How-To Guide

InstantDM Complete How-To Guide - Part 3: Integrations, Settings & Advanced Features

This is Part 3 of the InstantDM Complete How-To Guide. For the Flow Editor and Post Automation, read Part 2 first.

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This is Part 3 of the InstantDM Complete How-To Guide. For the Flow Editor and Post Automation, read Part 2 first.

14. Shopify Integration

InstantDM integrates with Shopify to bring e-commerce directly into your Instagram DMs. Connect your Shopify store and let your automations showcase products, recover abandoned carts, confirm orders, and upsell - all inside the DM conversation.

Connecting Your Shopify Store

Navigate to Shopify in the sidebar (or go to /shopify).
Click Connect Shopify Store.
Enter your Shopify store URL (e.g., yourstore.myshopify.com).
You'll be redirected to Shopify's OAuth screen to authorize InstantDM.
Grant the requested permissions (read products, read orders, etc.).
After authorization, you're redirected back to InstantDM. Your store appears as connected.

Once connected, your Shopify store URL is saved in your account settings and accessible across all your automations.

Product Catalog in DMs

With Shopify connected, you can send product carousels directly in DMs:

Open the Flow Editor and add a Message Reply node.
Select the Product message type.
Choose products from your Shopify catalog or enter product details manually.
Each product card shows the product image, title, price, and a "Buy Now" button linking to the product page.
Users swipe through the carousel in their DM to browse products.

Abandoned Cart Recovery

Set up automated DMs to recover abandoned carts:

Create a flow with a DM Reply or Welcome Message trigger.
When a customer abandons their cart, Shopify can trigger a webhook to InstantDM.
The flow sends a personalized DM: "Hey {user_name}, you left some items in your cart! Complete your order and get 10% off with code SAVE10."
Include a button linking directly to their cart checkout page.

Order Confirmations

After a purchase, send an automated DM confirming the order:

"Thanks for your order, {user_name}! Your order #{order_number} is being processed. We'll update you when it ships."
Include a button to track the order or visit the order status page.

Product Recommendations

Use the AI Reply Node combined with Shopify data to recommend products:

Add an AI Reply Node to your flow.
In the prompt, include context about your product catalog.
The AI can ask about preferences and recommend specific products.
Follow up with a product carousel showing the recommended items.

Post-Purchase Upsells

After a customer completes a purchase, trigger a follow-up flow:

Set a Delay node (e.g., 24 hours after purchase).
Send a message: "Hope you're loving your new [product]! Customers who bought this also love..."
Include a product carousel with complementary items.
Add a discount code to incentivize the upsell.

15. Facebook & Messenger Automation

InstantDM supports Facebook alongside Instagram. You can automate Facebook post comments and Messenger DMs from the same dashboard.

Connecting Facebook Page

Make sure your Instagram account is linked to a Facebook Page (see Part 1, Section 2).
In InstantDM, navigate to the Facebook DM section in the sidebar (or go to /fb-home).
Your connected Facebook Page will appear automatically if it's linked to your Instagram account.
Click Connect or Activate to enable Facebook automation.

Facebook Post Automation

Facebook post automation works similarly to Instagram post automation:

Navigate to Facebook DM in the sidebar.
You'll see a list of your Facebook Page posts.
Click on a post to set up automation.
Configure trigger words for comments.
Set up auto-reply to comments and/or Messenger DM replies.
Toggle the automation ON.

When someone comments a trigger word on your Facebook post, they can receive:

A public comment reply
A private Messenger message

Messenger DM Automation

Messenger automation lets you auto-reply to messages sent to your Facebook Page's Messenger inbox:

In the Facebook DM section, set up keyword-based auto-replies for Messenger.
Configure trigger words and reply messages (text, buttons, images).
The automation fires when someone messages your Page with a matching keyword.

Differences Between IG and FB Automation

Feature	Instagram	Facebook
DM API	Instagram Messaging API	Messenger Platform API
Comment automation	On posts and Reels	On Page posts
Story automation	Yes (Story replies)	No
Post shared to DM	Yes (Trendsetter+)	No
Boosted content	Yes (Boosted Reels)	No
Flow Editor	Full support	Full support
Welcome message	Yes	Yes

Note: Facebook Page connection is required for all Facebook automation features. Instagram-only users do not need a Facebook Page.

