How do I set up my first automation? (Start here)

This is the shortest path from “no account” to “my followers get a DM when they comment”. You’ll set up a Comment to DM automation: someone comments a word on your post, and InstantDM sends them a private message with your link.

Before you start

• A Creator or Business Instagram account. Personal accounts can’t connect. See how to switch.
• A computer is easiest for the first time. The phone app works too (see below).
• A friend with an Instagram account who can comment on your post to test it.
• On the Free plan you can use up to 3 trigger words per automation. Answering every comment with no word (All comments) needs Legend Pro or above after your first week.

Steps

1. Go to app.instantdm.com and click Continue With Instagram. Log in on Instagram’s own screen and allow every permission.
   • This creates your InstantDM account and connects your Instagram at the same time.
2. Finish the setup window. It opens the first time you log in and can’t be closed. That’s normal.
   • Click Continue Account Setup.
   • Verify Your Email 📧: type your email, click Send OTP, type the 6-digit code from your inbox, and click Verify.
   • Tell Us About Yourself: answer the questions and click Continue.
   • Let’s do your first automation ⚡: choose Auto Reply to Comments, pick a post and click Next, choose Send a Link, type your message, choose Specific Keywords and type your word, then click Automate This Post ⚡. Test it, then click I’ve Tested It! Continue →.
   • In the plan window, pick a plan or choose the free option (500 credits, no credit card required).
3. On Home, click New Automation at the top right. From now on, every new automation starts here. Steps 4 to 10 build the same kind of automation for another post.
4. Under “When should it run?”, click Comment to DM.
5. Under “Which posts?”, keep Existing posts and Instagram selected, click one post, then click Next.
6. Under “What should it send?”, click Send Link & PDF.
   • You’ll see the editor, “Auto Reply to Comments”.
7. Under Trigger, keep Specific Comments, click + Expected Word, type your word (for example GUIDE) and press Enter.
8. Under Reply with comment!, click + Reply Comment and type a short public reply, like “Sent you a DM”. Add two or three different ones.
   • This switch is on by default. If you leave it on with no reply, publishing fails with “Missing Reply comments words”. Turn it off if you don’t want public replies.
9. Under Send a DM!, keep Text/Link and type your message with your link.
10. Click Publish at the top right.
    • If a box titled “Recommended Setup for Better Engagement” appears, click Send link directly to publish now, or Edit Automation to add a Welcome Message first (Legend Pro and above after your first week).
    • You’ll see “Automation is live” and return to Home.
11. Ask a friend to comment your word on that post from their own account.
    • They should get your DM shortly, and your public reply appears under their comment.

On the phone app

1. Install InstantDM from the App Store or Google Play and sign in with Continue with Google, Continue with Apple or Login with Email.
2. If you see “Instagram Account Required”, tap Connect and log in to Instagram.
3. On Home, tap Instagram, then the Posts tab, then your post.
4. Tap the Send Link or Images card. Under Trigger Words, choose Specific Words and type your word.
5. Fill Reply to Comments and Send a DM!, then tap Publish.

New accounts may also see “Create your first automation” on the app’s Home, which walks you through the same thing in 4 steps.

What your followers see

• They comment your word (any capitals). A comment matches when one of its words starts with your word: “guides” matches GUIDE, “misguided” does not.
• They get one private DM from your account with your message.
• Your public reply appears under their comment, picked at random from your list.
• On Free, after your first week, the DM ends with ”|| Automation powered by InstantDM”.

Good to know

• Only top-level comments trigger it. Replies inside a comment thread don’t.
• Each new matching comment gets a new DM, even from the same person.
• Changed your message? Edit it and click Publish again, or the old message keeps going out.
• Each DM that goes out uses 1 credit. Public replies are free.

How to turn it off

Go to Quick Automation, open the Instagram tab, click the post, and switch off its Send Link or PDF card. See How do I turn off, edit or delete an automation?

If it doesn’t work

• Your friend got nothing: check the word is spelled the same, that they commented (not replied to a comment), and that the account isn’t showing “Instagram conection expired! Automation Stopped.” at the top.
• “Missing Reply comments words”: add a public reply or turn Reply with comment! off (step 8).
• Next is greyed out: pick a post first.
• Comments arrive but no DM: in Instagram, turn on Allow access to messages. See Do I need a professional account?
• Full checklist: Why didn’t my automation send a DM?