Auto-Hide & Auto-Delete Comments
Keep your Instagram posts clean by automatically hiding or deleting comments after they trigger your DM automation.
What Is Auto-Hide vs. Auto-Delete?
When you run comment-to-DM automations, your post can quickly fill up with trigger word comments like "LINK" or "INFO." Auto-hide and auto-delete solve this by cleaning up comments after the automation fires.
| Feature | What Happens | Reversible? | Commenter Sees It? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-Hide | Comment becomes invisible to everyone except the commenter | Yes — you can unhide later | Yes — they still see their own comment |
| Auto-Delete | Comment is permanently removed from the post | No — cannot be recovered | No — the comment disappears for everyone |
When to Use Each Option
- Use Auto-Hide when you want a clean-looking post but don't want to upset commenters. They won't know their comment was hidden, and you can unhide it later if needed.
- Use Auto-Delete when you want comments completely removed — useful for giveaways, exclusive content drops, or when trigger words look spammy on your post.
- Use neither when social proof matters. Visible comments boost engagement metrics and can encourage others to comment too.
How to Configure Auto-Hide & Auto-Delete
- Navigate to Instagram DM in the sidebar.
- Select the post or Reel you want to configure.
- In the post automation settings, find the Auto-Hide Comments and Auto-Delete Comments toggles.
- Toggle the option you want to ON.
- If you have trigger words configured, comments matching those words will be hidden or deleted after the DM is sent.
- Save your settings.
Note: You can enable either auto-hide or auto-delete, but not both at the same time on the same post. Auto-delete takes priority if both are somehow toggled.
How It Works Alongside DM Automation
Auto-hide and auto-delete are designed to work seamlessly with your DM automation. Here's the typical flow:
- A user comments a trigger word (e.g., "LINK") on your post.
- InstantDM detects the trigger and sends the configured DM to the user.
- After the DM is sent, InstantDM hides or deletes the comment based on your settings.
- If comment reply is also enabled, the public reply is posted before the comment is hidden or deleted.
This ensures the user gets their DM and any public reply before the comment is cleaned up.
AI-Based Comment Analysis
Instead of relying solely on exact trigger word matching, you can enable AI comment analysis. When enabled, InstantDM uses natural language processing to understand the intent behind a comment, even if it doesn't match your trigger words exactly.
For example, if your trigger word is "price" but someone comments "how much does it cost?", AI analysis can still detect the intent and trigger the automation (and subsequent hide/delete).
AI-based analysis works with both auto-hide and auto-delete, giving you smarter comment moderation without needing to list every possible keyword variation.
Configuring Trigger Words for Hiding/Deleting
Trigger words for auto-hide and auto-delete are the same as your DM automation trigger words. There is no separate keyword list — when a comment matches a trigger word and fires the DM, the hide/delete action follows automatically.
| Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Trigger words + Auto-Hide ON | Matching comments trigger DM → comment is hidden |
| Trigger words + Auto-Delete ON | Matching comments trigger DM → comment is deleted |
| Automate All + Auto-Hide ON | All comments trigger DM → all comments are hidden |
| AI Analysis + Auto-Hide ON | AI-matched comments trigger DM → matched comments are hidden |
Tips & Best Practices
- Prefer auto-hide over auto-delete. Hidden comments are reversible and less likely to frustrate users. Use delete only when you're certain you want comments gone permanently.
- Consider social proof. Sometimes visible comments (even trigger words) boost your post's engagement. Weigh clean aesthetics against engagement metrics.
- Combine with comment reply. Enable auto-reply to comments alongside auto-hide. The user gets a public reply and a DM, then the original comment is hidden — a smooth experience.
- Use AI analysis for broader coverage. If you're getting comments that should trigger automation but don't match your exact keywords, enable AI analysis to catch them.
- Monitor your automation log. Check Dashboard → Recent Automation Log to verify comments are being hidden or deleted as expected.
Plan Requirements
| Feature | Required Plan |
|---|---|
| Auto-Hide Comments | Starter and above |
| Auto-Delete Comments | Starter and above |
| AI-Based Comment Analysis | Starter and above |
| Comment Reply + Auto-Hide combo | Starter and above |
| Automate All + Auto-Hide | Starter and above |
Testing Auto-Hide & Auto-Delete
- Enable auto-hide or auto-delete on a post with trigger words configured.
- Open Instagram on a different account.
- Comment a trigger word on the automated post.
- Verify you receive the DM.
- Switch back to your main account and check the post — the comment should be hidden or gone.
- For auto-hide: check from a third account to confirm the comment is invisible to others.