16. API & Webhook Integrations

InstantDM provides a full API and webhook system that lets you connect your automations to external tools like Make.com, Zapier, your CRM, or any custom backend.

Overview: Outbound Webhooks + Inbound API

InstantDM's integration system has two parts:

Direction	What It Does
Outbound Webhooks	InstantDM sends event data TO your external URL when things happen (new comment, DM received, flow completed, etc.)
Inbound API	Your external system sends commands TO InstantDM to perform actions (send a DM, reply to a comment)

Navigate to API in the sidebar (or go to /make-integration) to configure both.

Setting Up Webhook URL and Subscribing to Events

Go to the API & Integrations page (/make-integration).
In the Webhook Configuration card, toggle Enable Webhook to ON.
Enter your Webhook URL - this is the URL where InstantDM will send event data. Examples:
- A Make.com webhook URL: https://hook.make.com/abc123...
- A Zapier webhook URL: https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/catch/...
- Your own server: https://api.yoursite.com/instantdm-webhook
(Optional) Click Generate next to Webhook Secret to create a secret key for signature verification.
Under Subscribe to Events, check the boxes for the events you want to receive.
Click Save Configuration.

Available Events

Event	Key	Description
New Comment	`comment`	Fires when someone comments on your post
New DM	`dm_received`	Fires when you receive a direct message
Postback	`postback`	Fires when a button is clicked in DMs
Question Answered	`question_answered`	Fires when a user answers a question in a flow (fires per answer)
Flow Completed	`flow_completed`	Fires when a flow completes with all collected data

Event Payload Examples

Comment Event:

{
  "event": "comment",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "data": {
    "comment_id": "17890012345678901",
    "post_id": "17890012345678902",
    "user_id": "12345678",
    "username": "johndoe",
    "text": "info",
    "media_url": "https://..."
  }
}

Question Answered Event:

{
  "event": "question_answered",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:31:00Z",
  "data": {
    "user_id": "12345678",
    "username": "johndoe",
    "flow_id": "abc123",
    "question_type": "email",
    "variable_name": "user_email",
    "answer": "john@example.com"
  }
}

Flow Completed Event:

{
  "event": "flow_completed",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:32:00Z",
  "data": {
    "user_id": "12345678",
    "username": "johndoe",
    "flow_id": "abc123",
    "flow_name": "Lead Capture",
    "collected_data": {
      "user_name": "John Doe",
      "user_email": "john@example.com",
      "user_phone": "+1234567890",
      "budget": "5000"
    }
  }
}

Webhook Signature Verification (HMAC-SHA256)

Outbound webhooks include an X-Webhook-Signature header for payload verification. Use this to confirm that the webhook came from InstantDM and wasn't tampered with.

Verification code (Node.js):

const crypto = require('crypto');
const computed = crypto.createHmac('sha256', YOUR_SECRET)
  .update(JSON.stringify(payload)).digest('hex');
const isValid = computed === req.headers['x-webhook-signature'];

API Key Management

To use the Inbound API, you need an API key:

On the API & Integrations page, scroll to the API Keys card.
Click Generate New Key.
A modal appears with your new API key. Copy it immediately - you won't see it again.
Store the key securely in your external system.

To revoke a key:

Find the key in the API Keys list (shown as a truncated preview).
Click the Revoke (trash) icon.
Confirm the revocation. The key is immediately invalidated.

Inbound API: Single Endpoint

All inbound API calls go to a single endpoint:

POST https://api.instantdm.com/api-webhook

Headers:

Authorization: Bearer <your_api_key>
Content-Type: application/json

Action: Reply to Comment (`post_comment`)

Reply to a specific Instagram comment:

{
  "action": "post_comment",
  "comment_id": "<instagram_comment_id>",
  "comment_text": "Thanks for your comment!"
}

Action: Send Message (`send_message`)

Send a DM or comment private reply. Supports multiple message formats.

