How does Global Automation differ from per-post automation?

Per-post automation is configured on a specific post or Reel. Global Automation applies to every post and story on your account. If a post has its own per-post automation, the per-post settings take priority over global settings.

Does Global Automation apply to future posts?

Yes. Once enabled, Global Automation automatically applies to every new post and story you publish. You don't need to reconfigure anything when you post new content.

Can I use both Global and per-post automation at the same time?

Yes. Per-post automation takes priority. If a specific post has its own automation configured, that will fire instead of the global automation. Posts without their own automation will fall back to the global settings.

Which plans support Global Automation?

Global Automation is available on all paid plans (Starter, Trendsetter, and Multi). The feature set is the same across plans, though some advanced DM types like flows may have plan-specific limits.

Global Automation (All Posts & Stories)

Set up automation once and have it apply to every post and story on your account — past, present, and future.

What Is Global Automation?

Global Automation lets you configure trigger words, DM replies, and comment replies that apply to all your Instagram posts and stories at once. Instead of setting up automation on each individual post, you create one global configuration that covers everything.

This is ideal for creators and businesses who want a consistent automation experience across their entire account. Post a new Reel? It's already automated. Share a carousel? Already covered. No extra setup needed.

How Global Automation Works

When Global Automation is enabled, InstantDM monitors comments on every post and story on your account. If someone comments a trigger word on any post — even one you published months ago — the automation fires and sends them a DM.

You configure global trigger words and a DM reply in InstantDM.
You toggle Global Automation ON.
Someone comments a trigger word on any of your posts (old or new).
InstantDM checks: does this post have its own per-post automation? If yes, use that. If no, use the global settings.
The automation fires and sends the commenter a DM.

Setting Up Global Automation

Navigate to Instagram DM in the left sidebar.
Click on the Global Automation tab at the top of the page.
Enter your global trigger words separated by commas (e.g., link, info, price, send).
Build your global DM reply using the message editor.
Optionally, configure a global comment reply.
Toggle Global Automation ON.

That's it. Every post and story on your account is now automated with those settings.

Global Trigger Words

Global trigger words work exactly like per-post trigger words. Enter keywords separated by commas, and matching is case-insensitive. When someone comments a matching word on any post, the global automation fires.

Common global trigger words include:

link — For delivering links to products, resources, or landing pages.
info — For sending more information about your services.
price — For sharing pricing details privately via DM.
yes — A universal opt-in trigger.
DM — For people who comment "DM me" or similar.

Global DM Reply

The global DM reply is the message sent when the automation fires. You can use any of the standard message types:

Message Type	Description
Text	Plain text with emoji, links, and line breaks.
Buttons	Card with title, description, and up to 3 tappable buttons.
Image	A photo sent as a DM bubble.
Audio	A voice note sent as a playable message.
Flow	A multi-step conversation from the Flow Editor.

Since the global DM applies to all posts, keep the message general enough to work in any context. For example: "Hey! Thanks for reaching out. Here's the link you asked for: [your link]."

Global Comment Reply

In addition to the DM, you can configure a global comment reply. This is a public reply posted under the commenter's comment. InstantDM rotates through multiple reply texts to keep things natural.

Example comment replies:

"Check your DMs! 📩"
"Just sent it to your inbox!"
"Sent! Check your messages 🙌"

Global vs. Per-Post Automation

Understanding the difference between global and per-post automation is key to using InstantDM effectively:

Feature	Global Automation	Per-Post Automation
Scope	All posts and stories on your account.	One specific post or Reel.
Setup	Configure once, applies everywhere.	Configure individually for each post.
Trigger Words	Same keywords for all posts.	Custom keywords per post.
DM Reply	Same message for all posts.	Custom message per post.
Priority	Lower — used as fallback.	Higher — overrides global settings.
Best For	Universal offers, general lead capture.	Targeted campaigns, specific promotions.

Priority Rules

When both global and per-post automation are active, InstantDM follows these priority rules:

If the post has its own per-post automation configured and enabled, per-post settings are used.
If the post does not have per-post automation, global settings are used.
If neither is configured, no automation fires.

This means you can use Global Automation as a safety net — it catches engagement on posts you haven't specifically configured, while your key posts get their own tailored automation.

When to Use Global vs. Per-Post

Use Global Automation when: You want a consistent response across your entire account, you post frequently and don't want to configure each post, or you want to capture leads from older posts.
Use Per-Post Automation when: You're running a specific campaign, the offer is unique to that post, or you need different trigger words and DM content for different posts.
Use both together when: You want per-post automation on your key posts and global automation as a fallback for everything else.

Testing Global Automation

Make sure Global Automation is toggled ON.
Pick any post on your account that does not have per-post automation configured.
Open Instagram on a different account.
Comment one of your global trigger words on that post.
Check the second account's DMs for the automated reply.
If nothing happens, check Dashboard → Recent Automation Log.

Plan Requirements

Feature	Required Plan
Global Post Automation	Starter, Trendsetter, Multi (all paid plans)
Global Story Automation	Starter, Trendsetter, Multi (all paid plans)
Global Comment Reply	Starter, Trendsetter, Multi (all paid plans)
Flow Editor Integration	Starter, Trendsetter, Multi (all paid plans)

Tips and Best Practices

Keep global messages generic — Since the same DM goes out for all posts, make sure it works in any context. Avoid referencing a specific product or offer.
Use per-post for campaigns — When you launch a specific promotion, set up per-post automation with a tailored message. Let global handle everything else.
Review old posts — Global Automation works on old posts too. If someone comments on a post from 6 months ago, they'll still get a DM.
Monitor your automation log — Global Automation can generate a high volume of DMs. Check the log regularly to make sure everything is working as expected.
Combine with follow gate — Use the follow gate feature with global automation to ensure only followers receive your automated DMs.

Next: Schedule Instagram Posts with InstantDM →