# How do I auto-reply to everyone who messages me on Instagram? Guide: https://instantdm.com/how-to/auto-reply-every-message Section: Story replies and DM keywords Works on: Web app, iPhone app, Android app Plan: Legend Pro 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:** Create a DM Automation for Instagram DMs with Lead Gen, and under ENTRY POINT choose Any Message. Then pick First time only (once per person, ever) or Once a day (at most once every 24 hours). You can have only one Any Message automation per account. It works on Legend Pro and above. ## Before you start - Your Instagram account must be connected to InstantDM. - This is on **Legend Pro and above**. - You can have **only one** Any Message automation per account. Keep one "answer everything" rule only, across DM automations and flows. If several exist, only one of them runs. - It answers everyone, including friends, brands and customers you're already talking to. Read [stop automations while chatting](https://instantdm.com/how-to/stop-automation-while-chatting.md) first. ## Steps 1. On **Home**, click **New Automation**. (The **DM Automation** card on Home skips the next choice.) 2. Choose **DM Automation**, then click **Instagram DMs** and **Next**. 3. On "What should it send?", click **Lead Gen**. The step editor opens. 4. Type a name for the automation at the top. 5. Under **ENTRY POINT**, choose **Any Message**. 6. Under **⏱️ Select Interval**, choose one: - **First time only**: each person gets the reply once, ever. - **Once a day**: each person gets it at most once every 24 hours. 7. Click **Add Step** and choose **Text Message**. Write your reply. For example: "Hi, thanks for your message. I reply to DMs every evening. For prices, see the link in my bio." 8. Click **Save**, then **Publish & Activate**. You'll see the error "An "Any Message" trigger flow already exists. Only one can be created per account." if one already exists. Edit that one instead. ## On the phone app 1. Open **Instagram** and tap the **DM** tab. 2. Tap **Create New**. 3. Under **Trigger**, choose **Automate All Messages**. 4. Under **⏱️ Select Interval**, pick **First time only** or **Once a day**. 5. Tap **Add Next Step**, add a **Text Message**, then tap **Publish**. ## What your followers see They send you any message. Your reply arrives in the same chat a moment later. With **First time only**, they never get it again. With **Once a day**, they may get it again if they write the next day. ## Good to know - If a message matches one of your keyword automations, the keyword automation answers it instead. - A keyword automation has no such limit: it answers every time the keyword is sent. Only Any Message has **First time only** and **Once a day**. - Rarely, the same person can still get the reply twice, for example when they share a post with a note (Instagram sends two messages a second apart). - If you also reply to people by hand, turn on [Prevent In-Chat Trigger](https://instantdm.com/how-to/stop-automation-while-chatting.md). - To keep certain people out completely, [exclude them](https://instantdm.com/how-to/exclude-someone-from-automation.md). ## What you can't do - Set office hours (for example, reply only at night). - Have more than one Any Message automation on the same account. - Reset **First time only** for one person so they get it again. Deleting and re-creating the automation doesn't reset it either. ## How to turn it off Go to **Quick Automation** → **Instagram** → switch to **DM Automation**, and flip the automation's switch off. See [turn off or edit an automation](https://instantdm.com/how-to/turn-off-or-edit-automation.md). ## If it doesn't work - **Someone got nothing**: with **First time only**, they may have received it before. With **Once a day**, it may already have gone out in the last 24 hours. - **It stays quiet in some chats**: **Prevent In-Chat Trigger** saw a recent message from your account in that chat. - See [why didn't my automation send a DM?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/automation-not-sending.md). ## Questions people also ask **Can I have two Any Message automations, one for new people and one for daily replies?** No. The editor allows only one Any Message automation per account and shows an error if you try to add a second. **Will it reply to my friends and clients too?** Yes, it replies to anyone who messages you. Exclude people you don't want it to answer, and turn on Prevent In-Chat Trigger so it stays quiet while you are chatting. **Can it reply only to people who have never messaged me before?** First time only means once per person, counted from when InstantDM first answered them, not from their first ever message to you. In Flow Automation, the DM Reply trigger also has an If only first message option that skips people your account has already replied to in that chat. ## Related guides - [How do I auto-reply when someone DMs me a keyword on Instagram?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/dm-keyword-auto-reply.md) - [Can an automation reply only once per person?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/reply-only-once-per-person.md) - [How do I stop automations from interrupting when I'm chatting with someone?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/stop-automation-while-chatting.md) - [How do I stop automations for a specific person?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/exclude-someone-from-automation.md)