DM - Text message:

{
  "action": "send_message",
  "type": "dm",
  "recipient_id": "<instagram_user_id>",
  "message": {
    "text": "Hello! Thanks for your interest."
  }
}

DM - Image:

{
  "action": "send_message",
  "type": "dm",
  "recipient_id": "<instagram_user_id>",
  "message": {
    "attachment": {
      "type": "image",
      "payload": {
        "url": "https://example.com/photo.jpg"
      }
    }
  }
}

DM - Video:

{
  "action": "send_message",
  "type": "dm",
  "recipient_id": "<instagram_user_id>",
  "message": {
    "attachment": {
      "type": "video",
      "payload": {
        "url": "https://example.com/video.mp4"
      }
    }
  }
}

DM - Audio:

{
  "action": "send_message",
  "type": "dm",
  "recipient_id": "<instagram_user_id>",
  "message": {
    "attachment": {
      "type": "audio",
      "payload": {
        "url": "https://example.com/audio.mp3"
      }
    }
  }
}

DM - Buttons:

{
  "action": "send_message",
  "type": "dm",
  "recipient_id": "<instagram_user_id>",
  "message": {
    "attachment": {
      "type": "template",
      "payload": {
        "template_type": "button",
        "text": "Choose an option:",
        "buttons": [
          { "type": "web_url", "title": "Visit Site", "url": "https://example.com" },
          { "type": "web_url", "title": "Learn More", "url": "https://example.com/more" }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

DM - Quick Replies (Suggestions):

{
  "action": "send_message",
  "type": "dm",
  "recipient_id": "<instagram_user_id>",
  "message": {
    "text": "Pick one:",
    "quick_replies": [
      { "content_type": "text", "title": "Option A", "payload": "A" },
      { "content_type": "text", "title": "Option B", "payload": "B" }
    ]
  }
}

DM - Product Carousel:

{
  "action": "send_message",
  "type": "dm",
  "recipient_id": "<instagram_user_id>",
  "message": {
    "attachment": {
      "type": "template",
      "payload": {
        "template_type": "generic",
        "elements": [
          {
            "title": "Product 1",
            "subtitle": "$29.99",
            "image_url": "https://example.com/p1.jpg",
            "buttons": [{ "type": "web_url", "title": "Buy", "url": "https://example.com/buy1" }]
          },
          {
            "title": "Product 2",
            "subtitle": "$49.99",
            "image_url": "https://example.com/p2.jpg",
            "buttons": [{ "type": "web_url", "title": "Buy", "url": "https://example.com/buy2" }]
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Comment Private Reply: Replace "type": "dm" with "type": "comment_reply" and use "comment_id" instead of "recipient_id":

{
  "action": "send_message",
  "type": "comment_reply",
  "comment_id": "<instagram_comment_id>",
  "message": {
    "text": "Thanks for commenting! Here's the info you requested."
  }
}

Plan Requirements for API & Webhooks

Plan	API & Webhook Access
Free	❌ Not available
Legend Pro	❌ Not available
Trendsetter	✅ Included
Trendsetter Pro	✅ Included
Multi Starter	✅ Included
Multi Pro	✅ Included
Multi Ultra	✅ Included

Per-Flow Webhook Toggle

You can control webhooks at the individual flow level:

In the Flow Editor, click the Integrations button in the toolbar and toggle the webhook ON or OFF for that flow.
In the Automation List, each flow has a webhook toggle next to it.

When a flow's webhook is OFF, events from that flow are not sent to your webhook URL, even if webhooks are enabled globally.

Error Codes

Code	Meaning
`401`	Unauthorized - invalid or missing API key
`402`	Payment required - plan does not include API access, or credits exhausted
`403`	Forbidden - action not allowed for your account
`429`	Rate limit exceeded - too many requests, slow down

17. Team Management & Workspaces

InstantDM's team features let agencies and brands collaborate on automation. Invite team members to your workspace, assign roles, and manage permissions.

Creating a Workspace

When you connect your first Instagram account, a workspace is automatically created. Each connected Instagram account operates as its own workspace. If you're on a Multi plan with multiple accounts, you have multiple workspaces.

Inviting Team Members (Admin, Editor, Viewer Roles)

Go to Team in the sidebar (or navigate to /team-settings).
Click Invite Member.
Enter the team member's email address.
Select a role:

Role	Create/Edit Flows	Manage Members	Access Billing	View Reports
Owner	✅	✅	✅	✅
Admin	✅	✅	❌	✅
Editor	✅ (own flows)	❌	❌	✅
Viewer	❌	❌	❌	✅

Click Send Invitation.
The invitee receives an email with a link to /team-invite/{token}.
They click the link, create an account (or log in), and join your workspace.

