How do I auto-reply to Messenger keywords?

Someone messages your Page “price” and gets your price list straight away. This guide sets that up.

Before you start

• Connect your Facebook Page. See How do I connect my Facebook Page?
• Messenger keyword replies are on Legend Pro and above. Messenger flows (multi-step chats) are on Trendsetter and above.

Steps

1. On Home, click New Automation.
2. Choose DM Automation (“Someone messages you a keyword, or anything at all.”).
3. Under “Which inbox?”, click Facebook Messenger, then Next.
4. Under “What should it send?”, click Lead Gen. (Pick Flow Automation instead if you want buttons that lead to different answers.)
5. In the editor, choose the trigger:
   • Custom Keywords: type a word and press Enter. Commas split words.
   • Any Message: then pick First time only or Once a day.
6. Optional: tick Match exact word only if the whole message must be just your keyword. Off means any message that contains it.
7. Click Add Step and choose Text Message. Type your reply. Add more steps if you like, for example Button Template or Capture Email.
8. Click Save, then Publish & Activate.
9. Go to Account Settings → Safety & Limits and find the Facebook DM automation card.
   • It should say Active.
   • If it says Not active, click Verify & activate.

On the phone app

The phone app can’t create Messenger keyword replies. Use the web app at app.instantdm.com for this. (The app’s DM tab is for Instagram DMs only.)

What your followers see

They send your Page a message with your keyword and get your reply in Messenger within moments. If your steps ask a question, they answer in the same chat.

Good to know

• If two automations use the same keyword, the one saved most recently wins.
• Any Message with First time only replies once per person, ever. Once a day replies at most once every 24 hours.
• You can have only one Any Message automation. If you see “An ‘Any Message’ trigger flow already exists. Only one can be created per account.”, edit the existing one.
• The Facebook DM automation card’s text says it runs when you open Facebook DM. In the new layout it runs when you finish New Automation → DM Automation → Facebook Messenger. Use Verify & activate if replies don’t start.

How to turn it off

Go to Quick Automation → Facebook tab → DM Automation, and switch the automation off, or delete it with the bin icon.

If it doesn’t work

• Page comment automations work but Messenger replies don’t → open Account Settings → Safety & Limits and click Verify & activate (or Re-verify).
• No reply to a long message → turn off Match exact word only.
• Still nothing → Why didn’t my automation send a DM?