Personal
For people. Can be private. No insights, ads or business tools, and most business apps can't connect to it.
How to set up an Instagram business account
To get an Instagram business account, open Instagram, go to your profile, tap the menu, then under For professionals tap Account type and tools, then Switch to professional account. Pick a category, choose Business, tap Next, add your contact details and, if you like, connect your Facebook Page. It's free and takes a couple of minutes. A business account gives you insights, ads, contact buttons and access to business tools like Meta Business Suite. If you're starting fresh, create a new Instagram account with your shop's email first, then switch it. Below are the steps, which account type suits a shop, what changes when you switch, and how to switch back.
Updated 26 October 2026
Personal, business or creator: which account a shop needs
Business
Meta's pick for retailers, local businesses and brands. Insights, ads, contact buttons, shopping tools, Meta Business Suite and third-party tools such as inboxes and schedulers.
Creator
Meant for public figures, artists and influencers, with creator-focused tools and monetisation. A shop can use one, but Business fits better.
How to switch to a business account in the Instagram app
- Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
- Tap the menu (More) to open Settings and activity.
- Under For professionals, tap Account type and tools.
- Tap Switch to professional account.
- Pick the category that best describes your shop, for example Clothing (Brand) or Shopping & retail. The category doesn't decide your account type.
- Tap Switch to professional account, choose Business, then tap Next.
- Add your shop's contact details (email, phone, address) or tap Don't use my contact info.
- Connect your Facebook Page by tapping Login to Facebook, or tap Skip and do it later. Connecting makes ads, shopping tools and a shared inbox easier.
How to switch on a computer
- On instagram.com, click More, then Settings.
- Under For professionals, click Account type and tools, then Switch to professional account.
- Choose Business and click Next.
- Pick your category, click Done, then Continue to confirm.
- Add contact details and click Save, or choose Don't use my contact info.
Creating a new Instagram business account from scratch
- Sign up for a new Instagram account with your shop's email address, not a personal one, so the account stays with the business if people change.
- Use your shop name as the username and name, and add your logo as the profile picture.
- Then switch it to a business account using the steps above. There's no separate sign-up for business accounts.
- You can be logged in to up to 10 Instagram accounts at once, so you can keep your personal account and switch between them.
What changes when you switch
- Your account becomes public. If it was private, pending follow requests are accepted automatically. Business accounts can't be private.
- You get the professional dashboard with insights on your posts, Reels and followers.
- You can create ads and boost posts from the app.
- You can show contact details and your category on your profile, or hide them under Edit profile, Public business information.
- You can connect a Facebook Page, which opens up shopping tools, Meta Business Suite's inbox and business apps.
How to switch back to a personal account
- Go to your profile and tap the menu (you may also need to tap Settings).
- Tap Account type and tools, then Account type.
- Tap Switch account type, then Switch to personal account, then Switch to personal to confirm.
What you lose when you switch back
- Ads and some business tools, including Meta Business Suite and Ads Manager for that account.
- The connection to your Facebook Page, which is disconnected automatically.
- Any business app connected through the Page, such as an inbox or scheduler, stops working until you switch back and reconnect.
- On a public personal account you still keep a dashboard and insights.
First things to set up for customer service
- Connect your Facebook Page so comments and DMs from both apps can be answered in one place. See how to link Instagram to a Facebook Page.
- Add contact details and a link to your shipping and returns pages in your bio.
- Set up a DM auto reply and saved replies for common questions. See Instagram auto replies and Instagram DM templates.
- Turn on Hidden Words to hide spam and abusive comments. See how to stop spam comments on Instagram.
- Decide who answers comments and DMs, and how fast. See social media customer service.
Answering every comment and DM
Once your business account is linked to your Facebook Page, Paperflower can connect to it and put every Instagram and Facebook comment and DM in one list with your support email and Shopify orders. On Standard, buying questions come first with a reply drafted, and spam is hidden automatically. DM and email replies are sent when you press Send; public comment replies are never posted by Paperflower: it copies the reply and opens the comment so you post it yourself. Paperflower starts free. See how it works.
How Paperflower is different
Comments are a sales channel, not a chore
Most tools treat comments as noise. Paperflower reads every one, spots buying questions like “do you ship to NZ?” and makes sure they get answered before the customer moves on.
Buying Intent and Opportunity Score
Every conversation gets a score so the people ready to buy come first. You see who to reply to now, and who can wait.
Shopify context in every draft
Order status, shipping and product details are pulled in automatically, so drafts are right the first time and private order details never go out in public.
You stay in control
AI drafts are on and auto-send is off by default. Complaints are escalated to you. Refunds and cancellations always need a human.
Simple pricing
Paperflower starts free with 100 customer interactions a month, no card needed: every message in one list, and you write the replies. AI sorting, reply drafts and spam hiding come with Standard, which is A$47 a month for 3,000 customer interactions, with a 7-day free trial. Human replies are always free. See all plans.
Built for AU and NZ brands
Local time zones, local shipping questions, and support from people who know the market.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Switching to a business account costs nothing. You only pay if you choose to run ads or boost posts.
Business. Meta describes business accounts as best for retailers, brands and local businesses, and creator accounts as best for public figures, artists and influencers. Both are professional accounts, and you can switch between them any time.
No. Business accounts are public. If you need a private account, switch back to a personal account first.
No, it's optional and you can skip it when you switch. But connecting a Page makes ads, shopping tools, Meta Business Suite's inbox and many business apps work, so most shops connect one.
Yes, any time: menu, Account type and tools, Account type, Switch account type, Switch to personal account. You lose ads and business tools, and your Facebook Page is disconnected.
Not unless you turn that on. By default it drafts a reply and you approve it. You can switch on auto-send for simple, safe questions once you trust the drafts.
Instagram, Facebook and TikTok comments and DMs, support email through Gmail or Google Workspace, and Shopify for order details.
Yes. The Free plan is the basics: 100 customer interactions a month in one list, no card needed, and you write each reply. Standard adds AI sorting, reply drafts and spam hiding, and comes with a 7-day free trial. You can cancel any time. Compare plans.
Start Paperflower free
Connect Instagram, Facebook, email and Shopify in a few minutes. On Standard, AI sorts every message and drafts every reply, you stay in control, and nothing is sent without your say-so unless you switch that on. Free puts every message in one list for you to answer.