> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dmly.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect a Facebook Page

> Connect a Facebook Page to DMLY so Messenger conversations land in your inbox, and learn what Meta's 24-hour window allows.

Connecting a Facebook Page brings your Messenger conversations into the DMLY [Inbox](/inbox/overview), lets a bot answer them, and lets comments on your posts open a private conversation. Messenger works differently from [WhatsApp](/channels/whatsapp) in one way that shapes everything else: there are no message templates, so you can only reach people who messaged you first.

## Read this before you plan around Messenger

<Warning>
  **Messenger has no message templates.** You can only send freely to someone who has messaged your Page in the last 24 hours — with one exception: if a contact accepted a **Marketing Opt-in** request, DMLY can send them one further automated message outside the window. Otherwise automated messages and broadcast sends outside the window are skipped, not queued.
</Warning>

That has two practical consequences:

* **Broadcasts on Messenger are freeform text.** They reach contacts inside the 24-hour window, plus anyone who accepted a notification opt-in (pick the **Opted in — notifications** or **Messaging window open (24h)** audience). Everyone else is recorded as failed with a `window_closed` reason.
* **Messenger is a reply channel, not an outreach channel.** For anything you need to initiate — reminders, promotions, follow-ups — use WhatsApp.

<Note>
  The **Default reply** section appears on Bot setup for Facebook channels and saves without complaining, but it has no effect on Messenger. Nothing is sent when no flow or keyword matches. It only works on [Telegram](/channels/telegram).
</Note>

## Before you start

* You must be an **admin of the Facebook Page**. The Page picker lists only Pages you administer — if the Page is missing, your Facebook role is the reason.
* Your plan must allow a Facebook channel. If it doesn't, the connect button stops you before Facebook's permission screen appears.
* Connecting with a personal Facebook account is fine. DMLY asks Facebook for permission to read and reply to your Page's messages; it never gets your Facebook password.

## Connect the Page

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the channel list">
    Go to **Integrations → Channels** and start adding an account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Facebook Page">
    Select the **Facebook Page** tile — **Connect a new Facebook page**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve on Facebook">
    Facebook asks you to sign in and approve the permissions DMLY needs, including reading and sending your Page's messages. Approve all of them — declining any one of them can leave the channel connected but silent.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the Page">
    Choose the Page you want from the list Facebook returns, and finish.
  </Step>
</Steps>

DMLY then creates the Channel, stores the Page's access credentials, and asks Facebook to start delivering that Page's messages, comments and mentions. If that last step is refused, the Page connects but nothing arrives — see [No inbound messages](/channels/no-inbound-messages).

<Tip>
  Connecting Instagram uses the same Facebook permission screen, because Instagram DMs are delivered through the linked Facebook Page. See [Instagram](/channels/instagram).
</Tip>

## What you get

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Unified inbox" icon="inbox" href="/inbox/overview">
    Messenger conversations sit alongside WhatsApp and the rest, with assignment, statuses and quick replies.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bots and flows" icon="diagram-project" href="/automation/flow-builder">
    Trigger a flow on a new message, a story reply, or a comment on your posts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Freeform broadcasts" icon="bullhorn" href="/broadcasts/overview">
    One-to-many plain messages — delivered to contacts inside the 24-hour window, plus anyone who accepted a notification opt-in.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Comment to DM" icon="comments">
    A new comment on a post can open a private conversation, which is not limited by the 24-hour window.
  </Card>
</Columns>

Messenger contacts arrive with a placeholder name like `Messenger user <last 4 digits>` and are renamed once Facebook returns the person's profile. They become ordinary [Contacts](/contacts/overview) — the same record used everywhere else in DMLY.

