sales-skills/sales-instapage

Instapage Platform Help

Step 1 — Gather context

If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

1. What are you trying to do?

   • A) Fix a broken page — won't publish, custom domain stuck/slow, page not live
   • B) Build/optimize a page — template, Global Blocks, A/B test, AI Experiments, heatmaps, DTR/Personalization
   • C) Scale ad campaigns — AdMap, Collections, programmatic ad-to-page mapping
   • D) Wire automation — pull form submissions via the API, set up a form-submit webhook, sync leads to a CRM
   • E) Pick or compare a plan (Create / Optimize / Convert)

2. Which plan are you on? Create ($99/mo), Optimize ($199/mo), Convert (custom/enterprise), or free trial. Several features below are plan-gated.

Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.

Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| Problem domain | Route to | |---|---| | Funnel strategy, page structure, conversion benchmarks across tools | /sales-funnel — Run: /sales-funnel {user's original question} | | A/B testing methodology, heatmap interpretation, statistical rigor | /sales-vwo — Run: /sales-vwo {user's original question} | | Email sequences after lead capture | /sales-email-marketing — Run: /sales-email-marketing {user's original question} | | Growing the list, lead-magnet strategy | /sales-audience-growth — Run: /sales-audience-growth {user's original question} | | Generic CRM/ESP iPaaS wiring (Zapier/Make) | /sales-integration — Run: /sales-integration {user's original question} | | Checkout/cart beyond Instapage forms | /sales-checkout — Run: /sales-checkout {user's original question} |

If the question is Instapage-specific, continue to Step 3.

Step 3 — Instapage platform reference

Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — modules, pricing/plan gates, data model, integration recipes, code examples. For raw endpoint/auth/webhook detail, read references/instapage-api-reference.md.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Focus on the user's specific situation.

• Plan gating is the headline issue. A/B testing, AI Experiments, Personalization/DTR need Optimize ($199/mo)+; heatmaps, ad-to-page personalization, root-domain publishing, Global Elements, SSO, and direct lead bypass are Convert (enterprise) only. Confirm the plan before promising a feature.
• Leads → CRM has two paths: the per-form Form Submit webhook (real-time POST to your endpoint) and the REST API GET /submissions poll (backfill/reconcile). The webhook sends internal field IDs (field_1…), not labels — map them carefully.
• Webhook 20-second rule. Your endpoint must respond within ~20s or the form's thank-you message/redirect breaks. Return 200 fast, process async.
• API quotas are double-gated. 200 requests/minute per token+IP and a daily call quota by plan (Create 5,000 / Optimize 10,000–15,000 / Convert 30,000+), reset 00:00 UTC. Both return 429 with Retry-After.
• Visitor caps. Each tier caps unique monthly visitors (Create 15,000; Optimize 30,000–50,000); scaling traffic forces an upgrade.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in references/learnings.md, append it there.

Gotchas

Best-effort from research (2026-06) — review these, especially plan-gated features and integration details that may be outdated.

1. Pricing is steep and front-loads gating. Entry Create is $99/mo with no A/B testing; the most-cited complaint is that real CRO features sit behind Optimize/Convert and cost climbs fast as traffic grows.
2. Heatmaps are Convert (enterprise) only. Not on Create or Optimize — don't promise heatmaps below the custom-priced tier.
3. A/B testing + AI Experiments need Optimize ($199/mo). The $99 Create plan can't split-test.
4. Form-submit webhook sends field IDs, not labels. Payload keys look like field_1 — map to your CRM properties or leads land in the wrong fields.
5. Webhook endpoint must reply in ~20s or the page's thank-you/redirect fails for the visitor. Ack fast, process in the background.
6. API has a daily quota on top of 200 req/min. Plan-based daily cap resets at 00:00 UTC; both limits emit 429 + Retry-After. Check the Subscription section for your daily cap.
7. Personal API tokens inherit the issuer's permissions and can read every workspace that user can access — treat tokens like passwords and scope team-member access deliberately.

Related skills

• /sales-funnel — Funnel strategy, page structure, conversion optimization, A/B testing methodology across tools
• /sales-vwo — A/B testing, heatmaps, and experimentation methodology beyond Instapage's built-in tools
• /sales-unbounce — Unbounce platform help (Smart Traffic AI, freeform builder, DTR) — the closest direct competitor
• /sales-landingi — Landingi platform help (Lunar AI, programmatic pages) — a lower-cost alternative
• /sales-leadpages — Leadpages platform help — a budget landing-page alternative
• /sales-audience-growth — Growing an email list (lead magnets, cross-promotion, referral programs)
• /sales-email-marketing — Email sequences to run after lead capture
• /sales-integration — Connect Instapage to a CRM or ESP via Zapier, Make, or the API
• /sales-do — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do -a claude-code

Examples

Example 1: Pipe new form leads into a CRM via the API

User: "How do I automatically get new Instapage form submissions into my CRM?" Approach: Two options — (1) per-form Form Submit webhook (page editor → form → integrations → Webhook, POST to your endpoint, real-time, but it sends field_1-style IDs so map fields and reply within 20s); (2) REST API poll of GET /v1/workspaces/{workspaceId}/submissions with the Authorization: Bearer header, best for backfill/reconcile. Show the cURL, note pagination via page, and handle 429 with Retry-After. Pull the recipe + JSON from references/platform-guide.md / references/instapage-api-reference.md.

Example 2: Page won't publish on a custom domain

User: "I connected my domain but the page still isn't live." Approach: Confirm the subdomain is added in account settings and DNS (A/CNAME) points to Instapage, then wait for propagation + SSL. Note root-domain publishing is Convert-only — on Create/Optimize you publish to a subdomain. Rule out propagation before assuming a bug.

Example 3: Choosing a plan for split testing + heatmaps

User: "I want A/B testing and heatmaps — which plan?" Approach: A/B testing + AI Experiments require Optimize ($199/mo); heatmaps require Convert (custom/enterprise) — they are not on Optimize. If heatmaps are essential, budget for Convert or use a separate tool (e.g. Microsoft Clarity) on Optimize. Explain visitor caps and daily API quota so they size it correctly.

Troubleshooting

Form leads not reaching my CRM

Symptom: The form submits and shows thank-you, but leads never arrive downstream. Cause: Webhook field mapping wrong (payload uses internal field_1 IDs, not labels), the receiving endpoint timed out (>20s), or the integration disconnected. Solution: Re-map each field_N to the correct CRM property, make the endpoint return 200 within ~20s (queue the work), and confirm HTTPS. As a backstop, reconcile with GET /v1/workspaces/{workspaceId}/submissions.

API calls suddenly return 429

Symptom: Requests start failing with HTTP 429. Cause: You hit the 200 requests/minute limit (per token + IP) or exhausted the plan's daily API quota (resets 00:00 UTC). Solution: Honor the Retry-After header with exponential backoff; spread bulk jobs across the day; check the daily cap in the app's Subscription section and upgrade if the integration needs more headroom.

A feature I expected is missing

Symptom: A/B testing, Personalization/DTR, or heatmaps aren't available. Cause: Plan gating — A/B testing/AI Experiments/Personalization need Optimize; heatmaps + ad-to-page personalization + root-domain publishing need Convert. Solution: Verify the current plan in billing before troubleshooting. Upgrade to the tier that unlocks the feature, or substitute a separate tool (e.g. Clarity for heatmaps) where cost-prohibitive.