Instagram rules
Instagram's DM rules, and why your auto-DMs don't arrive
Most auto-DMs that never arrive broke one of five rules. Here they are in one page.
The short answer
Instagram lets a business send one private reply to a comment, within 7 days of the comment. Once the person answers, an automation can message them for 24 hours. People who don't follow you see the DM in message requests, and on a Live the DM only works while you're still broadcasting.
By the Postkey team · Published
The five rules
- You get 7 days. The DM has to go out within 7 days of the comment.
- One DM, then nothing until they answer. A tap on a button in your DM counts as an answer.
- Then you get 24 hours. After that, automations stop.
- Non-followers get it in message requests, not their main inbox.
- On a Live, it's now or never. End the broadcast and the DMs stop.
Sources: Meta for Developers: Private Replies
What this means for your setup
Open with a short DM and a button, because the tap is what lets you send the link and anything after it. Then say "check your DMs or message requests" in your public reply, so people who don't follow you know where to look.
Build it in Postkey
Postkey is the most agentic DM automation tool. It works on the Free plan, and you can set this up by hand or ask ChatGPT or Claude to do it for you.
- 01
Connect your Instagram professional account with Meta's own sign-in.
- 02
Open DM automations and start a comment-to-DM automation. Choose one post or any post.
- 03
Type your keyword, then write the DM that sends your link.
- 04
Keep a button on the opening DM. The tap lets you send the link and any follow-ups.
- 05
Switch it on, then comment the keyword from a second account to see it work.
Questions
One, until they answer. Once they tap a button or reply, an automation can message them for 24 hours.
They don't follow you. Instagram puts new conversations from accounts they don't follow in Requests.
Only while the broadcast is running. When it ends, those DMs stop.