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

# Messages: The Unified Instagram, Messenger, and X DM Inbox

> "Read and reply to Instagram, Messenger, and X direct messages from one inbox in Engagement, with reply-window rules, X's opt-in DM billing, and sync behavior explained."

The **Messages** tab in **Engagement** brings your Instagram, Messenger, and X direct messages into a single inbox, so you can read and reply without opening each platform's app separately. It sits next to the **Comments** tab (for public comments) and the **Automations** tab (for auto-replies) — Messages is specifically for one-to-one conversations with the people who DM your connected accounts.

<Info>
  Messages supports **Instagram**, **Messenger** (Facebook Pages), and **X**. YouTube, TikTok, and Threads don't offer a way for apps like Hivra to send or receive direct messages, so those platforms never appear here.
</Info>

## Opening Messages

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Engagement">
    Click **Engagement** in the sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the Messages tab">
    Select **Messages** from the tab bar at the top, next to **Comments** and **Automations**. The tab only appears once you have at least one Instagram, Facebook Page, or X account connected.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a conversation">
    Conversations from every connected account appear in a single list, newest first, with unread conversations shown in bold and a count badge. Click one to open the thread.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  If you have no Instagram, Facebook Page, or X account connected, Messages shows a prompt to connect one instead of an empty inbox. See [Integrations](/integrations/overview).
</Info>

## Reading and replying to a conversation

Each conversation shows the sender's name (or @username, or avatar), which platform they messaged you on, and the message history. Messages sent by an automation are marked with a small **Automation** tag so you can tell them apart from messages you typed yourself.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a conversation">
    Click any conversation in the list. On a phone or narrow window, the list and the open thread each take the full width — use the back arrow to return to the list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Type your reply">
    Click the message field at the bottom of the thread and type your reply.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send">
    Press **Enter** to send (use **Shift + Enter** for a line break), or click **Send**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Each platform caps how long a single message can be:

| Platform | Message length limit |
| - | - |
| Instagram | 1,000 bytes (roughly 1,000 characters of plain text) |
| Messenger | 2,000 characters |
| X | 10,000 characters |

## Filtering by platform

Above the conversation list, pill buttons let you filter to **All**, or to just **Instagram**, **Messenger**, or **X** — only the platforms you have connected and allowed appear as options.

## Reply windows: how long you have to respond

Instagram and Messenger only let you reply within a limited window after the other person's last message — Hivra never messages someone first.

| State | What it means |
| - | - |
| **Open** | Within 24 hours of their last message. A note under the message field counts down the hours left to reply. |
| **Extended (human agent)** | Between 24 hours and 7 days since their last message. Hivra sends the reply using Meta's "human agent" tag, which Meta must approve for Hivra's app before this works. A note shows how many days remain. |
| **Closed** | More than 7 days since their last message, or they haven't messaged you at all. The reply field is replaced with an explanation, and you can't send until they message you again. |

<Note>
  X has no reply-window restriction — you can reply to an X conversation at any time. Instead, every X DM you send (or receive) is billed against your workspace's monthly X API budget, as explained below.
</Note>

## Turning on X DMs

Because X charges for every DM its API delivers, X conversations are **off by default** per connected account. A card in the Messages tab invites you to turn them on, showing the cost: roughly \$0.01 for each DM received and \$0.015 for each one you send, drawn from your workspace's shared [monthly X API budget](/integrations/x-api-usage).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Review the cost notice">
    In the Messages tab, find the card for your X account prompting you to turn on DMs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Turn on X DMs">
    Hivra subscribes to that account's DM events. Messages sent before you turned it on are not shown — only new DMs from that point on appear.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  If your workspace's monthly X API budget is used up, X DMs are automatically paused for every X account in that workspace until the budget resets. A card in Messages explains this and offers a **Turn back on** button once the budget renews. See [X API Usage](/integrations/x-api-usage) for the full budget breakdown.
</Warning>

## Keeping the inbox up to date

Messages is designed to open instantly and then quietly catch up:

* The tab first shows whatever Hivra already has stored, so it never waits on Instagram or Messenger to load.
* In the background, Hivra checks Instagram and Messenger for new conversations and messages at most every 10 minutes while you have the tab open.
* X conversations update as DMs arrive, since X delivers them directly once you've turned DMs on for that account.
* While the tab stays open and visible, the inbox also re-checks what's stored roughly every 30 seconds, so a reply you just sent or received shows up without a manual reload.

Click the refresh icon in the Messages header at any time to request an immediate sync instead of waiting for the next automatic one.

<Tip>
  If a background sync fails — for example, a platform API hiccup — Hivra keeps showing your last-loaded inbox rather than clearing it or showing an error. Use the refresh button to retry.
</Tip>

## Reconnecting an account for Messages access

If an Instagram or Facebook Page account was connected to Hivra before Hivra started requesting DM permissions, a banner appears at the top of Messages asking you to reconnect that account so it can send and receive DMs.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click Reconnect in the banner">
    This takes you to **Integrations**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reconnect the account">
    Reconnect the named account and accept the permissions requested. See [Connect Instagram](/integrations/instagram) or [Connect Facebook](/integrations/facebook) for the full connection flow.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Until you reconnect, that account's conversations won't load or send in Messages.

## Plan requirement

Messages is part of **Engagement**, which requires a **Creator** plan or higher. If you're on the Free plan, you'll see an upgrade prompt instead of the inbox. See [Plans and pricing](/account/plans).

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I don't see a Messages tab in Engagement">
    The Messages tab only appears once you have at least one DM-capable account connected (Instagram, a Facebook Page, or X) and your plan includes Engagement. Connect an account from [Integrations](/integrations/overview) if you haven't already.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I can't send a reply — the message field is replaced with a note">
    This means the conversation's reply window has closed. For Instagram and Messenger, that happens more than 7 days after the other person's last message, or if they haven't messaged you yet — Hivra can't start a conversation on your behalf. Wait for them to message you (or message again) to reopen the window.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My X conversations aren't showing up">
    Check whether X DMs are turned on for that account in the Messages tab — they're off by default. If you already turned them on, a paused card means your workspace's monthly X API budget is used up; it resumes automatically once the budget resets, or you can upgrade or add a workspace for more budget. See [X API Usage](/integrations/x-api-usage).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A banner asks me to reconnect an Instagram or Facebook Page account">
    That account was connected before Hivra requested the permissions it needs to read and send DMs. Click **Reconnect** in the banner and complete the authorization again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A message has an 'Automation' tag I didn't write">
    That reply was sent automatically by a DM automation configured in the **Automations** tab — for example, a keyword-triggered flow — rather than typed manually from Messages.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

* [Engagement Inbox](/engagement/overview)
* [How the Engagement inbox is populated](/engagement/inbox-population)
* [X API Usage](/integrations/x-api-usage)
* [Plans and pricing](/account/plans)


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