# What is DM Insights?

Guide: https://instantdm.com/how-to/dm-insights  
Section: AI replies  
Works on: Web app, iPhone app, Android app  
Plan: All plans  
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:** DM Insights reads each new Instagram DM and story reply and tags the sender with an intent, such as purchase, collaboration, booking or complaint, plus a priority. Find it in the DM Insights panel on Home or in Quick Automation under the chat-bubble tab. It works on every plan, needs no AI key and no setup.

**DM Insights** is a sorted list of people who messaged you, labelled by what they want, so brand deals and buyers don't get lost between fan messages.

## Before you start

- Your Instagram account must be connected. Nothing else is needed.
- It covers your Instagram DMs and story replies.

## Steps

1. Open **Home**. On a computer, the **DM Insights** panel is on the right. On a small screen, open the **DM Insights** section on Home.
2. For the full list, click **Quick Automation** in the sidebar, then the chat-bubble icon tab (tooltip **DM Insights**).
3. Filter with **All**, **🔴 Need Attention** or **🟡 Leads**, or click an intent chip. Sort with **Priority** or **Latest**.
4. Click **Load More** at the bottom to see older rows.
5. Click a person to open their Instagram profile and reply there.
6. Use **Delete** on a row to remove it from the list.

## Intents and priority

| Priority | Intents |
|---|---|
| **🔴 Need Attention** (high) | collaboration, partnership, booking, brand_deal, purchase |
| **🟡 Leads** (medium) | complaint, support, negotiation, enquiry |
| Low (only under **All**) | feedback, question, fan_message, job_enquiry |

Each row shows the @username, the current intent, a preview of the latest message, earlier intents, how long ago, the follower count and a "Follows you" tag when they follow you.

## On the phone app

Tap the DM Insights banner on Home to open the **DM Insights** screen. It shows totals, unread and high-priority counts and categories, with **Mark all as read** and **Clear all**.

## Good to know

- It works on every plan and uses no credits or AI key.
- One row per person. A new message from them puts the row back to unread.
- A person's priority only goes up, never down.
- The tagging is automatic and not always right. Use **Delete** for rows you don't need.
- Clicking a row (which marks it read) or deleting it may not always stay saved. Don't rely on read status or deletions as your to-do list.
- **Insights → Conversations** shows the same intents as charts. See [what the numbers in Insights mean](https://instantdm.com/how-to/insights-explained.md).

## What you can't do

- Reply from DM Insights.
- Create your own intent categories.
- Start a flow from an intent.
- See comments in DM Insights. It reads DMs and story replies only.

## If it doesn't work

- **"No DM insights yet. Insights will appear as your audience sends you DMs."** → wait for new DMs. Older messages from before you connected are not read.
- **A spam message shows as a lead** → the tagging is approximate. Delete the row.
- **The panel isn't on Home** → it shows on wider screens. Use **Quick Automation → DM Insights** instead.
- **View All →** on the Home panel opens an empty page → use the **DM Insights** tab in **Quick Automation** for the full list.

## Questions people also ask

**Do I need an AI key for DM Insights?**

No. It works on every account with no key and no setup.

**Can I reply from DM Insights?**

No. Click the person to open their Instagram profile, then reply in Instagram.

**Why isn't every DM listed?**

Greetings, spam and messages it isn't sure about are skipped. Comments, button taps and answers to flow questions are not read either.

**Can I make my own categories?**

No. The intent list is fixed.

## Related guides

- [What do the numbers in Insights mean?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/insights-explained.md)
- [How do I see, search and export my contacts?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/contacts-page.md)
- [How do I make AI reply to my Instagram DMs?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/ai-reply-to-dms.md)
- [What can I do in the InstantDM phone app?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/instantdm-phone-app.md)