Instagram DM automation
Instagram DM automation:
send the right message the moment someone engages.
Instagram DM automation sends a message for you when someone comments a keyword, replies to your Story, mentions you or messages you. Creators and small businesses use it to deliver links and files, answer common questions and collect leads without replying one by one.
Last updated October 12, 2026
- 1,000 DMs / month
- Free plan
- $3 / month
- Paid plans from
- Instagram login
- Connects via
- Never
- Password needed
How Instagram DM automation works
- You choose a trigger: a keyword in a comment, a Story reply, a Story mention or an incoming DM.
- Instagram tells the tool about the event through its official API.
- The tool sends the reply you wrote, such as a link, file or question, within Meta's limits.
- You see replies, link taps and new subscribers in a dashboard, and can take over any chat.
What can trigger a DM
| Trigger | What happens | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Comment keyword on a post or Reel | The commenter gets a private reply (DM) with your link, file or question. | Instagram allows one private reply per comment, within 7 days. |
| Story reply | A DM answers the reply. | Story automation starts on the Starter plan. |
| Story mention | A thank-you or offer is sent to the person who tagged you. | Story automation starts on the Starter plan. |
| Incoming DM | A keyword or flow answers the message. | Instagram's 24-hour messaging window applies after their message. |
What ReplyKaro includes
Comment-to-DM
Set a keyword on a post or Reel and send a link, file or question when someone comments it.
Story automation
Reply when someone answers your Story or mentions you in theirs.
Follow-Gate
Ask people to follow you before the link is sent. Included on every plan, including free.
Fan Mode
Give followers points for interactions and group them into tiers you set.
Flow Builder
Build multi-step conversations with buttons, questions and branches.
Subscribers and leads
See who interacted, tag and segment them, capture emails and phone numbers, and export to CSV.
Link tracking
See how many people tapped each link you sent.
Account health
Watch delivery and sending limits so you stay inside Meta's rules.
What people use it for
Deliver a link or file
Comment LINK and receive the course page, price list or checklist.
Qualify leads
Ask two or three questions in the chat and save the answers to your leads page.
Answer repeat questions
Reply to Story replies and DMs about prices, timings and delivery.
Grow followers
Follow-Gate asks people to follow before the link arrives.
Reward fans
Fan Mode gives points and tiers to your most active followers.
Follow up
Send a follow-up if someone does not open the link, within Instagram's messaging rules.
ReplyKaro plans for Instagram
Flat monthly prices, not per contact. ₹ prices apply in India and $ prices elsewhere. The free plan needs no card and has no expiry. See the pricing page for the full feature list of each plan.
| Plan | Price | Instagram accounts | Active automations | DMs a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Starter | Free | 1 | 3 | 1,000 |
| Starter Pack | ₹99 / $3 a month | 1 | 10 | 30,000 |
| Pro Pack | ₹299 / $9 a month | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Scale Pack | ₹399 / $15 a month | 1 | Unlimited | 500,000 |
| Growth Pack | ₹449 / $15 a month | 5 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Agency Pack | ₹799 / $25 a month | 10 | Unlimited | 30,000 |
| Agency Pro Pack | ₹999 / $29 a month | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
On the Agency Pack, 30,000 DMs a month applies to each of its 10 accounts. Growth and Agency Pro share one dashboard across accounts.
How sending limits work
Instagram caps how many private replies an app can send each hour. ReplyKaro sends below that cap by default: 180 DMs an hour on the Free plan, 200 on Starter and up to 300 on Pro. If a Reel goes viral and comments arrive faster than that, they are queued and sent as capacity allows, as long as they are inside Instagram's 7-day window.
Rules every tool has to follow
These come from Meta's developer documentation and apply to all Instagram DM tools, including ReplyKaro.
- A comment can receive one private reply, sent within 7 days of the comment.
- Your account must be an Instagram Professional account (Business or Creator).
- After the person replies, the standard 24-hour messaging window applies.
- Meta caps private replies per hour. A good tool sends within that cap and queues the rest instead of failing.
- Tools that ask for your Instagram password, or run through a browser extension, are outside Meta's rules.
How ReplyKaro keeps your account within Meta's rules
- It connects with Instagram's official login. It never asks for your password and does not use bots or browser extensions.
- It only messages people who commented a keyword, replied to your Story, mentioned you or messaged you.
- It sends below Meta's hourly cap and queues the rest.
- You can pause any automation, and take over any chat yourself.
- No tool can guarantee an account will never be restricted. Keep messages relevant and avoid repeating identical text to large audiences.
ReplyKaro is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or Instagram.
Message ideas that work for the first DM
The first DM should deliver what the person asked for, then ask one easy question. Keep it short and written like a person.
| Goal | Keyword | Example first DM |
|---|---|---|
| Deliver a link | LINK | Hi! Here is the link you asked for: [link]. Tell me what you plan to use it for and I will point you to the right part. |
| Send a price list | PRICE | Thanks for asking. Our price list is here: [link]. Which service are you most interested in? |
| Book a call | CALL | Happy to help. Pick a time that suits you: [booking link]. What would you like to cover on the call? |
| Lead magnet | GUIDE | Your free guide is ready: [link]. Want me to send a short checklist to go with it? Reply YES. |
| Product enquiry | SHOP | Here is the product you commented on: [link]. Reply with your size or colour and I will check stock. |
| Follow first | FOLLOW | Follow us first, then tap "I'm following" and I will send the link straight away. |
Checklist before you go live
- Your Instagram account is a Business or Creator (Professional) account.