Managing Permissions

To change a team member's role:

Go to Team Settings → Members tab.
Find the member in the list.
Click the role dropdown next to their name.
Select the new role. The change takes effect immediately.

To remove a member:

Click the Remove or Delete icon next to their name.
Confirm the removal. They immediately lose access to the workspace.

Workspace Picker for Switching

If you have access to multiple workspaces (either as an owner of multiple accounts or as a team member invited to others' workspaces):

Click the workspace picker in the sidebar or top navigation.
A dropdown shows all workspaces you have access to.
Select a workspace to switch. The entire dashboard updates to reflect that workspace's data.

Your selected workspace is stored locally, so it persists across browser sessions.

Collaboration Invites for Specific Posts

The Collab Invite system allows you to grant someone access to manage automation for a specific post without giving them full workspace access:

From the post automation page, click Invite Collaborator.
A collaboration invite is created.
Share the invite link with the collaborator (via DM, email, etc.).
The collaborator opens the link at /collab-invite/{id}.
They see the post preview, sender info, and can Accept or Decline.
If accepted, they gain access to manage automation for that specific post only.

This is ideal for agencies managing client posts or influencers collaborating with brands.

Accepting Invitations

When you receive a team or collaboration invitation:

Click the link in the invitation email.
If you already have an InstantDM account, log in. If not, create a new account.
You'll see the invitation details (workspace name, role, or post details).
Click Accept to join, or Decline to reject.
Once accepted, the workspace appears in your workspace picker.

18. Referral Program

InstantDM has a referral program that rewards you for bringing new users to the platform.

How the Referral Program Works

You share your unique referral link with your audience, clients, or community.
When someone signs up using your link and subscribes to a paid plan, you earn a commission.
Commissions are tracked automatically - you don't need to do anything after sharing the link.

Creating Referral Codes

Go to Referrals in the sidebar (or navigate to /referrals).
Your unique referral code and link are displayed on the page.
Click Copy to copy your referral link to the clipboard.
Share the link anywhere - social media, email, your website, DMs.

Commission Structure

When someone signs up using your referral link and subscribes to a paid plan:

You earn a commission on their subscription payment.
Commission rates and structure are displayed on the Referrals page.
Commissions apply to both monthly and yearly subscriptions.

Tracking Referrals

The Referrals page shows:

Metric	Description
Total Referrals	Number of users who signed up with your link
Active Subscribers	How many of your referrals are on paid plans
Total Earnings	Your cumulative commission earnings
Available Balance	Amount available for withdrawal

Withdrawing Earnings

When your available balance reaches the minimum threshold:

Click Request Withdrawal on the Referrals page.
Enter your payment details.
Submit the request.
Withdrawals are processed within the timeframe shown on the page.

19. Settings Deep Dive

The Settings drawer (accessible from the sidebar) contains five tabs that control your account's behavior.

Safety & Limits

Setting	Description	Default
Comment Limit / Hour	Maximum number of comment replies per hour. Prevents Instagram from flagging your account for spam.	Varies by plan
Rate Limit Retry	When you hit the rate limit, how long to wait before retrying.	Auto-configured

How rate limits work:

Each plan has an hourly automation limit (e.g., 800/hour for Legend Pro, 2,000/hour for Trendsetter).
When you approach the limit, InstantDM queues remaining messages and processes them after the cooldown.
Smart Slowdown Mode (Trendsetter Pro and above) gradually reduces speed instead of hitting a hard stop.

Automation Controls

Toggle	Description
Account Automation (Global)	Master switch. When OFF, ALL automations on your account are paused.
DM Automation	Controls whether DM auto-replies are active.
Comment Automation	Controls whether comment auto-replies are active.

These toggles are useful for quickly pausing all automation (e.g., during a live event where you want to respond manually).

AI Configuration

Field	Description
OpenAI API Key	Your OpenAI API key for GPT models. Get one at platform.openai.com.
Anthropic API Key	Your Anthropic API key for Claude models. Get one at console.anthropic.com.

Enter your keys here. They're stored securely and used by AI Reply nodes in the Flow Editor. You can add both keys and switch between providers per flow.

Integrations Tab

Item	Description
Webhooks & API	Quick link to the API & Integrations page (`/make-integration`). Shows whether webhooks are configured.
ConvertKit	Coming soon. Will allow direct sync of leads to ConvertKit email lists.
Mailchimp	Coming soon. Will allow direct sync of leads to Mailchimp audiences.

