How to auto-reply to Instagram DMs and comments for free

What you can auto-reply to on Instagram

The Official Meta API covers three distinct triggers, and a good setup uses all three together.

• Comments on posts and reels. When someone comments on a piece of content with a specific keyword (or any comment, your choice), the tool publicly likes the comment and slides into their DMs with whatever response you want. This is the highest-converting Instagram play of 2026 because it pulls the conversation from a public comment thread into a private 1-to-1 DM.
• Direct messages. When someone DMs you a keyword (for example "price") or any first message, you can fire an instant reply. Works for FAQs, lead capture, and welcome flows.
• Story mentions. When someone tags you in their story, you can send them an automatic thank-you DM. Brand-building gold for creators.

What you cannot do (and what to avoid)

Meta is strict about Instagram automation, and the rules exist for good reason. Before you start, know what is off the table.

You cannot DM a user who has not interacted with you first. This is the 24-hour messaging window rule: the user must comment, DM, or story-mention you, and you have 24 hours to respond. No cold outreach, ever. You cannot auto-follow accounts in bulk, you cannot mass-DM followers, and you cannot scrape user data from profiles or post lists. All three carry a high risk of account suspension because Meta detects them with automated pattern matching.

Stick to tools that use the Official Meta Graph API only. If a service advertises mass-DM or auto-follow features, that is a red flag that the integration is going through unofficial channels and your account is exposed.

Step 1: Connect your Instagram account

Your Instagram account must be set to Business or Creator (Personal accounts cannot use any automation API). It also needs to be linked to a Facebook page, which is a free 30-second setup inside the Instagram app under Settings · Account · Linked Accounts. Once that is done, head to the login page and authorize ReplyMode via Facebook or Instagram login. The OAuth dialog will show exactly which permissions are requested, and the whole flow takes about 30 seconds.

Step 2: Pick a trigger and write a reply

Now choose what fires the auto-reply and what the reply says. The templates are rule-based, which means they are predictable and fast, no AI hallucinations to worry about.

Three high-leverage examples to copy: keyword "price" in a comment triggers a DM with your pricing page link (the classic comment-to-DM play). Keyword "info" in a DM triggers an info reply with hours, location, or product details. A story mention triggers a thank-you DM that builds the relationship. Start with one trigger, ship it, then add more once you see what your audience actually uses.

Step 3: Test before going live

Never push an auto-reply to your followers without testing it first. Use a second Instagram account (your personal one works) and send a test comment or DM that matches your trigger. Verify the auto-reply fires within 1 second, confirm the DM is delivered and not stuck in the message-request inbox, and read the message back out loud to catch typos or awkward phrasing. If something is off, fix the template, save, and test again. Two minutes of testing prevents a public mistake on your real audience.

Step 4: Monitor and iterate

Once live, open the dashboard activity log every few days to see which rules fire most and which never fire. Kill the dead ones and double down on the winners. Adjust template wording based on the real replies you get back from users: if people keep asking the same follow-up question, bake the answer into the template so the loop closes in one message instead of two.

Is this free or do I have to pay?

The Free Starter plan is free forever, no card required. The exact limits (number of automations, monthly replies, connected accounts) are documented in the FAQ, and they are generous enough that most creators and small businesses never need to upgrade. When you do outgrow it, the Pro plan is $5.59 per month on the yearly plan, which is the lowest sticker price among Instagram automation tools that use the Official Meta API. Full plan comparison on the pricing page.