⚠️ Icon (currently in beta and free to use) and available only to selected Manychat users in selected locations (Australia, Canada, or the UK). It works only with Instagram, in both desktop and mobile browsers.
Icon is an AI assistant that builds Instagram automations for you. Tell it what you want in a chat, and it sets everything up. This article explains what Icon can do; how to get started, get access, and switch between Manychat and Icon; and what's different between the two experiences.
What is Icon by Manychat?
Think of Icon as a helper that understands your business. Chat with it to:
Save your business details in a Creator Profile
Build and manage Instagram automations for DMs, comments, and Stories
Get help with content, including ideas, post checks, trial runs, content performance analysis, and posting frequency
Get strategy and performance help based on your Instagram data.
Icon uses your Creator Profile (your offers, links, FAQs, and tone) so that generated replies and automations match your business and your vibe. The quality of Icon's answers depends on how thoroughly you complete your Creator Profile.
Icon and its settings are completely separate from the Manychat AI Behavior and Knowledge settings. Changing the settings for Manychat AI Behavior and AI Knowledge does not change Icon's settings and behavior.
Both products run side by side. Manychat is not going away; nothing is being migrated or deleted, and your Manychat automations will keep running as normal. One Manychat account has access to one Icon account, and they both share the same Instagram connection.
Get access and switch between Manychat and Icon
If you already use Manychat, once you join the beta, you get access to Icon. Your Manychat account and automations stay as they are. To access Icon during the closed beta, you must be invited by Manychat. There's no option to sign up or request access right now. We're inviting users in stages and will announce when Icon is available to everyone.
If you've been invited, make sure you:
Log in as the account owner. Team members won't see the beta banner or be able to switch.
Have Instagram connected.
Are in Australia, Canada, or the U.K., a VPN or travel may prevent the banner from appearing.
Once you are invited, join the beta from Manychat:
Open the Home tab in Manychat.
Click the Icon beta banner.
In the window that opens, click Join, and you will receive a beta welcome email.
If you're on a mobile browser, the window will read Download Icon app and Continue to browser. Click Continue to browser to open Icon in the same window.
Switch between Manychat and Icon on the web:
Open the left navigation.
Find the switch button below the account picker. It's in the same spot in both products.
Click the switch button to open the other product in your browser.
You can switch back and forth at any time. Direct Manychat links still open Manychat.
Icon is not available as a mobile app yet, so there is no switching between Icon and Manychat on the mobile app. Icon will still work separately in a mobile browser window.
💡 Icon is free during the beta. Your Manychat plan, price, and billing cycle will not change.
Get started: chat with Icon
You don't need to learn how to build automations from scratch or set up steps yourself. To build something with Icon, just open a new chat and describe what you want to do in your own words.
Open Icon.
Start a new chat.
Describe what you want to do.
Answer any questions Icon asks. Icon uses your answers and your Creator Profile to fill in the details.
Review what Icon prepares.
Here are a few things you can ask:
"When someone comments PRICE on my latest post, send them a DM about my coaching offer."
"Reply to questions about my shipping times in DMs."
"Give me ideas, hooks, and shooting recommendations for my next five posts."
"How did my recent posts perform?"
"Add my new offer and link to my Creator Profile."
💡 The more you share about your offers, links, FAQs, and tone, the better Icon's replies can match your business.
⚠️ New automations start as drafts. Your followers get replies only after you preview the automation and approve it.
Which product should I use?
Choose Icon or Manychat based on what you want to do:
If you want to… | Use |
Build an automation by chatting with AI | Icon |
Build automations for WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, or TikTok | Manychat |
Set up an Instagram comment-to-DM trigger | Either product. In Icon, you can target all posts or one specific post. |
Set up a keyword trigger | Either product |
Set up a Story reply trigger | Manychat. Story reply triggers aren't available in Icon yet. |
Edit an existing automation | The product where you built it. Check the automation's tag to see where it was created. |
Edit an automation after publishing | Manychat. In Icon, you'll need to pause and rebuild it. |
Use integrations, broadcasts, or ads | Manychat |
Set up an Instagram Live automation | Manychat |
Give team members access to automations | Manychat. Icon is currently available to account owners only. |
Icon-built automations that you see in Manychat can be deleted, duplicated, and renamed there as well. However, you can't open, edit, or turn them on or off from Manychat.
FAQs
Will I be charged for Icon?
No. Icon is free during the beta. Your Manychat plan, price, and billing cycle will stay the same.
What happens when the beta ends?
We're still deciding what will happen when the beta ends. We'll notify beta users in advance as soon as we have more information.
Will my Manychat automations stop working or be deleted?
No. Nothing will be migrated or deleted. Manychat automations will keep running regardless of which product you are using.
Can I go back to Manychat?
Yes. You can switch back and forth, and you can stay in Manychat if you prefer.
I don't see the banner or the switch. Why?
Check that your account is invited to the beta, you are logged in as the account owner, Instagram is connected, and that you are logging in from Australia, Canada, or the UK without a VPN. The banner also stays hidden if you dismissed it earlier.
Can my team members use Icon?
No. Icon is owner-only. Team members still see Icon-built automations in Manychat as read-only.
Why can't I edit an automation?
You can edit an automation only in the product where you built it. Open the automation in the product shown in its tag.
Why can't I delete a folder?
This means that the folder contains automations built in the other product.
Does Icon work with WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, or TikTok?
No. Icon supports Instagram only. Keep using Manychat for other channels.
Does my Instagram connection work in both products?
Yes. The connection is shared. Disconnecting Instagram in one product disconnects it in both.
Can Icon read my DMs for content ideas?
No. Icon reads comments from your connected account, plus anything you paste into the chat. It does not read your DMs.
Why does Icon say a metric is unavailable instead of showing 0?
Instagram does not return every metric for every post. When a metric is missing, Icon reports it as unavailable.
My followers aren't getting replies. Why?
New Icon automations start as drafts. Followers get replies only after you preview the automation and approve it.