How Do You Switch to a Business Account on Instagram?
On Instagram, a "business account" is one of two kinds of professional account. You switch your existing personal account to a professional account and then choose Business (or Creator) during setup. You do not need to create a new account.
These are the steps from Instagram's help center for the mobile app:
- Tap your profile picture in the bottom right to open your profile.
- Tap More (the menu) to open Settings and activity.
- Below For professionals, tap Account type and tools.
- Tap Switch to professional account.
- Choose the category that best describes what you do.
- Tap Switch to professional account again.
- Choose Business (or Creator), then tap Next.
- Add your contact details, or tap Don't use my contact info to skip.
- Optionally log in to Facebook to connect a Facebook Page, or tap Skip.
Instagram points out that the category you pick in step 5 does not decide whether you end up with a business or creator account. Step 7 does.
If you work on a computer, Instagram lists the same flow for instagram.com: click More, then Settings, then under For professionals choose Account type and tools, click Switch to professional account, and pick Creator or Business. The labels change from time to time, so if your screen differs slightly, look for "professional account" under the For professionals heading.
After the switch you can open the professional dashboard to see insights, create ads and check your eligibility for monetization tools.
While you set up the profile, the free Instagram username generator can suggest a handle, and our 100+ Instagram bio ideas and free Instagram bio generator help with the text. Once you have the text, the line break tool for Instagram keeps your spacing when you paste it, and the fonts generator for Instagram can style it, though plain text is safer for your key words.
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What Is an Instagram Professional Account?
A professional account is an Instagram account with extra tools for growing and running a presence on the app. It comes in two types, and Instagram describes them like this in its professional account overview:
- Business accounts are best for retailers, local businesses, brands, organizations and service providers.
- Creator accounts are best for public figures, content producers, artists and influencers.
Both types give you access to features that personal accounts do not have. Instagram lists these:
- The professional dashboard to track performance and find professional tools.
- Ads and monetization, including running ads from your Instagram account.
- A Contact button with a phone number, email and directions.
- A category label under your profile picture, which you can hide.
- Insights about your followers and how your posts perform.
- An inbox with Primary, General and Requests folders.
- Ranked requests so you can sort message requests by date or by top accounts.
- Tools to manage followers, including reviewing suspected spam accounts.
- Improved discovery, so your posts and reels may appear in search engine results.
One note: Instagram now lets accounts that are public use insights even without a professional account. According to its help article on insights, a public personal or professional account can view insights. So insights alone are no longer a reason to switch.
What Is the Difference Between a Creator and a Business Account?
For most people the two types are closer than the names suggest. Here is what Instagram's own help pages say about where they differ:
| Feature | Business account | Creator account |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram's intended use | Retailers, local businesses, brands, organizations, service providers | Public figures, content producers, artists, influencers |
| Professional dashboard and insights | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Contact button and category label | Yes | Yes |
| Inbox with Primary, General and Requests | Yes | Yes |
| Can be set to private | No | No |
| Action buttons (Book now, Reserve, Order food) | Yes, through partner providers, one button at a time | Instagram lists these for business accounts |
| Shops on Instagram | An Instagram business account is required | Not listed |
| Licensed music library | Certain business accounts do not have access and can use Meta's Sound Collection instead | Not listed as restricted |
| Works with DM automation through Meta's official API | Yes | Yes |
A few details behind the table:
- Action buttons. Instagram's help article says you can add Book now, Reserve and Order food to your business account. Instagram adds that there are a limited number of partner providers, you need an existing account with the partner, and only one button shows on your profile at a time.
- Shops. To set up a shop that shows on Instagram, Instagram's shop setup guide says you need an Instagram business account in your business portfolio.
- Music. Instagram's music library article explains that the licensed music library is meant for personal, non-commercial use, so certain business accounts do not have access. Meta's Sound Collection, with over 14,000 royalty-free songs, is the alternative and can also be used commercially.
The last row of the table comes from Meta's developer documentation, which we cover below.
Which Account Type Should You Choose?
A simple rule of thumb based on Instagram's own descriptions:
- Choose Business if you sell products or services, run a local business, take bookings, or want a shop or action buttons.
- Choose Creator if you are a public figure, artist or content producer and your main product is your content. Creators who want brand deals can also check the Instagram Creator Marketplace requirements.
- Not sure? Either works for most tools, and Instagram says you can switch between types at any time, so choosing wrong is cheap to fix.
If you plan to use a DM automation tool, either type works. The requirement is a professional account, not a specific type.
What Changes When You Switch?
Instagram lists a few trade-offs, and they are worth reading before you tap switch:
- Your account becomes public. Instagram says that professional accounts cannot be set to private. If your account is private, switching makes it public, and all pending follow requests are accepted automatically.