Account

Field	Description
Email	Your account email address. Click to update.
Current Plan	Your active subscription plan name and ID.
Account Created	When your account was created.
Plan Details	Credits remaining, hourly limits, and feature access.

20. Plans & Pricing

InstantDM offers six paid plans across two categories: Single Account plans and Multi Account plans. There is also a limited Free plan.

Free Plan Limitations

The Free plan lets you explore InstantDM with basic features:

Limited automations
No Flow Editor access
No API & Webhook access
No advanced dashboard
1 Instagram account only

Single Account Plans

These plans are for users managing one Instagram account. They use an hourly rate limit model.

Legend Pro - $12/month ($10/month billed yearly)

Feature	Details
Automations	Unlimited (800/hour rate limit)
Platforms	Facebook + Instagram
Next Post Automation	10
DM Automation	✅
Dashboard	Basic
Product Templates	✅
Flow Editor	❌
API & Webhooks	❌

Trendsetter - $29.99/month ($10/month billed yearly)

Feature	Details
Automations	Unlimited (2,000/hour rate limit)
Platforms	Everything from Legend Pro
Post Shared to DM	✅
Boosted Reels Automation	✅
Flow Editor	✅
Dashboard	Advanced
Viral Mode Activator	✅
DM Queues & Overload Handler	✅
Link Open Analytics	✅
Meta Ads Automation	✅
API & Webhook Integrations	✅

Trendsetter Pro - $59.99/month ($49.99/month billed yearly)

Feature	Details
Automations	No hourly limit
Advanced Account Safety	✅
WhatsApp Support	✅
Dashboard	Advanced
Smart Slowdown Mode	✅
Priority Processing	✅
API & Webhook Integrations	✅

Multi Account Plans

These plans are for agencies and users managing multiple Instagram accounts. They use a credit-based model (automations per account per month).

Multi Starter - $15/month ($14/month billed yearly)

Feature	Details
Automations	30,000 / account / month
Max Accounts	3
Platforms	Facebook + Instagram
Next Post Automation	10+
Boosted Reels Automation	✅
Meta Ads Automation	✅
Flow Editor	✅
API & Webhook Integrations	✅

Multi Pro - $99/month ($83/month billed yearly)

Feature	Details
Automations	3,00,000 / account / month
Max Accounts	10
Advanced Multi-Account Dashboard	✅
Team Collaboration Tools	✅
Viral Mode Activator	✅
DM Queues & Overload Handler	✅
Advanced Account Safety	✅
WhatsApp Support	✅
API & Webhook Integrations	✅

Multi Ultra - $199/month ($166/month billed yearly)

Feature	Details
Automations	5,00,000 / account / month
Max Accounts	20
Everything from Multi Pro	✅
Early Access to New Features	✅
Priority Support	✅
API & Webhook Integrations	✅

Credit Packs and Top-Ups

If you're on a Multi plan and run out of monthly credits, you can purchase top-up packs:

Pack	Credits	Price (USD)	Price (INR)
Starter	1,000	$5	₹499
Growing	20,000	$14	₹1,499
Active	50,000	$24	₹2,999
High Volume	100,000	$49	₹5,999
Business	500,000	$199	₹19,999
Ultimate	1,000,000	$349	₹34,999

Top-up credits are added to your account immediately and do not expire at the end of the month.

Payment Methods

Gateway	Currency	How to Select
Stripe	USD ($)	Default for international users. Pay with credit/debit card.
Razorpay	INR (₹)	Available for Indian users. Pay with UPI, cards, net banking.

You can switch between USD and INR pricing using the currency toggle on the pricing page.

Plan Comparison Table

Feature	Free	Legend Pro	Trendsetter	Trendsetter Pro	Multi Starter	Multi Pro	Multi Ultra
Price/month	$0	$12	$29.99	$59.99	$15	$99	$199
Accounts	1	1	1	1	3	10	20
Automation model	Limited	800/hr	2,000/hr	No limit	30K/mo	3L/mo	5L/mo
Flow Editor	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
API & Webhooks	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Advanced Dashboard	❌	❌	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅
Smart Slowdown	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
Priority Support	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅

Which Plan Includes API & Webhook Access?

API & Webhook access is included in: Trendsetter, Trendsetter Pro, Multi Starter, Multi Pro, and Multi Ultra. It is not available on the Free or Legend Pro plans.