- You connected with Instagram login, not by sharing a password.
- The keyword is short, easy to type and not a common word in unrelated comments.
- The DM contains one clear action: a link, a file or a question.
- You tested it by commenting the keyword from a second account.
- No other automation tool is running on the same post.
- You know where replies arrive, and who will answer when a person writes back.
If a DM was not sent
Most missed DMs have one of these causes. Check them in order.
| Cause | What to check |
|---|---|
| Account type | The account must be a Professional account connected through Instagram login. |
| Time window | A comment can receive a private reply only within 7 days of the comment. |
| One reply per comment | Instagram allows a single private reply per comment. A second tool or a repeat comment cannot trigger another. |
| Keyword mismatch | Check spelling and the keyword list. Add the variants your audience actually types. |
| Automation paused or off | Confirm the automation is active and attached to the right post or Reel. |
| Plan limits | Your plan has monthly DM and active-automation limits. See the plans table above. |
| Hourly limit | Above the hourly limit, comments are queued and sent as capacity allows. |
How to measure whether it works
Look at three things: how many people received the DM, how many replied, and how many became leads or customers. Compare posts that use different keywords to learn which content brings the most interested people.
Change one thing at a time: the keyword, the first sentence or the link. If you change several at once you cannot tell which one made the difference.
Terms you will see
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Private reply | A DM sent in response to a public comment. One per comment, within 7 days. |
| Messaging window | After a person messages you, you can reply for 24 hours. |
| Professional account | A Business or Creator account. Required for automation tools. |
| Keyword trigger | A word in a comment or message that starts an automation. |
| Follow-Gate | A step that asks the person to follow you before the link is sent. |
| Flow | A multi-step conversation with buttons, questions and branches. |
How Instagram DM automation works behind the scenes
When you connect an account, you approve access through Instagram's own login. Instagram then sends the tool a notification (a webhook) each time something happens on your account: a new comment, a Story reply, a mention or a message. The tool checks that event against the automations you saved. If the comment contains your keyword on the post you chose, it sends the reply you wrote.
For comments, the reply goes out as a private reply, which is a feature of Instagram's messaging API made for exactly this case. Meta's documentation says a private reply is a single message to the person who commented, it must be sent within 7 days of the comment, and the conversation can continue only if that person answers, inside the 24-hour messaging window.
That is why a good automation has two parts: a first message that delivers something useful immediately, and a clear next step that invites a reply, so the conversation can continue.
Who uses Instagram DM automation, and for what
| Account type | Typical trigger | What the DM delivers | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creator selling digital products | Comment "GUIDE" on a tutorial Reel | Product link and a short description | Keep one product per Reel so the keyword means one thing |
| Coach or consultant | Comment "CALL" or reply to a Story | Booking link plus one qualifying question | Answer replies personally; automation is for the first message |
| Online store | Comment "SHOP" on a product post | Product page, size or colour question | Stock and prices change, so review the message often |
| Local business | DM keyword such as "PRICE" or "HOURS" | Price list, opening hours, location link | Add a way to reach a person for custom requests |
| Educator or course creator | Comment "JOIN" on an announcement | Registration link and start date | State the deadline in the DM |
| Agency managing clients | Per-client keywords on each account | Client-specific links and offers | Use a plan with enough accounts and separate dashboards per client |
Five rules for writing the first DM
- Deliver first. Put the thing the person asked for in the first two lines, not after a long greeting.
- Write like a person. Use the tone you use in your captions, and avoid copy that reads like a template.
- Ask one question at the end. A single easy question gives people a reason to reply, which opens the 24-hour window.
- Keep links short and trustworthy. One link is better than three.
- Vary the wording if you send to many people. Repeating identical text at scale looks like spam to recipients and to Instagram.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Better approach |
|---|---|---|
| Using a common word as the keyword | Unrelated comments trigger the DM | Pick a short, specific word and say it in the Reel |
| Running two automations on one post | Instagram allows one private reply per comment, so one of them cannot send | One automation per post |
| Never testing | Typos in links or keywords go live | Comment from a second account before posting |
| Promising something in the Reel that the DM does not deliver | People feel misled and stop engaging | Make the DM match the promise |
| No follow-up path | The conversation ends after one message | End with a question and check replies daily |
| Ignoring plan limits | Monthly DMs run out in the middle of a launch | Compare your expected volume with the plan table before a big post |
Respecting your audience and Meta's rules
Automation works best when people asked for the message. A comment with your keyword is a request, so the reply is welcome. Sending unrelated promotions to people who never interacted is not allowed by the API and is a quick way to lose trust.
