Request to follow · Instagram
Give the freebie. Get the follow.
Someone comments your word. Postkey asks them to follow. When they tap, it checks with Instagram, then sends your link.
On every plan, Free included
One tap. One honest check.
Instagram only tells an app who follows you once that person has messaged you. So Postkey asks in the DM, and checks the moment they tap.
- 01They commentYour word, “FREE”, on any post or reel. A public reply goes under it.
- 02Postkey asks for the followIn their DMs, in your words, with one button.
- 03They tap “I'm following”Their tap is a message, so Postkey can reply.
- 04Postkey checks with InstagramFollowers only: Instagram checks they follow you before the link goes out.
- 05The link goes outYour opening message comes with a button. Their tap on it says “send it”, and the link follows.
On your reel
@afan FREE
yourshop Thanks! Please see DMs.
I'm following
Postkey asks Instagram: does @afan follow you?
Follows you
Send me the link
- Instagram only. Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, Email and TikTok don’t tell Postkey who follows an account, so the follow step isn’t offered there.
- Your words. The ask, the nudge and the button, up to 20 characters on the button.
- No pressure. Tap to unlock gives it to everyone after one tap, follower or not.
Anything worth a follow can sit behind one.
The reward is a DM, so it’s whatever a message can carry: a link, a code, a few words. Up to 3 link buttons in one message.
- Free guideThe PDF, for followers
- Discount codeA thank-you for following
- Giveaway entryThe confirmation, after the follow
- Waitlist spotEarly access, one tap away
- Template packThe files after the follow
- Webinar seatThe join link in their DMs
- Recipe or playlistA small thing, a bigger audience
See it in the app
Pick the template, add your word, switch on the follow step. These are real Postkey screens.
See what it earns.
Every automation with a follow step counts who was asked and what they did. Followed means they followed you by the time they tapped.
Follow gateLast 7 days
People asked to follow before getting the link, and what they did.
- Asked to follow240
- Followed17171%
- Did not follow5222%
- Skipped by audience9
240 asked: 171 followed, 52 tapped without following, 17 haven’t tapped yet. Skipped by audience never got the ask.
Analytics · per automation
Three ways to start.
Templates with the follow step built in. Change any word before you go live.
- 01
Follow to unlock a link
They comment your keyword, follow you, and the link unlocks.
- Comment with your keyword
- Followers only
- Nudges after 1 hour if unopened
- 02
Lead magnet with follow and email
One tap unlocks your freebie, follower or not, with the follow asked for in the message. Then you ask for their email.
- Comment with your keyword
- Tap to unlock
- Asks for their email
- Nudges after 3 hours if unopened
- 03
Get leads from story replies
They reply to your story, follow you, share their email, get the link.
- Story reply with your keyword
- Followers only
- Asks for their email
Request to follow, answered
It asks Instagram when they tap the button in your DM. Instagram only tells an app whether someone follows you once they have messaged you, and that tap is their message. So the check happens on the tap, not on the comment.
They get a friendly nudge, “Looks like you're not following yet. Follow, then tap again.”, with the same button. Once they follow and tap again, the link goes out. You can write your own nudge.
Yes. Choose Tap to unlock: everyone gets it after one tap, follower or not. You can still ask them to follow in the message.
Instagram. Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, Email and TikTok don’t tell Postkey who follows an account, so the follow step isn’t offered there.
No. Instagram does not tell apps about new followers yet. The follow step works on people who comment or reply to your story.
A message of up to 640 characters with up to 3 link buttons: a guide, a code, a waitlist, anything with a link.
Yes, on every plan. Free plan: 25 contacts/mo, 4 active automations, 5 posts/week, "Sent with Postkey" branding.