Summary
The inbox, plus the requests folder nobody checks.
Pending requests are their own call here, which matters because that is where the messages you actually missed sit. Setup is a browser session's cookies — no app review and no developer account.
What it is
A TypeScript MCP server for Instagram Direct Messages. It authenticates with session cookies rather than an API key or OAuth, and covers the inbox, pending message requests, individual threads and the accounts behind them.
What you get
- The inbox listed, and pending message requests as a separate call
- One thread's messages read back
- A message sent into a thread
- Thread metadata, and profile information for a user
Requirements
A recent Node.js, and three Instagram session cookies — INSTAGRAM_SESSION_ID, INSTAGRAM_CSRF_TOKEN and INSTAGRAM_DS_USER_ID — taken from a logged-in browser session. Cookies expire, so the config needs refreshing when the session ends.
Setup effort
One command plus a key — npx mcp-instagram-dm, then supply credentials