- Facebook sharing changes. If you link a Facebook Page to your professional account, you can only share your Instagram posts to Facebook through that Page, not to another Page or to a personal Facebook profile.
- You get new tools. Everything in the list above, from the dashboard to the secondary inbox, is turned on.
- Your inbox gets folders. Messages are sorted into Primary, General and Requests.
Instagram's help pages do not describe your existing posts or followers being removed by the switch. They do describe the account becoming public and the Facebook sharing limit, so those are the two points to check against your situation first.
How Do You Switch Back to a Personal Account?
You can switch back at any time. According to Instagram's switch back guide:
- Tap your profile picture to open your profile.
- Tap the menu in the top right (you may also need to tap Settings).
- Tap Account type and tools.
- Tap Account type.
- Tap Switch account type.
- Tap Switch to personal account, then confirm with Switch to personal.
Before you do, know what you lose:
- Access to some Meta business tools such as Meta Business Suite and Meta Ads Manager.
- The ability to run ads, and any Facebook Page connected to your professional account is disconnected.
- If your account is public, you keep access to your dashboard and insights.
To change between Business and Creator instead of leaving the professional tier, go to Account type and tools, then Account type, then Switch account type, choose the type you want and tap Switch.
Why Can't You Switch to a Professional Account?
Instagram's help pages do not publish a troubleshooting list for this, so these are general steps rather than official guidance:
- Update the Instagram app to the latest version.
- Look under For professionals. Some versions place the option under Settings and activity. Search for "Account type and tools" in Settings if you cannot find it.
- Try the other platform. If the option is missing in the app, try instagram.com, or the reverse.
- Log out and back in.
- Contact Instagram support through the in-app help option if the option is still missing.
We cannot see your account, so we cannot say which of these will fix it for you.
Why Do DM Automation Tools Need a Professional Account?
Tools that send and manage Instagram DMs, including FlowGent, do so through Meta's official Instagram API. That API only works with professional accounts.
Meta's Instagram Platform overview says that to use the APIs, app users must have an Instagram professional account. Its page on the Instagram Platform adds that the messaging setup through the Messenger Platform requires an Instagram Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook Page, while the Instagram API with Instagram Login serves professional accounts without requiring a linked Facebook Page.
Meta's messaging documentation also sets the ground rules for automated replies:
- Conversations begin when an Instagram user sends you a message, for example through your posts or a Story mention.
- Your app can send a message to that person only after they have messaged you, within a standard messaging window that lasts 24 hours for most actions.
- Where required by law, automated experiences should say that people are talking to an automated service.
This is why a personal account cannot connect to official-API automation. If a tool offers to automate a personal account, it cannot be using this route, so check how it connects before you hand over your login.
If you want to see what you can do once you are on a professional account, FlowGent offers comment-to-DM and keyword reply flows on its Starter plan at $19 per month, with a 7-day free trial. Plans that add an AI agent cost more, and you can compare them on the pricing page. To see the options, read about the AI agent for Instagram or how a comment-to-DM workflow sends a DM when someone comments a keyword.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my personal Instagram account to a business account?
Open your profile, tap More, go to Settings and activity, and under For professionals tap Account type and tools. Tap Switch to professional account, choose a category, pick Business, and finish the contact details. You keep the same account, so you do not need to create a new one.
What is the difference between a creator and a business account on Instagram?
Instagram recommends business accounts for retailers, local businesses and brands, and creator accounts for public figures, artists and influencers. Both get the professional dashboard, insights and ads. Business accounts are the ones Instagram lists for action buttons and Shops.
Does a business account have a different Instagram algorithm?
We did not find any Instagram statement that business or creator accounts are ranked differently, so we cannot claim one. Instagram's help pages describe the extra tools, not extra reach. Choose the type for the features you need.
Can I switch back from a business account to a personal account?
Yes. Go to Account type and tools, tap Account type, then Switch account type, and choose personal. You lose access to tools such as Meta Business Suite and Meta Ads Manager, and any connected Facebook Page is disconnected. A public account keeps its dashboard and insights.
Do I need a Facebook Page for an Instagram business account?
Instagram's setup steps make connecting a Facebook Page optional, and you can tap Skip. Some tools do require a linked Page, such as the Messenger Platform setup for Instagram messaging. Meta says the Instagram API with Instagram Login does not require one.
Do I need a professional account for DM automation?
Yes. Meta's developer documentation says app users of the Instagram APIs must have an Instagram professional account, and Business and Creator accounts are both supported. A personal account cannot connect to tools that use the official API.