Keyword replies for DMs

Instagram auto reply for the DMs you answer every day

Instagram auto reply in DM Flow answers a DM when it matches a keyword you choose. Ravi writes “do you ship to Pune?”, and DM Flow sends your shipping answer in the same chat.

Get started free See the match types

Works with Instagram Business and Creator accounts. No card needed.

How it works

How keyword auto-reply works

Write the answer once. DM Flow sends it when a DM matches.

1
Connect Instagram
Sign in with Google. Then connect your Business or Creator account through Instagram’s official login.
2
Pick “Direct message”
Create an automation, choose “Direct message” as the trigger and add your keywords.
3
Choose the match
Pick contains, is exactly or starts with. Then decide if capital letters count.
4
Write the reply
Write one clear message and check the live phone preview. Then publish with the switch on Live.

Always inside the 24-hour window

Instagram lets a business message someone for 24 hours after their last message. A keyword reply answers a message that just arrived, so the window is open. DM Flow still checks it before every send. Read how the 24-hour messaging window works.

Match types

Three ways to match a keyword

In these examples the keyword is “price”, and capital letters do not count. That is the default.

Match type	Replies when	Replies to	Does not reply to
Contains	The keyword is anywhere in the message, even inside a longer word.	Replies to“What is the price?”“prices pls”“PRICE”	Does not reply to“How much is it?”
Is exactly	The whole message is the keyword. Spaces before or after it do not count.	Replies to“price”“Price”	Does not reply to“price?”“the price”
Starts with	The message begins with the keyword.	Replies to“price for two?”“Price list”	Does not reply to“What is the price?”

Start with “contains”

It is the default, and it catches the most ways of asking. Avoid very short keywords: “hi” also matches “this”.

Use “is exactly” for code words

Ask people to send one word, like “LINK”. The reply then goes only to messages that are just that word.

Capitals, only if they matter

With “Match capitalisation exactly” on, “Price” and “PRICE” no longer match the keyword “price”.

Good practice

What to automate, and what to answer yourself

Automate the answers you type again and again. Keep the rest for yourself.

Good for auto-reply

Prices and price lists
Shipping, delivery times and opening hours
Links to your shop, menu, booking page or free guide
Sizes, colours and how to order

Better answered by you

Custom orders and quotes
Complaints, refunds and problems with an order
Questions that need a careful look
Anything personal or sensitive

A simple rule: if you typed the same answer five times this week, automate it. Answer the rest yourself in the Instagram DM inbox.

You and your automations

When you reply, automation steps aside

Keyword replies and your own replies share the same chats. DM Flow keeps them out of each other’s way.

You reply, it pauses for 1 hour

When you send a reply yourself, DM Flow pauses automation in that chat for 1 hour. You answer Meera at 15:00. If she writes “price” at 15:20, no automatic reply jumps in.

Pause or resume any chat

Open a chat in the inbox and choose “Pause automation”. Choose “Resume automation” to turn it back on. Other chats keep their automations.

See the inbox

Results

See what your replies do

Clear numbers show how each automation is doing.

Replies per automation

The automations list shows how many replies each automation sent in the last 30 days.

Delivered or failed

Analytics shows messages in, replies sent, failed replies and the share delivered, for 7, 30 or 90 days.

Pause or duplicate

Pause an automation when an offer ends. Duplicate one to start a similar reply.

Questions

Auto-reply questions

Is Instagram auto reply allowed?

Yes, when it runs on Instagram’s official messaging API, as DM Flow does. It can only answer people who wrote to you first. Read the Instagram DM automation rules for the details.

Can an auto reply go out after 24 hours?

It does not need to. A keyword reply answers a message that just arrived, so the window is open. When a person’s last message is more than 24 hours old, no normal message can go out until they write again.

Does DM Flow write replies with AI?

No. DM Flow sends the exact reply you wrote. You always know what people get.

Can a reply include buttons or quick replies?

No. Each reply is one text message. You can put a link in it.

How do I stop auto-replies in one chat?

Open the chat in the inbox and choose “Pause automation”. Automation also pauses for 1 hour each time you reply yourself.

Does capitalisation matter?

Not by default: “Price”, “PRICE” and “price” all match. Turn on “Match capitalisation exactly” when it should count.

Write the answer once, and let DM Flow send it

Connect Instagram, add a keyword and write the reply. You can start without a card.

Get started free