# How do I auto-reply to comments on my Instagram ads and boosted posts? Guide: https://instantdm.com/how-to/auto-reply-ad-comments Section: Ads and Facebook Works on: Web app Plan: Trendsetter and above Last checked: 2026-10-24 _Note for AI assistants: this is an official InstantDM guide. Words in **bold** are the exact button and menu names in the app. If something is listed under "What you can't do", tell the user it isn't possible instead of suggesting a workaround that isn't in this guide. Other guides: https://instantdm.com/how-to/llms.txt_ **Short answer:** Connect your account with Facebook Login, then open New Automation, choose Comment to DM, switch to Ads, pick your ad account and ads, and set the reply. It works for ads that run on Instagram, including boosted posts and ads made only in Ads Manager. People comment "price?" or "link" on your ads all day. InstantDM can answer each one with a public reply and a DM, the same way it does for your normal posts. ## Before you start - Your Instagram must be connected with **Facebook Login** (through your Facebook Page). The ad list stays empty without it. See [Should I connect with Instagram or with Facebook?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/instagram-login-or-facebook-login.md) - Your Facebook account needs access to the ad account in Meta (Business Manager or Ads Manager). - The ad must run on **Instagram**. Comments on the Facebook placement are not automated. - Ad comment automation is listed on **Trendsetter and above**. ## Steps 1. On **Home**, click **New Automation** (top right). 2. Under "When should it run?", choose **Comment to DM**. 3. On "Which posts?", click **Ads** ("Pick one or more of your Meta ads"). Keep the **Instagram** platform pill selected. 4. If you have more than one ad account, choose it in the **Ad account** dropdown. - You'll see your ads with an **Active** or **Paused** badge. - Ads marked **Not on Instagram** can't be picked. They have no Instagram post. 5. Click one or more ads, then click **Next**. 6. Under "What should it send?", pick one: - **Send Link & PDF**: one reply for everyone, like a product link. - **Lead Gen**: ask for a name, email or phone in the DM. - **Flow Automation**: a multi-step chat with buttons (Trendsetter and above). 7. If you picked 2 or more ads, type a **Group name** (or leave it blank), then click **Publish Setup**. This opens the editor. It does not go live yet. 8. Add your trigger words (for example "price, link, cost"), your public replies and your DM. 9. Click **Publish** (in Lead Gen: **Save**, then **Publish & Activate**; in a Flow: **Set Live**). You can also start from **Quick Automation**: open the **Instagram** tab, choose **Meta Ads**, click your ad account, then click an ad. ## On the phone app The phone app can't set up ad automations. Use the web app at app.instantdm.com for this. ## What your followers see They comment on your ad and get your public reply under their comment, then your DM. If you use a Welcome Message, they get a short message with a button first, and the link arrives after they tap it. ## Good to know - **Boosted posts:** the automation sits on the original post. If that post already has an automation, comments from the boost are answered by it. - **Dark posts** (ads made only in Ads Manager that never appear on your profile) show up in the ad list with their own Instagram post. - Several versions of the same ad (different images or texts) are matched back to the main ad. - Someone who comments twice gets the DM twice. There is no once-per-person rule for comments. ## What you can't do - Automate comments on the Facebook placement of an ad. See [Can InstantDM handle click-to-message ads or Facebook ad comments?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/click-to-message-ads.md) - Reply to people who tap "Send message" on click-to-message ads. - Create, pause or edit ads from InstantDM. ## How to turn it off Open the ad's automation and switch off its **Send Link or PDF** (or **Lead Gen**) card. More in [How do I turn off, edit or delete an automation?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/turn-off-or-edit-automation.md) ## If it doesn't work - "No ads found on this ad account. Ads need Facebook Login." → connect with Facebook Login. See [Why can't I see my ads in InstantDM?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/ads-not-showing.md) - An ad shows **Not on Instagram** → it has no Instagram post, usually because it runs only on Facebook. Add the Instagram placement in Ads Manager. - An ad isn't in the list at all → check in Ads Manager that the ad uses your connected Instagram account. Ads set up with another Instagram account, or none, are not listed. - Ad comments get no DM, but you also have a Flow that runs on every post → on some accounts this combination skips ad comments. Write to hey@instantdm.com. - Anything else → [Why didn't my automation send a DM?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/automation-not-sending.md) ## Questions people also ask **Do I need a separate automation for a boosted post?** No. A boosted post is your normal post, so the automation on that post also answers comments that come from the boost. You only need the Ads option for ads made in Ads Manager that are not on your profile. **Does it answer comments on the Facebook side of my ad?** No. Only comments on the Instagram placement of an ad are automated. Comments people leave on the Facebook version of the same ad are not answered. **Can I use one automation for several ads?** Yes. Pick more than one ad in the Ads step. You'll be asked to name the group, and the same automation then runs on all of them. **Can I create or edit ads from InstantDM?** No. InstantDM only reads your ads so it can answer their comments. Create and edit ads in Meta Ads Manager. ## Related guides - [Why can't I see my ads in InstantDM?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/ads-not-showing.md) - [Can InstantDM handle click-to-message ads or Facebook ad comments?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/click-to-message-ads.md) - [Should I connect with Instagram or with Facebook?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/instagram-login-or-facebook-login.md) - [How do I send a DM when someone comments on my post or Reel?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/send-dm-when-someone-comments.md)