Setting Up Instagram When You Don't Have a Facebook Account

Why you need this guide

Instagram is owned by Meta, and the only official way to pull your posts into a widget is through Meta's Graph API — which is accessed through Facebook. That means your Instagram account has to be a **Business or Creator** account that's connected to a **Facebook Page**.

If you've never used Facebook, this can feel like a dead end — but it isn't. You don't need to actively *use* Facebook; you just need an account and a Page so Meta can authorise the connection. The whole process below takes about 10 minutes, it's completely free, and you won't lose any Instagram posts or followers.

Already have a Facebook account? You can skip straight to Setting Up an Instagram Feed Widget instead. This guide is specifically for people starting from scratch with no Facebook account.

Step 1: Create a free Facebook account

Go to facebook.com (or open the Facebook app) and choose **Create new account**. Enter your name, email address or mobile number, a password, your date of birth, and gender, then confirm your email or phone number with the code Facebook sends you.

You can use your business name as the profile name if you prefer — the personal profile is only there to administer your Page. You don't need to add friends, a photo, or post anything. Once your account is verified, you're ready for the next step.

Step 2: Create a Facebook Page

A Facebook **Page** is different from your personal profile — it's the public presence for your business, and it's what your Instagram account links to. While logged in, go to facebook.com/pages/create (or tap **Menu → Pages → Create**).

Enter your Page name (usually your business name), choose a category that best describes your business, and add a short description. Click **Create Page**. You can skip adding a profile photo and cover image for now — they're optional and don't affect the widget connection.

Step 3: Convert your Instagram to a Business or Creator account

Open the **Instagram app** on your phone and go to your profile. Tap the menu (☰) in the top-right, then **Settings and privacy**. Find **Account type and tools** (sometimes shown as **Account → Switch to professional account**).

Tap **Switch to professional account**, then choose either **Business** (best for shops, brands, and organisations) or **Creator** (best for public figures, influencers, and content creators). Either type works with the widget. Pick a category and confirm. Your posts, followers, and username stay exactly the same — nothing is deleted.

Step 4: Link your Instagram account to your Facebook Page

During the 'Switch to professional account' flow, Instagram usually offers to connect a Facebook Page — choose the Page you created in Step 2 and you're done. If you skipped it, you can link them manually at any time.

To link manually: in the Instagram app, go to your profile → **Edit profile** → **Page** (under Public business information) → **Connect or create** → select your Facebook Page. Alternatively, from your Facebook Page go to **Settings → Linked accounts → Instagram** and connect your account there. Make sure you're logged into the same Facebook account that owns the Page.

Step 5: Connect your widget

Now everything is in place. In your Social Media Feeds dashboard, create a new Instagram widget and click **Connect with Instagram**. You'll be sent to Meta's secure login — sign in with the Facebook account you just created and grant read access to your posts and profile.

On the page picker, choose the Facebook Page that's linked to your Instagram account. Your latest posts will be pulled in automatically and your feed will start populating. From here you can customise the layout and styling exactly like any other widget.

For the full connection walkthrough and customisation options, see Setting Up an Instagram Feed Widget.

Troubleshooting

**No Instagram account shows up in the page picker?** That almost always means the Instagram account isn't linked to the Facebook Page yet, or it's still a personal account. Re-check Steps 3 and 4, then try connecting again. Make sure you authorised the Page during the Meta login (don't untick it on the permissions screen).

**Still stuck?** See Instagram & Facebook Connection Issues for fixes to the most common errors, or click the chat icon in the bottom-right corner to reach our support team.