21. Analytics & Performance

The Dashboard (/dashboard) gives you a comprehensive view of your automation performance with real-time stats, historical trends, and audience insights.

Dashboard Metrics Explained

The top of the dashboard shows summary cards for two timeframes:

Timeframe	Metrics
Last 24 Hours	DMs Sent, Links Opened, CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Last 7 Days	DMs Sent, Links Opened, CTR

CTR (Click-Through Rate) = Links Opened ÷ DMs Sent × 100. This tells you what percentage of people who received your automated DM actually clicked a link in it.

DM Stats: Sent, Opened, CTR

DMs Sent - Total number of automated DMs sent by your account in the selected timeframe.
Links Opened - How many links inside your DMs were clicked by recipients.
CTR - The percentage of DMs that resulted in a link click.

Link Open Analytics

Available on Trendsetter and above. Track which links in your DMs are getting clicked:

See link opens per hour over the last 24 hours.
Compare link sends vs. link opens to measure effectiveness.
Toggle between chart view and table view for detailed data.

Flow Insights

For flows built in the Flow Editor, you can view per-flow analytics:

How many users entered the flow
Where users dropped off
Which paths were most popular
Completion rates

Heatmaps and Charts

Visualization	What It Shows
DM Hourly Trend (24h)	Bar chart of DMs sent per hour. Identifies peak engagement times.
Link Open Trend (24h)	Bar chart of link opens per hour.
DM Sent Heatmap (7 days)	Color-coded grid by day and hour. Darker cells = more DMs. Find your best posting times.
Last 7 Days DM Trend	Daily bar chart of DM volume over the past week.
Link Sent vs. Opened (24h)	Side-by-side comparison per hour.
Top Audience by City (7 days)	Horizontal bar chart showing which cities your DM recipients are in. Click "View All" for the complete list.

Recent Automation Log

Below the charts, a table shows your last 50 automation events:

Column	Description
User	The Instagram username that triggered the automation
Status	Green "Sent" tag if successful, Red "Failed" tag if it failed
Responded At	Timestamp with relative time (e.g., "2 hours ago")
Reason	If failed, the error reason (e.g., "Rate limit exceeded")
Action	Suggested fix (e.g., "Reconnect your IG/FB account")

This table is your first stop for debugging automation issues.

22. Safety & Best Practices

Instagram has rate limits and spam detection. Following these best practices keeps your account safe while maximizing automation effectiveness.

DM Queues and Pacing

When your automation triggers faster than Instagram allows, InstantDM queues the messages and sends them at a safe pace. The DM Queue system (available on Trendsetter and above) handles this automatically:

Messages are added to a queue when the rate limit is approached.
The queue processes messages at a safe rate.
You can monitor queue status in the dashboard.

Hourly Rate Limits by Plan

Plan	Hourly Limit
Legend Pro	800 automations/hour
Trendsetter	2,000 automations/hour
Trendsetter Pro	No hourly limit
Multi Starter	Credit-based (30,000/month per account)
Multi Pro	Credit-based (3,00,000/month per account)
Multi Ultra	Credit-based (5,00,000/month per account)

Followers-Only Mode

Enable Followers Only on your automations to:

Reduce spam reports from non-followers
Ensure you're only messaging people who already know your brand
Comply with Instagram's messaging policies more safely

One-Time-Only Triggers

Enable One-Time Only on your Flow Editor triggers to prevent the same user from triggering the same flow multiple times. This:

Prevents annoying repeat messages
Saves your automation credits
Keeps your engagement metrics accurate

Smart Slowdown Mode

Available on Trendsetter Pro and above. When enabled, Smart Slowdown Mode:

Monitors your automation rate in real-time.
Gradually reduces speed as you approach the rate limit.
Prevents hard stops - instead of hitting a wall, your automation slows down gracefully.
Resumes normal speed once the rate limit window resets.

Enable it in Settings → Safety & Limits.

What to Do When Rate Limited

If you see "Rate limit exceeded" errors in your automation log:

Don't panic - InstantDM automatically queues messages and retries.
Check your plan - You may need to upgrade for a higher hourly limit.
Enable Smart Slowdown - If available on your plan, this prevents hard rate limits.
Reduce trigger scope - Use more specific trigger words instead of "Automate All" to reduce volume.
Stagger automations - If you have multiple active automations, consider pausing some during peak hours.

