An Instagram DM MCP server connects your AI client to your Instagram inbox so it can list conversations, read messages and send replies through the Model Context Protocol. Creator OS runs a hosted one at mcp.creatoros.ca/mcp. You paste that URL into Claude or ChatGPT, sign in, and your Instagram DMs appear as tools.
Claude / ChatGPT / Cursor
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| HTTPS + Bearer cos_live_...
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https://mcp.creatoros.ca/mcp (hosted, nothing to install)
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+-- list_conversations --> Instagram, Facebook, X, Reddit
+-- send_message --> WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Slack
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Your connected accounts (one workspace per set of socials)What is an Instagram DM MCP server?
It is an MCP server that exposes your Instagram direct messages as callable tools, so an AI app can read and answer them without you copying text between windows.
Instagram does not publish one. Creator OS does, and it is not Instagram only. The same hosted server reaches 11 platforms plus Skool, and every DM from Instagram, Facebook, X, Reddit, WhatsApp and Slack lands in one searchable inbox. The tools you will use most are list_conversations and send_message.
Two details matter before you start:
- Every connection is scoped to one workspace. On agency plans that means one client per connection, so an agent working on client A cannot touch client B.
- You choose read only or read & write when you add the connector. A read only key only sees read tools, and the API refuses writes from it.
Does Instagram have an MCP server in 2026?
No. Meta has not shipped an official Instagram MCP server, so the servers people use are third party wrappers that call the Instagram Graph API underneath.
That distinction shapes what you are buying. The Graph API gives you endpoints and OAuth. An MCP server gives you a tool list an AI model can reason about, plus a place for the tokens. Creator OS is the second kind: a hosted MCP server at mcp.creatoros.ca/mcp with about 160 tools covering posts, analytics, comments, DMs, automations, webhooks, Skool, Reddit, Discord, WhatsApp, broadcasts, Slack, Shopify, the blog, trackable links, skills and the Ads add-on.
Instagram itself still decides what is possible. DMs work. Comment replies work. TikTok comment replies do not, which is a useful reminder that these tools mirror each network’s rules rather than inventing access.
What developers search for: instagram.mcp, mcp server instagram, and instagram mcp server url
People arrive at this topic with the same four phrases, and the useful answer to each is the same URL plus one honest caveat.
| Search phrase | What you actually need |
|---|---|
| instagram dm mcp | The connector URL and a Creator OS workspace with Instagram connected. |
| instagram.mcp | No such package exists in this setup. There is a hosted HTTP endpoint, not a file you download. |
| mcp server instagram | Usually someone hunting a local server they can run. The hosted one skips that step. |
| instagram mcp server url | https://mcp.creatoros.ca/mcp. There is no other base URL. |
If you would rather run something locally, the CLI path works too: creatoros inbox:conversations --platform instagram lists threads from a terminal, and creatoros inbox:messages <conversationId> --accountId <id> prints one. The MCP route exists so the model does the calling without you typing commands.
How to set up an Instagram DM MCP server in 10 minutes
The setup is three steps: connect Instagram inside Creator OS, add the connector to your AI app, then ask a question that forces a DM read.
- Connect Instagram in Creator OS. You need a Business or Creator account. Personal accounts will not connect.
- Add the connector. In Claude: Settings > Connectors > Add custom connector, paste
https://mcp.creatoros.ca/mcp, sign in, pick the workspace, and choose read only or read & write. - Confirm the key. Each connection gets its own key, listed under Settings > Connected apps. Treat it like a password.
For terminal-first setups, Claude Code takes one command:
claude mcp add --transport http creatoros https://mcp.creatoros.ca/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer cos_live_..."Cursor, Windsurf and VS Code take an mcpServers entry with type: http, the same URL and the same Authorization header. ChatGPT takes the URL as a connector in developer mode.
Then test it with something narrow. Ask: “List my five most recent Instagram conversations and tell me which ones are unanswered.” If the model calls list_conversations and returns real threads, you are done. The full walkthrough lives at the MCP docs.
If you want a video version of this kind of setup, watch the walkthroughs on the KevBuildsApps YouTube channel.
What you can do once Instagram DMs are wired into your AI client
Once the connection is live, the useful work is triage and reply, not browsing.
