Primary
Messages you want to see first. New messages appear here, with notifications on.
Instagram message requests: how shops stop missing customer DMs
To see message requests on Instagram, open the app, tap Messages, then tap Requests at the top of your inbox, next to Primary and General. Requests are DMs from accounts you don't follow. A shop follows very few of its customers, so most first messages from new customers, like 'is this still in stock?' or 'do you ship to NZ?', land there and are easy to miss. Requests aren't marked as seen until you accept them, and Instagram can hide some as possible spam, so check those too. Below are the steps, why customer DMs end up in Requests, what to do when requests aren't showing, and the settings that help.
Updated 1 November 2026
How to find message requests on Instagram
- Open the Instagram app on your phone, logged in to your shop's account.
- Tap Messages.
- Tap Requests at the top of your inbox, next to Primary and General.
- Open a request to see the message and more about who sent it.
- Tap Accept to move the chat into your inbox, or reply to it straight away. If it's spam, you can delete it or block the sender.
How a business inbox sorts your DMs
Business and creator accounts get an inbox with three folders. Instagram says these professional inbox features are only in the Instagram mobile app.
General
Messages you swipe here to come back to later. Notifications are off for General unless you turn them on, so don't park customers here.
Requests
DMs from accounts you don't follow that you haven't accepted yet. Sort them by date, or tap All requests and pick Top requests to see important accounts first.
Hidden requests
Requests Instagram filters out as possibly offensive, unwanted or spam, or that match your Hidden Words list. Real customers sometimes end up here, so check them too.
Why customer DMs end up in Requests
- Requests are DMs from accounts you don't follow. Customers rarely get a follow back, so their first message usually lands in Requests.
- If you've set up frequently asked questions in Instagram, a customer who taps one of them sends it to your Requests. You have to accept it before you can reply.
- Request messages aren't marked as seen until you accept them, so the customer can't tell whether you've read it.
- Once you reply to or accept a request, that person's future messages go straight to your Primary folder.
Instagram message requests not showing? Check these
- Use the Instagram app on your phone. The professional inbox, with its Primary, General and Requests folders, is a mobile app feature.
- Look in hidden requests. Messages Instagram thinks may be spam or offensive are kept apart from your normal requests.
- Check your Hidden Words list (Settings, then Hidden Words, then Manage custom words and phrases). Words on it hide matching message requests as well as comments, so a common word like a product name can hide real customers.
- Check the 'Hide unwanted message requests' setting under Hidden Words. When it's on, requests that may contain scams or offensive words go to your spam folder.
- Look in Meta Business Suite. Its Inbox shows Instagram messages too, as long as access to Instagram messages was allowed when you connected the account.
- Old requests can drop out of connected tools: Meta's developer documentation says requests with no activity for 30 days aren't returned to apps.
Inbox habits that stop missed sales
- Check Requests and hidden requests at least once a day, and on sale days more often.
- Accept or reply to genuine customers straight away so their next message lands in Primary with notifications on.
- Flag a chat or mark it unread when you need to come back to it, instead of swiping it to General, where notifications are off.
- Save your common answers as saved replies: hold down a message you've sent, tap More, then Save, and give it a shortcut. See our Instagram DM templates.
- Set up to four frequently asked questions (in Messages, open Tools, then Frequently asked questions), and remember that questions customers tap arrive in Requests.
- Add an instant reply so customers know you've got their message. See how to set up an Instagram auto reply.
Where Facebook Page messages go
Messages to your Facebook Page arrive in the Messages section of Inbox in Meta Business Suite, together with Instagram and, if connected, WhatsApp messages. You can filter by platform, see messages people sent in response to an ad with the Ad response filter, and move messages to Spam or Done. If a customer says they messaged you and you can't find it, check those two folders.
Every DM in one list, wherever Instagram files it
Paperflower gets your Instagram and Facebook DMs through Meta's official connection as they arrive, including first messages that Instagram files under Requests, and puts them in one list with your comments, support email and Shopify orders. On Standard, buying questions go to the top with a reply drafted from the customer's order and your shipping policy. Each DM shows how long Meta still lets you reply from a connected tool. You press Send; nothing goes out on its own unless you switch that on. Meta's developer documentation says that once you reply from a connected app, the chat moves to your General folder. See how DMs work.
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
In the Instagram app, tap Messages, then tap Requests at the top of your inbox. Business and creator accounts see it next to the Primary and General folders. Check hidden requests as well, where Instagram puts requests it thinks may be spam or offensive.
Check you're in the Instagram mobile app, look in hidden requests, and review your Hidden Words list and the 'Hide unwanted message requests' setting, which can move requests out of sight. Meta Business Suite's Inbox also shows Instagram messages if access was allowed.
No. Instagram doesn't mark request messages as seen until you accept them.
Primary is for messages you want to see first and has notifications on. General is for messages to come back to later and has notifications off unless you turn them on. Both are for business and creator accounts.
To the Messages section of Inbox in Meta Business Suite, alongside your Instagram messages. If one is missing, check the Spam and Done folders.
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.