Account Safety Tips

Add delays between messages - 2 - 5 second delays between messages in a sequence make your automation feel more natural.
Rotate comment replies - Use multiple reply texts so the same response doesn't appear repeatedly.
Don't automate everything at once - Start with one or two automations and scale up gradually.
Monitor your dashboard - Check the recent automation log daily for failed messages or unusual patterns.
Use followers-only mode - Especially for high-volume automations.
Keep your token fresh - If you see token errors, disconnect and reconnect your Instagram account.

23. Troubleshooting

Common Errors and Fixes

Flow failed to publish

Make sure the flow has a name (not "Un-named").
Ensure at least one trigger is configured and enabled on the Trigger Node.
Check that all edges connect to existing nodes (no orphaned connections).

AI node requires API key

Go to Settings → AI Configuration.
Enter your OpenAI API key (for GPT models) or Anthropic API key (for Claude models).
Click Save, then try publishing again.

Automation disabled

Check Settings → Automation Controls. The global toggle, DM toggle, or comment toggle may be OFF.
Check the individual automation's toggle - it may be paused.

Rate limit exceeded

Your account has hit the hourly automation limit for your plan.
InstantDM automatically queues and retries messages.
Consider upgrading to a plan with a higher limit or enabling Smart Slowdown Mode.

Webhook delivery failed

Verify your webhook URL is correct and accessible.
Check that the receiving server returns a 200 status code.
Verify your webhook secret matches on both sides if using signature verification.
Make sure your plan includes API & Webhook access (Trendsetter or above).

Connection expired / Token expired

Meta tokens can expire if you change your Facebook password or revoke app access.
Go to Settings → Instagram Connect.
Click Disconnect, then Connect Instagram again to get a fresh token.

Account not listed during connection

Your Instagram account must be a Business or Creator account (not Personal).
The Instagram account must be linked to a Facebook Page.
Try logging out of Facebook completely and re-doing the OAuth flow.
Check Facebook → Settings → Business Integrations to ensure InstantDM has all four permissions.

DMs not sending / Automation not firing

Check that the automation is toggled ON.
Verify the trigger words match what users are sending (matching is case-insensitive but must contain the keyword).
Check the Dashboard → Recent Automation Log for error messages.
Ensure your Instagram account is still connected (no token errors).

Flow Editor canvas is blank or not loading

Try refreshing the page.
Clear your browser cache and cookies.
Try a different browser (Chrome is recommended).
Check your internet connection.

How to Contact Support

If you can't resolve an issue using the troubleshooting steps above:

WhatsApp Support - Available for Trendsetter Pro, Multi Pro, and Multi Ultra plans. Look for the WhatsApp chat icon in the bottom-right corner of the app.
Email - Contact the InstantDM support team via the email listed on the website.
In-app help - Check the Home page for tutorial videos and help articles.

When contacting support, include:

Your account email
The specific error message you're seeing
Screenshots of the issue
Your current plan name

Summary: Key Takeaways from Part 3

Shopify integration brings your product catalog into DMs - product carousels, abandoned cart recovery, order confirmations, and upsells.
Facebook & Messenger automation extends your reach beyond Instagram with Facebook post comment and Messenger DM automation.
API & Webhooks let you connect InstantDM to any external system. Outbound webhooks send event data; the inbound API lets you send messages and reply to comments programmatically.
Team collaboration supports four roles (Owner, Admin, Editor, Viewer) with granular permissions. Collab invites allow post-level access without full workspace access.
The Referral Program lets you earn commissions by referring new users who subscribe to paid plans.
Settings give you control over safety limits, automation toggles, AI API keys, integrations, and account details.
Six paid plans cover every use case: Legend Pro and Trendsetter for single accounts, Multi Starter/Pro/Ultra for agencies managing multiple accounts.
Dashboard analytics show DM stats, link opens, heatmaps, city-level audience data, and a recent automation log.
Safety best practices include using delays, followers-only mode, one-time triggers, and Smart Slowdown Mode to keep your account safe.
Troubleshooting covers the most common errors with step-by-step fixes.

This concludes the InstantDM Complete How-To Guide. For quick reference, revisit Part 1 (Getting Started) or Part 2 (Post Automation & Flow Editor).

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