Do not ask for passwords, payment details or other sensitive data in DMs. Tell people what they will receive, make it easy to stop (a person can simply ignore or block), and keep the content accurate. ReplyKaro is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or Instagram, and no tool can guarantee that an account will never face restrictions, so keep your messages relevant and in line with Instagram's Terms and Community Guidelines.
Choosing a plan by how many DMs you send
| If you send | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Up to about 1,000 DMs a month on one account with a few automations | Free | 1 account, 3 active automations and 1,000 DMs a month, no card needed |
| More automations, Story automation, or up to 30,000 DMs a month | Starter (₹99 or $3 a month) | 10 active automations and 30,000 DMs a month |
| Many posts running at once or very high volume | Pro (₹299 or $9 a month) | Unlimited automations and DMs |
| Several accounts | Growth or Agency plans | Multiple accounts in one dashboard; limits are per plan |
Prices and limits come from the pricing page and may change. ₹ prices apply in India and $ prices elsewhere.
Set up Instagram DM automation in five steps
- 1
Sign in with Instagram
Use a Business or Creator (Professional) account. ReplyKaro uses Instagram's official login and never asks for your password.
- 2
Choose where it triggers
Pick a Reel or post (or Story replies).
- 3
Set the keyword
For example LINK, PRICE or INFO. Add the spelling variations your audience types as extra keywords.
- 4
Write the DM
Add your link, file or first question. Optionally turn on Follow-Gate.
- 5
Test, then go live
Comment the keyword from a second account, check the DM and the link, then leave it running.
Reviews
What customers say on Trustpilot
78% 5-star · 22% 4-star · as of October 5, 2026
Indi website with a friendly UI and competitive prices. You can try their free version before commiting. The payment process is trustworthy (already finished one month subscription and upgraded to a yearly one)
Marion Getto · DE · Oct 3, 2026
I have been using for a few days now. Very smooth experience and very affordable plans. Same features are 30 times in other companies. Keep up the good work!! 👍
Ravinder Rawat · IN · Sep 23, 2026
It’s been pretty good I’ve been using it since two months. And they are very responsive when I reach out to them!
Hrithika · IN · Sep 20, 2026
Reviews are quoted as written by the reviewers. Read all on Trustpilot
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is Instagram DM automation?
It is software that sends Instagram direct messages automatically when someone takes an action, such as commenting a keyword or replying to your Story.
Is there a free Instagram DM automation tool?
Yes. ReplyKaro's free plan includes 1 Instagram account, 3 active automations and 1,000 DMs a month, Follow-Gate and Fan Mode, with no card and no expiry. Other tools also have free plans with different limits; see our alternatives page for sourced comparisons.
Can I send a DM to anyone I want?
No. Instagram only lets tools message people who interacted with you: a commenter (one private reply within 7 days), someone who replied to or mentioned you in a Story, or someone who messaged you (24-hour window).
Is ReplyKaro safe for my Instagram account?
ReplyKaro uses Instagram's official API with Instagram login, never asks for your password and sends below Meta's hourly cap. It only messages people who interacted with you. No tool can guarantee an account will never be restricted, so keep messages relevant.
How much does ReplyKaro cost?
There is a free plan (1 Instagram account, 3 active automations and 1,000 DMs a month). Paid plans start at ₹99 a month in India or $3 a month elsewhere, and Pro (₹299 (India) or $9 a month with unlimited automations and DMs) removes automation and DM caps. See the pricing page for every plan.
Do I need an Instagram Professional account?
Yes. Instagram only allows automation tools to message through Business or Creator accounts. Switching is free in Instagram settings.
How long does it take to set up Instagram DM automation?
Connecting your account, choosing a post, setting a keyword and writing the DM usually takes a few minutes. Testing with a second account is worth another minute.
Will people know the DM is automated?
The DM arrives as a normal message from your account. Write it in your own voice, and make it easy for people to reply so you can take over the conversation.
Can I send photos, PDFs or voice notes?
Yes, on plans with attachment storage. The free plan includes 100 MB; Starter 500 MB; Pro 2 GB.
Is Instagram DM automation allowed?
Instagram provides an official messaging API and a private-reply feature for comments, and approved tools use it. Rules apply: a comment can receive one private reply within 7 days, only professional accounts can use it, and messages must follow Instagram's terms.
Do I need a Business or Creator account?
Yes. Instagram's messaging API works only with Professional (Business or Creator) accounts. You can switch a personal account to Professional in Instagram's settings.
Can I automate DMs to people who do not follow me?
A person who comments your keyword can receive a private reply whether or not they follow you. Meta delivers it to their inbox if they follow your account and to their message requests if they do not.
How many DMs can be sent per hour?
Meta allows about 750 private replies per hour per account for comments on posts and Reels. ReplyKaro sends below that cap and queues the rest, as long as they are within the 7-day window.
What happens if a person replies to the automated DM?
The conversation continues inside Instagram's 24-hour messaging window. You can reply yourself from the inbox or let a flow handle it.
Can I pause an automation?
Yes. You can pause or edit any automation at any time, and take over any conversation yourself.
Keep reading
Try ReplyKaro free
Connect your Instagram account and build a keyword automation in a few minutes. No card needed.