How to send an automatic DM when someone comments on Instagram

What you need

• An Instagram professional account (business or creator). Personal accounts have no messaging API.
• A tool that uses the official “Instagram API with Instagram Login” — never one that asks for your Instagram password.
• A post or reel with a clear call to action, e.g. “Comment LINK and I’ll DM you the guide.”

Set it up in five steps

1. 1
   Connect Instagram

   Log in with Instagram and grant the messaging and comment permissions. Instagram shows you exactly what the app may do.

2. 2
   Choose the trigger

   Pick “comment” and one or more keywords. Matching ignores case and emojis, so “link”, “Link 🙏” and “LINK!” all count.

3. 3
   Pick the posts

   All posts, selected posts, or “next post” — the automation attaches itself to the next thing you publish.

4. 4
   Write the DM

   Keep the first message short and add a button. A tap counts as a reply and opens the 24-hour window for further messages.

5. 5
   Add a public reply

   Reply under the comment (“Sent you a DM 📩”) with a few rotating variants. It shows others the offer works and boosts the post.

Rules that keep your account safe

Instagram lets a business send one private reply to a comment, up to 7 days after the comment was written. Further messages are only allowed once the person replies — that is why a button in the first DM matters.

• Do not reply to every single comment publicly with the same text. Rotate variants or reply to a share of comments.
• Respect volume limits. Meta throttles automated messages per account; a good tool queues and retries instead of failing.
• Only promise what you send. A DM that asks to follow before delivering should actually check the follow.

Make it convert

• Ask for one thing at a time: first the tap, then the email, then the link.
• Send a follow-up if the link was not clicked after a few hours.
• Tag everyone who commented, so you can message them again at your next launch (within Instagram’s rules).

DMowl does all of this with the template “Comment for link”: keyword trigger, rotating public replies, a tracked link and an automatic follow-up.