A comment trigger is the word that tells your automation to send a DM: someone comments "LINK", and the link arrives in their inbox. Pick the wrong word and people don't comment, or they comment and get nothing. Here is how to choose trigger words that people actually type, with ideas for every niche.
Trigger words that work, by goal
| Keyword | Best for |
|---|---|
| LINK | Any link: product, blog, YouTube, booking page |
| PRICE | Product and service prices - the most common question under any sales post |
| INFO / DETAILS | Services, courses, events, real estate |
| GUIDE / PDF / FREE | Lead magnets and free downloads |
| SHOP / BUY | Stores and product drops |
| BOOK / CALL | Appointments, consultations, discovery calls |
| PROMPT | AI creators sharing prompts |
| LOCATION / MENU | Restaurants, cafes and local stores |
| The product name | Catalogue posts: "comment KNIT", "comment SERUM" |
| π or π | Audiences who reply with emoji |
How to choose your comment keyword
- One short word. Short words get typed; long ones get misspelled or skipped.
- Name the thing they get. GUIDE, PRICE, RECIPE, KNIT. When the keyword names the product, the caption does the selling and each person lands on the right page.
- Say it in your audience's language. If your followers comment in Portuguese, Spanish or Hinglish, add the word they would type - "quero", "quiero", "price batao", "link do" - alongside the English one.
- Avoid words people say anyway. "Yes", "wow" or "nice" will DM everyone who compliments the post. Fine for a giveaway; noisy for a sales post.
- Put it in the first line of the caption and on screen in the Reel, so people see it before "more".
Catch the variations people type
People rarely type just the keyword. They write "link please", "send link π", "LINKK" or "can I get the guide". Two settings catch them:
- Contains matching - the keyword anywhere in the comment, so "link please" counts. Exact matching only fires when the whole comment is the keyword, and it misses most of these.
- Several keywords per automation - LINK, LINKS, π, and the word in your audience's language, all on one automation.
How each mode behaves, with examples: Exact, Contains and Any match.
Keyword ideas by niche
- Creators: LINK, GUIDE, PROMPT, PRESET, RECIPE, LIST
- Coaches and course sellers: CALL, PLAN, CLASS, FREE, WORKBOOK
- Online stores: SHOP, PRICE, SIZE, the product name, DROP
- Local businesses and clinics: BOOK, PRICE, LOCATION, MENU, OFFER
- Real estate: DETAILS, TOUR, PRICE, BROCHURE
- Gyms and trainers: TRIAL, PLAN, PRICE - see the gym playbook
- Festivals and sales: DIWALI, RAKHI, SALE, OFFER - set them up before the post goes live
Thirty complete scripts - keyword, DM, button and follow-up - are in the free Comment-to-DM Playbook. More on why keywords convert in Instagram keyword triggers that convert.
Set it up
In IGMsg: pick the post, type your keywords, choose Contains, write a short DM with a button, and turn on the public reply so commenters know to check their inbox. It takes about two minutes on the free plan. Keep the automation on after launch week - posts keep collecting comments from Explore, search and shares long after you publish.