FACEBOOK MESSENGER CRM

Connect Facebook Messenger to CRM: Messenger Inbox Setup

Connect your Facebook Page to Smart Business 360 Leads Inbox. incoming customer Messenger chats arrive directly in the platform to be answered by your team.
Audience: Administrator · Estimated Time: ~25 Minutes.

Before You Start (Prerequisites)

Messenger authentication uses a Meta developer app and a long-lived Page access token. Collect the following required values from Meta:

Required ValueWhere to Find it in Meta
Meta App ID Meta for Developers → My Apps → App Settings → Basic
Meta App Secret Same screen under App Basic Settings (click Show)
Page Access Token Graph API Explorer or app Messenger settings (Must be long-lived Page token, not short-lived 1-hour user token!)
Facebook Page ID Facebook Page → About → Page transparency
Facebook Page Name The public verified Page name
Token Rule: Always generate a long-lived Page access token. Short-lived user tokens expire within ~1 hour, causing connection errors.

Required Meta App Permission Scopes

Your Page Access Token must hold the following Meta scopes:

  • pages_messaging — Allows sending and receiving Messenger messages.
  • pages_manage_metadata — Allows registering the webhook subscription.
  • pages_read_engagement — Allows reading Page conversation metadata.
  • pages_show_list — Allows enumerating Pages administered by the user.

5-Step Integration Setup Guide

1
Launch Messenger Connection ScreenIn Smart Business 360, navigate to: Leads Inbox → Messenger → Settings.
2
Enter App CredentialsEnter Meta App ID, Meta App Secret, Page Token, Facebook Page Name, and Facebook Page ID. Click Save.
3
Add Webhook in Meta Developer Console In Meta Console → Messenger → Settings → Webhooks → Click Add callback URL → paste the URL below:
https://<your-domain>/integrations/facebook-messenger-inbox/meta/webhook
Enter the verify token from Smart Business 360 and click Verify and Save.
4
Subscribe the Facebook PageUnder Webhook fields, subscribe to minimum messages and messaging_postbacks. Ensure your Facebook Page is listed under Subscribed Pages. (Crucial: missing page subscription is the #1 setup failure!).
5
Send Test MessageSend a message to your Facebook Page from a personal Facebook account. The conversation will appear in Leads Inbox → Messenger in a few seconds.

The Messenger 24-Hour & 7-Day Human Window

The messaging window clock resets whenever a customer: messages your Page, responds to a Facebook Story, or responds to a post comment in a comment-to-DM flow.

The 7-Day Human Agent Extension Tag:

Messenger allows human sales agents to send manual replies up to 7 days after a customer's last message for unresolved support or sales inquiries.

Meta Platform Warning: The 7-day extension is strictly reserved for manual human responses. Meta actively monitors tag usage; using human agent tags for automated bot messages will lead to permanent API access revocation.
Practical Window Guidance:
SituationCorrect Action & Restriction
Reply within 24 hoursPermitted — Free-form response, no restriction
Agent replying manually on Day 3 of unresolved issuePermitted — Human agent 7-day extension applies
Automated bot reminder on Day 3Not Permitted — Must use approved recurring message flow
Re-opening a cold conversationNot Permitted — Extension cannot be used to re-engage cold leads

Thread Workflow Controls

Control FieldAvailable Values
Resolution statusOpen, Pending, Resolved, Archived, Lead Linked
Label tagGeneral, Hot Lead, Follow-up, Support, Collections, Escalated

Reconnecting and Disconnecting

ActionWhen & How to Use
Reconnect Standard repair procedure when Meta App Secret is rotated or Page access token is regenerated. Re-validates credentials without losing history.
Disconnect Clears credentials and blocks incoming webhook messages while retaining past conversation history.

Troubleshooting Setup Errors

"Unable to determine your company context." error.

The connection requires an active company context. If logged in as super admin, switch into the target tenant before connecting.

Token expired errors in last-error field.

A short-lived user token was used. Generate a long-lived Page access token in Graph API Explorer and reconnect.

Webhook verifies but no messages arrive.

The Facebook Page is not subscribed to the Meta app. Complete Step 4 under App Subscribed Pages.

Messages arrive but outbound sending fails.

The Page access token lacks pages_messaging permission scope, or the 24-hour messaging window has closed.

Profile picture and Page name are blank.

Credential validation did not complete successfully. Reconnect and check the last-error diagnostic field.

Message tag errors referencing Error 100.

As of April 2026, Meta retired legacy tags (CONFIRMED_EVENT_UPDATE, ACCOUNT_UPDATE) and replaced them with POST_PURCHASE_UPDATE. Update message tag settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Each Facebook Page belongs to a single company tenant.

No. Instagram Direct is configured separately in settings, though it links to the same underlying Facebook Page.

No. Credentials are saved write-only for security and are never displayed again in plain text after saving.

No. Meta Messenger rules dictate that conversations must be initiated by the customer first.