## The 24-hour window, precisely

The clock starts at the contact's **last inbound message** and runs for 24 hours.

| You are doing this                  | Inside 24 hours | Outside 24 hours                                                                             |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bot or automation reply             | Sends           | Blocked (`window_closed`) — unless the contact holds an unspent notification opt-in token    |
| Broadcast                           | Sends           | Recipient recorded as failed — unless the contact holds an unspent notification opt-in token |
| **You typing a reply in the Inbox** | Sends           | **Still sends, for up to 7 days**                                                            |
| Replying privately to a new comment | Sends           | Sends — the window doesn't apply                                                             |

The 7-day allowance is Meta's rule for a human agent answering a customer. It applies to a reply *you* send from the Inbox, not to automation.

<Note>
  The **Message** step of a Messenger broadcast has a **Reach** choice, which shows a **Marketing Messages (paid)** option for reaching opted-in people outside the window. It is labelled **Coming soon** and cannot be used yet.
</Note>

If someone replies **stop**, **unsubscribe**, **cancel** or similar, DMLY opts them out: it tags them, cancels their running flows and sequences, and refuses further automated sends. You can still reply by hand. **start** or **subscribe** opts them back in.

## Bot setup — what syncs to the Page on save

Open **Bot setup** and pick your Facebook Page from the channel selector. Saving does two things: it stores the settings in DMLY, and it pushes the menu-style parts straight to your Page on Facebook.

| Section                  | Syncs to Facebook?                                                        |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Welcome** message text | Yes — becomes the Page's greeting, and switches on the Get Started button |
| **Ice breakers**         | Yes — up to 4 suggested questions for first-time visitors                 |
| **Persistent menu**      | Yes — the ☰ menu inside the conversation                                  |
| **Default reply**        | No — saved, but never sent on Messenger                                   |

A few rules Facebook imposes, which DMLY applies for you:

* **Get Started is automatic.** Facebook only shows a greeting, menu or ice breakers if the Page has a Get Started button, so DMLY adds one as soon as you configure any of the three.
* **Turning something off and saving removes it from the Page.** Facebook needs to be told explicitly to clear a field, so an empty section is actively deleted rather than left behind.
* **Ice breakers:** up to 4. Questions longer than 80 characters are shortened.
* **Persistent menu:** up to 3 items per level, 3 levels deep. Labels longer than 30 characters are shortened.
* **Menu items that open a URL or start a flow work.** A menu item set to **Postback** does nothing useful — the payload you type is never acted on. Use **Start flow** instead.

<Warning>
  The **Buttons** editor under the **Welcome** message has no effect on Messenger or Instagram. The welcome message is sent as plain text, and the buttons never appear in a real conversation even though the live preview draws them. To give people something to tap, use **Ice breakers** or the **Persistent menu**.
</Warning>

If the push to Facebook fails, saving still succeeds and you get a warning: *"Saved, but syncing to Meta failed"*. The reason is in [Logs](/troubleshooting/logs) — usually an expired Page connection or a missing permission.

## What you can send

Beyond plain text and media, Messenger flows can send tappable buttons (up to 3, short labels) and quick replies (up to 13), including native chips that ask for the contact's email or phone number. Carousels are supported. WhatsApp-only message types are not available here.

<Accordion title="The Page connected, but nothing arrives in the inbox">
  This is almost always the Facebook side, not DMLY. The usual causes are that the Page connection was refused permission to receive messages, that the Page was connected twice and an older, stale connection is winning, or that the Page access has expired and needs reconnecting. Work through [No inbound messages](/channels/no-inbound-messages) — it tells you how to tell those apart.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Sends fail with a permission or token error">
  When Facebook rejects a send because the Page access is no longer valid, DMLY marks the channel as needing attention and emails your workspace admins a reconnect prompt. Reconnect the Page from **Integrations → Channels**.
</Accordion>

## Next

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Bot setup" icon="robot" href="/automation/bot-setup">
    Welcome message, ice breakers and the persistent menu.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Ice breakers" icon="comment-dots" href="/automation/icebreakers">
    The suggested questions first-time visitors see.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Persistent menu" icon="bars" href="/automation/persistent-menu">
    The always-available menu in the conversation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Broadcasts" icon="bullhorn" href="/broadcasts/overview">
    Who a Messenger broadcast can actually reach.
  </Card>
</Columns>