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

Facebook and Instagram connect through your own Meta app, so app review, limits and data stay in your account. You set it up once, then connect accounts with one click on the Social media page.

#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 the Facebook Login for Business product.
   • Manage messaging & content on Instagram, if you want to connect an Instagram account without a Facebook Page: adds the API setup with Instagram login screen.
   • Measure ad performance data with Marketing API, if you want to see ad spend.

#Add the redirect URLs

1. In SEOAsist, open Social media and expand the Your Meta app card in the right column.
2. Under Redirect URLs to add to your Meta app you see 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.
4. Paste the Instagram URL into the redirect URL field under API setup with Instagram login → Business login settings.

#Enter the IDs in SEOAsist

1. In Meta, open Settings → Basic and copy the App ID and App Secret.
2. On the Your Meta app card, fill in Meta App ID and Meta App Secret.
3. If you use Instagram login, also fill in Instagram App ID and Instagram App Secret. Meta shows these as a separate pair on the Instagram login screen; don't mix them up with the Facebook pair.
4. Click Save. The card should now say "Using your own app".

App IDs contain digits only, and every App ID needs its Secret. Secrets are stored encrypted; if you later save with a secret field left empty, the current value is kept.

#Connect Facebook and Instagram accounts

1. Use the site picker at the top of the page to choose the site the accounts belong to.
2. On the Accounts card, pick 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.
3. Approve the accounts and permissions on Meta's consent screen.
4. Back on Social media you see "… accounts connected."
5. On each account row, choose which site's content goes to it and, if you like, tick Auto share. A post is then created automatically when a blog article goes live.

Instagram posts need a public https JPEG image URL. Articles without an image go to Facebook only. Accounts connected through Instagram login have 60-day access that is renewed automatically about 7 days before it expires.

#Connect WhatsApp notifications

The WhatsApp connection is for outgoing notifications only (approval and report notifications).

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 Social media, 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 click Send test.

#Verify

• The Your Meta app card says "Using your own app".
• The Accounts card lists your Pages, Instagram and ad accounts; the refresh icon on a row (Fetch insights now) fills the follower and reach cards.
• The WhatsApp test shows "Test sent."

#FAQ

#Why is "Connect with Facebook" greyed out?

The Meta App ID and Secret are not set. Enter them on the Your Meta app card and save. 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. Click Connect with Facebook 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 media 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.