How do I add a delay before the DM is sent?

Before you start

• Reply Delay needs Legend Pro or a higher plan. On other plans it shows a crown.
• It applies to one automation at a time. Set it on each post where you want it.

Steps

1. Open the post’s editor: Quick Automation → Instagram → Posts → click the post → Send Link or PDF card.
2. Scroll to Additional Settings.
3. Under Reply Delay, click Immediate, 10 Sec, 30 Sec or 1 Min.
   • You’ll see a note such as “DM & Comment automation will be delayed by 30 Seconds”.
4. Click Publish.

On the phone app

The app’s post editor has no Reply Delay. Set it on the web at app.instantdm.com. In the app you can add waits in two other places:

• DM Sequence: “⏱️ Send after [ ] minutes (0 - 1440)” on message 2 and later.
• DM tab automations: the Add Delay step (“Delay Duration (Minutes)”).

What your followers see

They comment, and the DM and public reply arrive after the wait instead of right away. When they tap a button in your DM, the next message comes without the delay.

Other kinds of delay

• Between messages in a DM Sequence: Delay (minutes) on message 2 and later. See How do I send several DMs in a row?
• In Lead Gen and DM automations: add a Smart Delay step between steps.
• In Flow Automation (Trendsetter and above): the Delay step waits up to 24 hours. See How do I send a reminder if someone doesn’t reply?

Good to know

• 10 Sec arrives after roughly 10 to 20 seconds, and 1 Min after roughly 50 to 70 seconds.
• Delays don’t change your hourly limit or how many DMs are sent.

What you can’t do

• Wait longer than 1 minute before the first DM after a comment.
• Choose your own number of seconds.
• Delay only the public reply and not the DM.

How to turn it off

Set Reply Delay back to Immediate and click Publish.

If it doesn’t work

• The options are greyed out with a crown: your plan doesn’t include Reply Delay.
• The DM still arrives instantly: check you clicked Publish after changing the delay.