Instagram Is Building a Messaging API to Help Brands Manage Their DMs via Third Party Tools

Instagram is quietly building out software tools to help brands manage their direct messages with the app’s users.

The Facebook-owned photo-sharing app is building an API (application programming interface) that will allow big accounts to access their messages through third-party services, Business Insider(pay wall) has learned — a long-demanded feature that will let brands and other accounts better manage their interactions with Instagram users. The new API will help big accounts to manage their Instagram direct messages with other accounts. It’s something that many brands and marketers have wanted for a long time; one marketing source said that it’s the most-wanted feature for many in the industry. It’s not yet clear exactly what functionality the API will offer.

It’s not clear exactly when the tool will launch, or who will initially have access to it.