Instagram Auto-Reply | How to Activate & Best Bot for Automatic DMs

If you own an active business on Instagram, you know that repetitive responses and delays in replying are the main enemies of sales. To solve this problem, you need a tool that manages repetitive messages automatically. Instagram Auto-Reply is exactly the smart solution that multiplies the speed and accuracy of communication with your customers. This feature, depending on your needs, can be activated either by Instagram's native tools or by an Instagram Auto-Reply Bot.

What is Instagram Automatic DM and Why Should You Activate It?

Instagram Automatic DM (or Auto-Reply DM) refers to a process where repeated user questions and messages are answered without direct human intervention. The main goal of this system is to improve the customer experience, save time for the sales team, and avoid losing any potential customer.

Generally, the Auto-Reply feature can be implemented in two main ways:

✅ Instagram's Native Tools: Includes Welcome Messages and Saved Replies, which are free but have limited functionality.

✅️ Third-Party Bots and Tools: Advanced programs that use the Instagram API and can perform more complex responses, manage comments, and automatically reply to Story messages.

How to Activate Instagram Automatic DM?

The Instagram Automatic DM feature has various sections, each taught step-by-step.

⚠️ Important Note: Before reading the rest of the article, please note that only Business Account or Creator Account owners can use this feature; users with Personal Accounts cannot.

Enabling the Welcome Message

This message is automatically sent for the user's first DM and is an important step to increase initial engagement.

1. Go to Instagram "Settings."
   
2. Select the "Creator" or "Business" option.
   
3. hen tap on "Welcome Message."
   
4. Type and save your desired Welcome Message.
   

Enabling Auto-Reply to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This feature allows the user to see common questions (like price, address, and how to order) before starting the chat, and receive an instant answer by selecting them.

🟡Go to "Settings."

🟡Navigate to the "Creator" or "Business" section.

🟡Select "Frequently Asked Questions."

🟡Enter and save your business's common questions and answers.

Replying to Direct Messages (Saved Replies)

This feature is for repeated responses that the admin must send during a conversation (such as a card number or website address), so the admin can send their message quickly without needing to type it every time.

1️⃣ In the DM, tap the "Message" icon.
2️⃣ Select the "Add (+)" icon from the top right.
3️⃣ Choose a Shortcut for it (e.g., for the message "Hello," use the key /hello).
4️⃣ Now the message you created will appear for you on the DM screen in that same Message icon.

⚠️ Note: For Automatic Comment Replies and Story Reply Autoresponders, Instagram does not have a native feature, and the only way is to use third-party tools and bots, which we will introduce next.

Using an Instagram Auto-Messaging Bot

While Instagram's native features cover basic needs, large businesses must turn to advanced tools to fully manage their interactions. These tools, through the Instagram API, provide features that Instagram does not offer directly.

These supplementary programs (which include Instagram bots and marketing platforms) are available both locally and globally and have the capability to:
☑️ Automatically reply to Story messages.
☑️ Automatically reply to comments (DM or public reply) based on a specific keyword.
☑️ Automatically send multimedia content (photo, video, voice note).

Best Instagram Auto-Reply Bot

Using an Instagram Auto-Reply Bot allows you to be active 24/7. These bots not only reply to messages but also optimize your sales process with features like spam filtering and integration with CRM systems.

Bot	Primary Use	Comment & Story Support	CRM and Limitations
ManyChat (Global)	Global leader in Chatbots and Conversation Flows	✅ Strong	✅ Excellent CRM integration
Chatfuel (Global)	Another major global platform, known for ease of use	✅ Available	✅ Suitable for beginners
Local Platforms	Locally developed bots focusing on regional integration	✅ Developer Dependent	✅ Local support and payment methods

Automatic Reply to Story Messages

One of the most important parts of interaction on Instagram is users' replies to Stories. Unfortunately, as mentioned, Automatic Reply to Story Messages is not natively possible.

🔶 The Bot Solution: Instagram auto-reply bots recognize the Story reply as a regular DM and automatically respond to it based on the keywords present in the message.

🔶 Expert Tip: Replying to Story messages is extremely important because it indicates active user engagement with your content. Even a simple "Thanks for your feedback" sent automatically increases the conversion and loyalty rate. However, if you want to post a Story that does not require a user response and you want the user to be completely unable to reply, you must disable the Story reply feature to avoid sending unnecessary replies.

Automatic Instagram Comment Reply

Automatic Instagram Comment Reply is a powerful marketing tool used especially during contests, discounts, or lead generation.

🔷 Mechanism: You determine in the bot's settings that if a user comments a specific word (e.g., "price" or "discount code"), the bot immediately:

• Sends a public reply (comment) under the user's original comment.
• And simultaneously sends a message containing details (e.g., a purchase link or price) to their Direct Message inbox.

🔷 Expert Tip: This feature allows you to manage thousands of comments within minutes and quickly guide new leads to the sales path, without your entire team having to manually handle the responses.

💡 Read More: How to recover deleted Instagram chats

Conclusion

You are now familiar with the two main paths for activating Instagram Automatic DM: the free path and the professional path.

If your message volume is low, the Welcome Messages and internal Saved Replies will meet your needs. But if you are seeking serious growth and want to automate more complex interactions like Automatic Reply to Story Messages and comment management, investing in an Instagram Auto-Reply Bot is essential.

The decision is yours: Transform your DM management with smart tools starting today and never lose a customer! Share your experience regarding the use of bots and Instagram Automatic DM with us.