect. The Instagram account must be a Business or Creator account.
• The Owner, Admin or Member role in SEOAsist.

#Create the Meta app

1. Go to developers.facebook.com/apps, click Create App, choose the Business type and link it to your Business Manager.
2. Add the use cases you need:
   • Authenticate and request data from users with Facebook Login: adds Facebook Login for Business.
   • Manage messaging & content on Instagram, only if you want to connect an Instagram account without a Facebook Page: adds API setup with Instagram login.
   • Measure ad performance data with Marketing API, if you want to see ads on Social media → Ads. To create and change campaigns, the app also needs the Marketing API ads management permissions listed below.

#Create a Facebook Login for Business configuration

Facebook Login for Business asks for permissions through a configuration, not a list of scopes. Without one, Meta's login screen fails with "Invalid Scopes".

1. In Meta, open Facebook Login for Business → Configurations and create a configuration.
2. Add the permissions SEOAsist uses:
   • Pages and Instagram: pages_show_list, pages_read_engagement, pages_manage_posts, pages_manage_metadata, read_insights, instagram_basic, instagram_content_publish, instagram_manage_insights, business_management.
   • Ads: ads_read to see spend and results; add ads_management and pages_manage_ads if you want to create and change campaigns.
3. Save it and copy the configuration ID.

#Add the app in SEOAsist

1. Open Settings → Social accounts and expand the Meta apps card.
2. Under Redirect URLs to add to your Meta app there is one URL for Facebook and one for Instagram. Copy each with the copy button.
3. In Meta, paste the Facebook URL into Facebook Login for Business → Settings → Valid OAuth Redirect URIs and save. Paste the Instagram URL into the redirect URL field under API setup with Instagram login → Business login settings.
4. Back in SEOAsist, click Add app and fill in:
   • Label, for example "Client A · Business Manager".
   • Meta App ID and Meta App Secret from Meta's Settings → Basic.
   • Facebook Login for Business configuration ID: the ID from the previous step.
   • Instagram App ID and Instagram App Secret, only if you use Instagram login. Meta shows these as a separate pair on the Instagram login screen; don't mix them up with the Facebook pair.
5. Click Save. You see "Meta app added."

App IDs contain digits only, and every App ID needs its Secret. Secrets are stored encrypted. To add or change the configuration ID of an app you already saved, click Configuration ID on its row.

#App Review

Until Meta approves your app in App Review, its permissions only work for people who have a role on the app (admin, developer, tester). That is enough for your own Pages and accounts. To connect other people's accounts, submit the publishing and insights permissions above for review. Creating and changing ads needs ads_management, pages_manage_ads and business_management to pass App Review as well; until then the Ads page runs in Read-only mode.

#Connect Facebook and Instagram accounts

1. Pick the site in the site picker at the top of Settings → Social accounts.
2. Choose one:
   • Connect with Facebook brings your Facebook Pages, the Instagram account linked to each Page and your ad accounts in one go.
   • Connect with Instagram is for an Instagram Business/Creator account without a Facebook Page. The same buttons also appear on each app's row in the Meta apps card.
3. Sign in and approve the accounts and permissions in Facebook's own window. Your Facebook password is never sent to SEOAsist.
4. Back on Social accounts you see "… accounts connected." Each account is mapped to its own site; see Social media for matching accounts to sites.

Accounts connected through Instagram login have 60-day access that is renewed automatically before it expires.

#Connect WhatsApp notifications

The WhatsApp connection is for outgoing notifications only (approval and report notifications). Incoming messages are not read.

1. Add the WhatsApp product to your Meta app and copy the Phone Number ID from API Setup.
2. In Business Manager, go to System Users, create a system user and generate a permanent token with whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management.
3. Under Message Templates, create a UTILITY template with one variable ({{1}}) and get it approved. The default name is seoasist_alert, language tr.
4. On Settings → Social accounts, click Connect WhatsApp, enter the Phone Number ID, the System User access token (permanent), the template name and language, then click Connect and verify.
5. Under Settings → Notifications, tick WhatsApp, enter the recipient numbers with country code and send a test.

#Verify

• The Meta apps card lists your app with its App ID and "Config …".
• The Accounts table lists your Pages, Instagram and ad accounts, each with a site.
• The refresh icon on a row (Fetch insights now) updates followers and reach.

#FAQ

#Meta says "Invalid Scopes". What is wrong?

The app uses Facebook Login for Business but has no configuration ID in SEOAsist. Create a configuration in Meta, then click Configuration ID on the app's row and enter it.

#Why is "Connect with Facebook" greyed out?

No Meta app is set up, or the app has no Meta App ID. Add the app under Settings → Social accounts. The Instagram button needs the Instagram App ID and Secret.

#I get "Meta permission was not granted". Why?

You left Meta's consent screen without approving, or declined a permission. Connect again and approve all permissions.

#What does "Session could not be verified; try again." mean?

The connection flow was interrupted or restarted in another tab. Start connecting again from the Social accounts page.

#What causes "Could not obtain a token"?

Usually the redirect URL in Meta does not exactly match the one on the card, or the App Secret is wrong. Copy the URL from the card again and re-enter the Secret.