Inbox: replying, taking over and teamwork
Last reviewed:
The inbox shows every Instagram conversation. For each chat you decide who answers: Auto (automations and AI as configured), AI (the agent answers) or Team (a person answers and automatic DM replies pause). Writing a reply yourself switches the chat to Team and marks you as the person who took it over.
Who answers a chat
| Setting | What happens |
|---|---|
| Auto | Automations and the AI agent reply as configured. This is the default. |
| AI | The AI agent answers this contact’s DMs. |
| Team | A person answers. Automatic DM replies pause for this contact; the header shows who took over. |
Comment automations keep working for public replies. Switch back to Auto at any time.
Writing replies
Type your message and press Send. “AI draft” writes a suggestion from the conversation and the agent’s knowledge — edit it before sending. Each message shows who sent it: the contact, an automation, a campaign, the AI agent or a named team member.
Instagram allows manual replies up to 7 days after the contact’s last message. Automated messages need a message within the last 24 hours.
The contact panel
- Follower status, email and phone
- Folders: pick a folder to add the contact, or choose “New folder” to create one
- Run automation: start any active automation for this contact by hand
- Comments the contact left on your posts
Filters
Filter by Unread, Waiting for you (the contact wrote last), AI handling, Team and In automation, search by name or @handle, and narrow the list to one folder.
Questions? Answers.
Why was my message not sent?
Instagram only allows replies within 7 days of the contact’s last message, and only while your account is connected. The message stays in the chat marked as not sent.
Do team members see who took over?
Yes. A chat set to Team shows “taken over by” with the person’s name, and each manual reply shows its author.
Still stuck? Write to us and tell us what you tried: hello@dmowl.com