Meta Business Suite

Go to business.facebook.com in a desktop browser. Log in with the personal Facebook account tied to your Page. If you already manage a Page, Business Suite may open straight to your dashboard. If not, you will see a prompt to create or connect a business portfolio.

A business portfolio is the container that holds your Pages, Instagram accounts, ad accounts, and people. You may see older guides call this a Business Manager. The idea is the same: one hub for everything business-related, separate from your personal profile.

Tip: Use a company email for the login where possible, not a personal address tied to one employee.

In Business Suite, look for the settings area and find the option to add or claim a Page. If you are an admin of an existing Page, it usually appears automatically. If it does not, you may need to request access, which sends an approval request to current admins.

Once the Page is connected, confirm you can see it in the account switcher at the top left. That dropdown is how you move between assets, so it needs to show the right Page before you go further.

In the same settings area, find the connected accounts section and choose to connect Instagram. Log in with the Instagram credentials. For a professional account, you will be asked to confirm the connection to your Page.

This link is what lets you schedule Instagram posts, reply to Instagram direct messages, and see Instagram insights inside Business Suite. If the connection fails, check that the Instagram account is set to a professional (business or creator) account, not a personal one.

Tip: If two people manage the same Instagram account, connect it through the business portfolio rather than one person's login so access survives staff changes.

This is the step most people rush, and it is the one that causes the most support headaches. In your business portfolio settings, add each person by the email tied to their Facebook account. Then assign two things: access to the portfolio, and a role on each asset.

Common roles include admin (full control, can add people), editor (can create and publish content), and analyst (can view results but not post). Give the lowest level that lets someone do their job. Keep at least two admins so one departure or lost phone does not lock you out.

If you run paid ads, link your ad account to the portfolio and assign people to it. Ad accounts carry payment methods and spending history, so treat access carefully. Review who can spend money and at what limit.

If you do not advertise, you can skip this. Business Suite still handles organic posting, scheduling, and the inbox without an ad account.

Check first: Remove any payment method you no longer use. A dormant ad account with a live card is a common source of surprise charges.

The inbox in Business Suite pulls together Facebook Messenger, Instagram direct messages, and comments in one view. Open the inbox and confirm messages are flowing in. You can set saved replies for questions you answer over and over, like hours, shipping, or pricing.

Decide now who answers messages and how fast. A shared inbox with no owner is worse than no inbox, because customers think someone is watching when no one is.

Click Create Post. Choose the Page, the Instagram account, or both. Write your caption, add media, then use the dropdown to select Schedule instead of Publish. Pick your date and time, confirm, and the post enters the planner.

Scheduled posts appear in the Planner calendar, where you can drag them to a new slot or edit them before they go live. This is where Business Suite earns its keep: you can plan a week of content in one sitting.

The Insights section shows reach, engagement, follower changes, and which posts performed best. Do not try to read everything at once. Pick two or three numbers that match your goal, such as reach if you are building awareness or link clicks if you are driving traffic, and check those weekly.

Tip: Note your baseline numbers this week. Without a starting point, next month's trends tell you nothing.