Here is a workflow that takes one prompt. Say: “Read my unanswered Instagram DMs from the last 48 hours. Draft a reply to each in my voice. Send anything that is a simple question. Put anything about pricing or refunds in a list for me to approve.”
The model calls list_conversations, then send_message for the safe ones. Anything destructive, like deleting a comment or a post, is flagged so the AI app asks you first. That guard matters when an agent has write access to a live inbox.
The stronger version combines DMs with comments. Comment-to-DM funnels work on Instagram and Facebook, and you can create them from the same connection with create_automation. Pair that with a comment tool like reply_to_comment and the agent handles both halves of a conversation thread. There is a worked example in the comment-to-DM guide and a tone-focused one in replying to Instagram comments in your voice.
One honest limit: if you use Trial Reels, commenters are non-followers, so your DM arrives as a message request. The automation still works, but expect the request folder, not the main inbox.
Beyond Instagram: LinkedIn, Twitter, Threads, and YouTube MCP servers
You do not need a separate server per network. One connector covers all of them, which is the main practical argument for this setup over stitching four servers together.
| Network | Comment replies | DMs |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Messenger | |
| X (Twitter) | Yes | Yes, including starting a DM by handle |
| Threads | Yes | No DMs |
| YouTube | Yes | No DMs |
| Yes | No DMs | |
| Yes | Yes, by username | |
| Messages, not posts | Yes, template rules apply | |
| Slack | DMs to the bot and @mentions | Yes, in thread |
LinkedIn has a specific setup path worth reading separately, because page posts and audience targeting add options that a personal profile does not have. The Cursor MCP LinkedIn posting setup covers that in detail. For a broader build, this piece on the Creator OS MCP with Claude walks through a full posting loop.
Instagram DM MCP vs the Instagram Graph API: which to use
Use the Graph API when you are building a product on top of Instagram. Use an MCP server when you want an AI agent to operate your own account.
| Graph API | Creator OS MCP | |
|---|---|---|
| You write | Endpoints, OAuth, token refresh, media hosting | A prompt |
| Who calls it | Your code | Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Codex, Windsurf, VS Code |
| Scope | Instagram only | 11 platforms plus Skool through one connection |
| Auth | Meta app and scopes | cos_live_ key, pinned to one workspace |
| Safety | You build it | Read only option, destructive tools flagged for confirmation |
The workspace pinning is the underrated part. An agent holding one workspace’s key cannot post to another, which is what makes this safe to hand to a client-facing agent. If you want to skip the hosted server and go straight to code, the posts API docs describe the request shapes, and the base URL lives in the docs.
FAQ
Does Instagram have an official MCP server?
No. Meta has not released an official Instagram MCP server. The servers available today are third party and call the Instagram Graph API underneath, which is why they inherit Instagram’s rules on DMs, comment replies and account types.
What is the Instagram MCP server URL?
For Creator OS it is https://mcp.creatoros.ca/mcp. You paste that same URL into Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code and add an Authorization header where the client requires one.
Can an MCP server read and reply to my Instagram DMs?
Yes, if the connection has read & write access. Creator OS exposes list_conversations and send_message, and Instagram DMs sit in the same inbox as Facebook, X, Reddit, WhatsApp and Slack. A read only connection only sees read tools and the API refuses writes from it.
Which AI clients work with an Instagram DM MCP server?
Creator OS works with any MCP-capable client, including Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Windsurf and VS Code. Claude and ChatGPT use the connector URL directly, while Claude Code and the editors take a config entry or a single command.
Do I need a Facebook developer app to connect Instagram DMs?
Not with Creator OS. You sign in to Creator OS, connect Instagram, and add the connector to your AI app. The Graph API route does require a Meta app, which is why most people start with the hosted server and only drop to the API when they are building something of their own.
Get started with Creator OS
Start at creatoros.ca/sign-up, connect Instagram, and paste https://mcp.creatoros.ca/mcp into your AI client. Creator OS plans start at $14.99/month for 11 platforms plus Skool, with the API, the MCP server and the CLI included. If you would rather see the setup before you commit, the launch video shows the whole flow on the KevBuildsApps channel.
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