# How do I put one automation on many posts at once? Guide: https://instantdm.com/how-to/one-automation-many-posts Section: Auto-DM people who comment Works on: Web app 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:** Click New Automation, choose Comment to DM, keep Existing posts and pick 2 or more posts. Choose what to send, name the group and click Publish Setup, which opens the editor. Set it up once and click Publish: every post in the group gets the same automation. Manage groups in Quick Automation, Group Automation tab. ## Before you start - An **Automation Group** is one automation applied to several posts together. It is new and marked **Beta**. - The plan you need depends on what you send: Send Link & PDF works on all plans, Lead Gen is Legend Pro and above, Flow Automation is Trendsetter and above. - Groups can also hold ads (choose **Ads** instead of **Existing posts**). Ads need Facebook Login. See [How do I auto-reply to comments on my Instagram ads?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/auto-reply-ad-comments.md) ## Steps 1. On **Home**, click **New Automation** → **Comment to DM**. 2. Keep **Existing posts**. Use the **Instagram** and **Facebook** pills to switch platform, and click 2 or more posts. The footer shows "N posts selected". 3. Click **Next**. 4. Choose **Send Link & PDF**, **Lead Gen** or **Flow Automation**. 5. Under "Name your group", type a **Group name** (up to 80 characters), or leave it blank to use "Automation Group (N posts)". 6. Click **Publish Setup**. This does not publish yet. It opens the editor. 7. In the editor, check the "Selected posts (N)" strip. Click a thumbnail to preview that post, click **+** to add posts, or hover over a thumbnail to remove it. 8. Set up the trigger words, reply and DM once. 9. Click **Publish** (for Lead Gen: **Save** → **Publish & Activate**; for Flow: **Set Live**). - You return to **Home**, and New Automation opens again at "What should it send?" in case you want another type. Close it if you are done. **Shortcut:** **Quick Automation** → the **Group Automation** tab → **New group** ("Pick posts, give them one automation"). ## Edit or manage a group - Open **Quick Automation** → **Group Automation**. Your groups are under **My Automation Groups**. - **Edit** opens the editor with all the group's posts. Change the setup and click **Publish**. - The menu on a group card has **View**, **Rename** and **Delete group**. - **View** shows the posts, the trigger words and "What they get in the DM". Add or remove posts there, click **Apply changes**, then click **Publish** in the editor. > Removing a post from a Send Link & PDF group does not switch off that post's automation. To stop it, open the post in **Quick Automation** → **Instagram** → **Posts** and switch off its **Send Link or PDF** card. ## On the phone app The app has no Automation Groups. Use the web app at app.instantdm.com for this. ## What your followers see The same as on a single automated post. Each post in the group answers comments with the same trigger words, public reply and DM. ## Good to know - **Send Link & PDF:** each post gets its own copy of the setup. If some fail, you see how many worked, for example "Automated X of N posts". - **Lead Gen:** one Lead Gen automation covers all the posts in the group. Removing a post from a Lead Gen group does stop it on that post. - **Flow Automation:** the flow builder opens with the posts already picked. Flows are listed under **Flow Automation**, not under Automation Groups. - Don't put a Send Link & PDF and a Lead Gen setup on the same posts. Only the one saved last runs. See [Which automation runs?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/which-automation-runs.md) ## What you can't do - Give one post in the group a different setup. - Make a group from **All posts** or **Next post**. - See Flow groups in **My Automation Groups**. ## How to turn it off Switch off each post's **Send Link or PDF** card (or the **Lead Gen** switch). Deleting the group alone does not stop the posts. See [turn off, edit or delete an automation](https://instantdm.com/how-to/turn-off-or-edit-automation.md). ## If it doesn't work - "Group published but couldn't be saved to your groups list.": your posts are automated, but the group card is missing. Manage those posts one by one. - **Next** stays grey: pick at least one post. - **Flow Automation** is missing: you picked both Instagram and Facebook posts ("Flow Automation runs on one platform. Pick only Instagram or only Facebook to use it."). ## Questions people also ask **Can each post in a group have a different DM?** No. A group has one setup for all its posts. For a different DM on one post, take it out of the group and switch its own automation off, then set it up separately. **If I delete a group, do my posts stop?** No. The app says: 'This removes the saved group only. Your posts stay automated.' Switch each post off yourself if you want it to stop. **Can I mix Instagram and Facebook posts in one group?** Yes, for Send Link & PDF and Lead Gen. Flow Automation runs on one platform, so it is hidden when you mix them. ## Related guides - [How do I send a DM when someone comments on my post or Reel?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/send-dm-when-someone-comments.md) - [How do I save an automation and reuse it on other posts?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/save-and-reuse-automation.md) - [How do I turn off, edit or delete an automation?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/turn-off-or-edit-automation.md) - [How do I auto-reply to comments on my Instagram ads and boosted posts?](https://instantdm.com/how-to/auto-reply-ad-comments.md)