How to Set Up Instagram Auto Reply (Comments, DMs & Stories)
The complete Instagram auto reply setup: automatic public replies to comments, keyword-triggered DMs, and Story reply responses - live in under 5 minutes, on the official API.
"Auto reply" on Instagram actually means three different things - and the accounts that grow fastest run all three at once. This guide sets up each one, in order of impact, using Instagram auto reply on the official Meta API (the safe kind - no password sharing, no bots).
The three kinds of Instagram auto reply
| Type | Trigger | What goes out | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comment-to-DM | Someone comments a keyword | A DM with your link + button | Lead magnets, links, codes |
| Public comment reply | Same comment | A visible reply ("Sent! Check your DMs 📩") | Social proof + notifications |
| Story reply DM | Someone replies to your Story | An instant DM answer | Launches, polls, 24-hour offers |
Step 1: Connect your account (60 seconds)
You need an Instagram Professional account (Business or Creator - both free, switchable in Instagram settings in 30 seconds). Then connect it to IGMsg with the official OAuth flow - the same "Continue with Instagram" screen you've used elsewhere. You never type your password into the tool; that's the line between compliant automation and the kind that gets accounts blocked. More on that in is Instagram DM automation allowed.
Step 2: Create your first comment auto reply
- Pick a post or Reel (or apply to all posts).
- Choose the trigger: an exact keyword like
GUIDE, contains-match ("send me the guide"), or reply-to-everything. - Write the DM. Use the
{username}variable and attach a button: "Grab your guide 👉". - Switch on the public reply too - "Sent! Check your DMs 📩". This is the step most people skip, and it matters: DMs to non-followers land in Message Requests, and the public reply is the notification that makes people go find them. Full explanation: Instagram Message Requests, explained.
Step 3: Add Story auto replies
Stories have built-in urgency (they vanish in 24 hours), and a Story reply opens a direct message thread - no Requests folder in the way. Set the keyword ("reply PRICE"), write the answer, done. Setup details: Story automation.
Step 4: Write replies that don't sound robotic
- Reference the action: "You asked for the checklist - here it is" beats "Thanks for reaching out!"
- Rotate variants. Three versions of your public reply keep the comment section human.
- One message, one link, one button. Walls of text kill tap-through.
- Steal a starting point: our 12 automated message templates cover creators, e-commerce, coaches, and local businesses.
What to expect
Replies go out in under 3 seconds, deduplication guarantees one DM per person no matter how many times they comment, and every commenter is captured as a lead you can export. The free plan needs no credit card - a first automation is typically live within 5 minutes of signup. Start at the Instagram auto reply page or go straight to pricing.