What are Instagram message requests?
If a customer says "I messaged you on Instagram" and you cannot see it, the message is very likely sitting in your message requests. It is one of the most common reasons small businesses miss enquiries. Here is what message requests are, why they exist and how to stay on top of them.
In one sentence
Instagram message requests are a separate folder where first messages from people you do not follow are held until you accept them, so a new customer's first DM often waits there rather than appearing in your main inbox.
In more detail
Instagram sorts direct messages to protect people from spam and unwanted contact. When someone you already follow messages you, the message goes straight to your inbox. When someone you do not follow messages you for the first time, Instagram usually puts it in message requests instead.
For a business, that is a problem, because almost every new customer is someone you do not follow. Their very first message, often the one asking about prices or availability, can land in requests and wait there unseen.
A message request is not lost. You can open it, read it and decide what to do. If you accept it, the conversation moves into your inbox and carries on like any other chat. If you delete it, it goes. You can also block or report the sender.
On professional accounts, Instagram usually splits the inbox into Primary and General tabs as well as requests. Accepted chats go into one of those tabs, and you can move them between tabs later. Instagram also keeps a hidden requests area for messages its filters think may be offensive or spam, and it is worth glancing at that now and then too.
Instagram changes how its inbox looks from time to time, so the exact names and places may differ slightly on your phone. The idea stays the same: first messages from people you do not follow are held back until you look at them.
An example
| Who messages you | Where it usually lands |
|---|---|
| A customer you follow back | Your inbox, in Primary or General |
| A new customer you do not follow, writing for the first time | Message requests |
| Someone replying to your story who you do not follow | Often message requests |
| A message Instagram's filters think may be offensive or spam | Hidden requests |
| A customer whose request you accepted last week | Your inbox, as a normal chat |
Why message requests matter for a business
People who message a business on Instagram usually want an answer quickly. If their first message sits in requests for two days, many will assume you are closed or not interested and buy elsewhere. They cannot easily tell the difference between a business that never saw the message and one that ignored it.
The fix is not complicated. It is a habit: look at requests as often as you look at your inbox, and accept the real ones straight away. Once accepted, future messages from that person go to your inbox.
How to check and accept message requests
- Open Instagram and go to your messages.
- Look for Requests, usually near the top of the inbox.
- Open each request. Read the message before you accept, so you know it is genuine.
- Accept the real enquiries. Choose Primary or General if Instagram asks.
- Delete, block or report anything that is spam.
- Glance at hidden requests every week or so in case a real message was caught by the filters.
If you share the account with a team, agree who checks requests and when. Two people each assuming the other has looked is how messages slip through.
Spotting real customers among the spam
| Signs it is a real enquiry | Signs it is spam |
|---|---|
| It asks about something you sell, by name | It offers to "grow your followers" or "promote your page" |
| It mentions a post, a story or your shop | It asks you to click a link or log in somewhere |
| The profile looks like a real person with real posts | The profile is brand new, empty or full of copied images |
| It reads like a normal message, typos and all | It says your account is in trouble and you must act now |
Never sign in through a link sent in a message request, however official it looks. Instagram does not ask you to confirm your account through a stranger's DM.
What if...
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| A customer says they messaged you but you cannot find it | Look in requests, then hidden requests. Search for their name in your messages. |
| You find a real enquiry that is a week old | Accept it and reply with a short apology, then answer the question in full. |
| You accidentally deleted a request | Ask the customer to message again, or find their profile and message them back. |
| The same spam account keeps sending requests | Block and report it, so later requests from it stop. |
| A team member accepted a spam request | Delete the chat, and remind the team to read before accepting. |
Most of these take a minute to put right. The habit that prevents nearly all of them is a quick daily look at requests, at the same time as you check your main inbox.
Sample notes for your AI agent
Once requests are accepted, your AI agent can answer them like any other chat. A short note helps it handle late replies well. Details are examples.
Late replies
- If a customer's message is more than a day old, start with a short apology.
- Then answer their question in full, as you would any other message.
- Never mention message requests or folders. Just say sorry for the wait.Common mistakes
- Only checking the main inbox. Many first messages from new customers wait in requests.
- Accepting everything without reading it. Spam can include links you should not open.
- Never looking at hidden requests. Filters sometimes catch genuine messages.
- Replying days later without an apology. A short "sorry, this only just reached us" goes a long way.
- Assuming an automation tool sees everything. Check where your messages actually land before relying on any tool.
Why it matters for your business
- First messages from new customers are often the most valuable, and they are the ones most likely to land in requests.
- A quick answer to a first message can be the difference between a sale and a lost customer.
- Checking requests is a five-minute habit that catches enquiries you would otherwise miss.
- Accepting a request means later messages from that customer go straight to your inbox.
- Reading before accepting keeps spam and dodgy links out of your inbox.
How Spaces handles it
Spaces connects your own Instagram account by signing in, and your AI agent reads and answers the conversations Instagram makes available to that account. Where a customer's first message lands is decided by Instagram, not by Spaces, so it is still worth checking requests in the Instagram app as part of your routine and accepting the real enquiries. Once accepted, they are normal chats that your agent can see and answer.
Replies in chats customers started are exactly what Instagram is built for. Spaces paces them with a gap of at least 15 seconds between messages and daily limits for each account, and it can also reply to comments on your posts and, where Instagram allows it, send the commenter a private message. It never sends to someone who has said stop in that chat.
You can ask your AI agent to list chats that have not had a reply yet, which is a quick way to find anything that has been waiting. If an older message only just reached you, a good agent can open with a short apology before answering the question.
In short
Message requests are where Instagram holds first messages from people you do not follow. For a business, that often means new customers, so checking requests is as important as checking your inbox.
Make it a daily habit, read before you accept, glance at hidden requests now and then, and answer late finds with a short apology.
FAQ
Why did a customer's message go to requests?
Because you do not follow them. Instagram usually holds first messages from people you do not follow in requests until you accept them.
Does the customer know their message is in requests?
Generally they just see that their message was sent and has not had a reply. They are unlikely to know it is waiting in a separate folder, which is why a fast check matters.
What happens when I accept a message request?
The conversation moves into your inbox and works like any other chat. Later messages from that person go straight to your inbox.
Can I accept requests in bulk?
Instagram sometimes offers ways to manage several at once, but it is safer to read each one first so you do not accept spam with risky links.
What are hidden requests?
Messages Instagram's filters think may be offensive or spam. They are kept apart from your normal requests. Glance at them now and then in case a real enquiry was caught.
Should I follow every customer to avoid requests?
It is not necessary. Following lots of accounts quickly can look unusual to Instagram. Checking and accepting requests is the simpler habit.
Can my AI agent answer message requests?
Where a message lands is up to Instagram. The simplest approach is to accept real enquiries in the Instagram app, after which they are normal chats your agent can see and answer.
How quickly should I reply to a request?
As fast as you can, ideally within the hour during working hours. If you find one days later, reply anyway with a short apology.