Instagram DM automation:
free forever, unlimited on Pro.

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 you need to get started

• An Instagram Business or Creator (Professional) account. Switching from a personal account is free in Instagram settings.
• A tool that connects through Instagram's official login and Meta's API. Never share your password with a tool. ReplyKaro's business is verified by Meta as a Tech Provider.
• One clear job for the first automation: a link, a file, a price list or a question.
• A second account or a friend's account to test the keyword before you go live.

Ads that open a DM chat

Ads can be set up in Meta Ads Manager to open an Instagram chat instead of a website. The welcome message is configured there. When the person writes their first message, it arrives as an incoming DM, and an incoming-DM keyword automation or flow can answer it. Comments on boosted posts can also trigger a comment automation.

What can trigger a DM

What ReplyKaro includes

What people use it for

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.

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).
• Only one message can be sent to the person who commented. You can continue the conversation only after they reply to it.
• Private replies on Instagram Live comments can only be sent while the live broadcast is on.
• After the person replies, the standard 24-hour messaging window applies.
• Meta publishes separate rate limits for the Instagram Messaging API. A good tool sends within them 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.

Source: [Meta for Developers, Instagram Messaging: Private Replies](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/messenger-platform/instagram/features/private-replies). Checked 31 October 2026. Meta can change these 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. ReplyKaro's business is verified by Meta as a Tech Provider.
• 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Prices and limits come from the pricing page and may change. ₹ prices apply in India and $ prices elsewhere.

Instagram DM automation in short answers

Which trigger to start with

Set it up before you post

You do not have to wait for a post to exist. When you create a comment automation you can choose the next post or Reel instead of an existing one. The automation waits, and attaches itself when you publish.

You can create several of these with different keywords, so one new Reel can answer LINK with the link and PRICE with the price list. Turn on repeat if you want the same automation to wait for the post after that as well; each waiting copy counts toward your active-automation limit, and you can stop the repeat at any time.

From one message to a conversation

The first DM delivers what the person asked for. After that you choose how far to take it.

How much can each plan send

Monthly allowance and hourly speed both matter. When comments arrive faster than the hourly speed they wait in the queue, and the monthly allowance is the total across the month.

Growth, Agency and Agency Pro add more Instagram accounts. Every plan and its limits are listed on the pricing page.

Instagram DM automation tools compared

Free plans and entry prices of tools that automate Instagram DMs, from their own pricing pages.

Sources: each vendor's public pricing and help pages, last checked 12 October 2026. "Check their site" means we could not confirm the detail from public sources; it does not mean the feature is missing. Plans change, so confirm on the vendor's site. Corrections: hello@replykaro.com.

The comment-to-DM funnel: ask for the comment, deliver by DM

The funnel has three moves. End the Reel with one clear ask, such as "Comment LINK and I will send it to your DMs". Set a comment-to-DM automation on that Reel with the same keyword. Everyone who comments the keyword gets a private reply with what you promised.

Say the keyword out loud, show it on screen and repeat it in the first line of the caption. Pin a comment that says where the DM arrives. A visible comment thread also tells new viewers what to do. Read the full set-up in Instagram comment automation.

Story reply automation: turn Story viewers into conversations

People who reply to a Story are already interested. Post a Story that offers something ("Reply GUIDE and I will send it") and let a Story automation answer every reply with a link, a question or a booking page.

Story reply and Story mention automation are included on every plan. A reply opens Instagram's 24-hour messaging window, so a short follow-up question works well while the person is still there.

DM keyword automation: answer the first question automatically

When people message you a word such as BOOK, DEMO or PRICE, a keyword reply can answer straight away with a calendar link, a price list or the next question. For longer conversations use the flow builder to add buttons and branches, and keep the option to take over any chat yourself.

Follow-Gate: ask for the follow, then send the link

Follow-Gate adds one step before the link. The person is asked to follow your account and tap a button to confirm, and then the link is sent. It is included on every plan, including free.

Instagram only lets a tool check a follow status after the person has interacted with the account, for example by tapping a button. That is why Follow-Gate is a follow-then-confirm step and not a silent check on every commenter. It adds a step, so test it on one post before you use it everywhere. More on this in auto DM for Instagram followers.

Several keywords, several offers

Different keywords can route different people to different offers: FREE to a lead magnet on an educational Reel, COURSE to the sales page on a testimonial Reel, BOOK as a DM keyword for calls. Each automation has its own message and its own results.

The number of automations you can keep active depends on your plan: 3 on Free, 10 on Starter and unlimited on Pro. See pricing for every plan.

How to tell whether your automation is working

• Comment the keyword from a second account and check that the DM arrives and the link opens.
• In the dashboard, check the DMs sent and their delivery status for each automation.
• Use link tracking to see how many people tapped the link you sent.
• If DMs stop, check that the account is still connected, the automation is active and you are inside your plan's monthly allowance.
• Review subscribers and leads to see who interacted and export them to CSV.

Where to go next

Set up Instagram DM automation in five steps

1. 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. 2

   Choose where it triggers

   Pick a Reel or post (or Story replies).

3. 3

   Set the keyword

   For example LINK, PRICE or INFO. Add the spelling variations your audience types as extra keywords.

4. 4

   Write the DM

   Add your link, file or first question. Optionally turn on Follow-Gate.

5. 5

   Test, then go live

   Comment the keyword from a second account, check the DM and the link, then leave it running.