# Instagram DM auto-reply: how to set it up (+ 6 ready-to-copy templates)

URL: https://ai-xodim.uz/en/blog/instagram-dm-auto-reply-setup
Published: 2026-10-12 · Updated: 2026-10-23

How to set up automatic replies in Instagram DMs: which questions to automate, keyword rules vs a default reply, the 24-hour rule and 6 ready templates.

- An Instagram DM auto-reply is worth setting up for the questions you answer every day — price, delivery, address, opening hours, “is it in stock?” — while anything unusual still goes to a person.
- Use keyword replies for specific questions and one default reply for everything else, sent only to a person's first message or at most once a day, so regular customers don't get the same text again and again.
- Instagram lets a business message someone within 24 hours of that person's last message; an auto-reply answers an incoming message right away, so it always fits the rule.
- In Ai Xodim it's the “Direct auto-replies” tab: switch it on, add keyword replies, write a default reply and choose when to send it; anyone can write “stop” to turn automated replies off for themselves.

Most DMs a small business gets on Instagram are the same handful of questions. “How much?” “Do you deliver?” “Where are you?” “Is it still available?” Each takes thirty seconds to answer — and each waits for hours when you're busy, asleep or with another customer. An Instagram DM auto-reply takes these questions off your hands, so you step in only when a person is really needed.

This guide shows how to set up automatic replies in Instagram Direct that sound like you, not like a robot: what to automate, how keyword rules and a default reply work together, six templates you can copy, and the mistakes that make people stop writing.

## Why set up an Instagram DM auto-reply

Someone who asks the price in DMs is interested right now. If the answer comes three hours later, they may have bought elsewhere. An Instagram auto responder answers the moment the message arrives, at night and on weekends too.

The second reason is your time. When a bot handles “price” and “delivery”, your attention goes to the conversations that need it: a custom order, a complaint, a customer who is about to pay.

Instagram has manual tools of its own — saved replies and frequently asked questions shown at the start of a chat. They help, but a person still has to be there: saved replies wait for someone to tap them, and a question typed in the customer's own words still waits for you. An auto-reply reacts to what people actually type.

## Which questions to automate (and which not to)

Scroll through your last 50 DMs and write down the questions that repeat. For most shops, salons and online courses the list looks like this:

| Question | Keywords to catch it | What the reply should give |
|---|---|---|
| Price | price, cost, how much | prices or a link to the price list |
| Delivery | deliver, shipping | areas, time and cost of delivery |
| Address | address, where, location | the address, a map link, opening hours |
| Opening hours | hours, open | days and hours |
| Availability | available, in stock, size | a link to the catalog or “we'll check and reply within an hour” |
| Booking | book, appointment | a booking link or the next step |

Don't automate what needs judgment: complaints, returns, custom orders, price negotiation — anything where a wrong answer costs you a customer. For these, the auto-reply's job is to say that a person will answer. And then a person answers.

## Keyword replies vs the default reply

An auto-reply in Direct has two parts, and you need both.

**Keyword replies** answer specific questions. You list words separated by commas — case doesn't matter — and write the answer. If a message contains one of the words, the answer goes out. Rules are checked from top to bottom, and the first one that fits answers, so give every keyword only one rule.

There are two ways to match:

- **Contains the word** — a part of the word is enough. “deliver” catches “delivery”, “delivered” and “do you deliver to Austin?”. Use it for most questions and write word stems, so every form is caught.
- **Exact match** — the whole message must equal the word; punctuation and emoji around it are ignored. Use it for short words that hide inside other words — “hi” would otherwise fire on “this” and “white” — and for menu numbers like “1”, “2”, “3”.

**The default reply** goes to everything no rule caught. You choose when it's sent:

- **Only to the first message** — a greeting for new conversations. The best choice for most accounts: a newcomer learns what to write, and a regular customer isn't greeted every time.
- **At most once a day** — the reply goes again if the person writes on another day. Useful when it says when you'll answer, like “we reply within two hours, 10:00–20:00”.
- **To every message** — only for a short, fixed period: a holiday, a sold-out launch. Otherwise people get the same text after every “thanks”, and it feels like talking to a wall.

## 6 ready-to-copy templates

Change the details and keep each one short — people read DMs on a phone.

**1. Welcome with a menu of keywords** (default reply, only to the first message)

> Hi! 👋 Thanks for writing. To get an answer right away, write one word: PRICE — prices, DELIVERY — delivery terms, ADDRESS — where to find us. Anything else — just ask, a person will answer soon.

**2. A number menu** (default reply + three rules with exact match for “1”, “2” and “3”)

> Hi! Write a number: 1 — prices, 2 — delivery, 3 — address and hours. Or ask your question, and we'll answer ourselves.

**3. Price** (rule: price, cost, how much — contains)

> Our prices are here: yourbrand.com/prices 🛍 Want help choosing? Tell us what you're looking for.

**4. Delivery** (rule: deliver, shipping — contains)

> We deliver across the city within 24 hours and to other cities in 2–4 days. Delivery is free from $50. Write your city — we'll tell you the exact cost.

**5. Out of office** (default reply, to every message — only while you're away)

> We're on holiday until Monday 🌴 The catalog is here: yourbrand.com. We'll answer every message when we're back — thanks for waiting!

**6. Handing over to a person** (rule: order, complaint, return — contains)

> Thank you! This is an automatic reply — a manager will read your message and answer today. If it's urgent, call us at the number in our profile.

## How to sound like a person, not a bot

- **Write the way you talk.** “Hi! Prices are here” beats “Dear customer, please find our price list below”.
- **One message, one idea.** A wall of text with every rule in it gets scrolled past.
- **Always give the next step:** a link, a question, a word to write.
- **Don't pretend.** If the reply is automatic, it's fine to say so — especially when a person will follow up. People don't mind a bot that is honest and helpful.

## The “stop” word and the 24-hour rule

Anyone who writes “**stop**” turns automated replies off for themselves; “**start**” turns them back on. It costs you nothing, and it's the difference between a helpful bot and an annoying one: a person who doesn't want automatic messages gets a way out instead of muting or reporting you.

Instagram also has a messaging rule: a business can message a person within **24 hours** of that person's last message. An auto-reply answers an incoming message right away, so it always fits. But it also means you can't write to someone a week later “just to follow up” — reply while the conversation is fresh.

## Handing over to a human

An auto-reply is the first answer, not the whole conversation. Three things keep people from getting stuck:

1. **A log of every message.** You see each incoming text message and what the auto-reply did with it: which rule answered, whether the default reply went out, or whether nothing was sent.
2. **A push notification** in the app when a message was left without a reply, so a question nobody expected doesn't sit unanswered.
3. **You keep replying by hand** in the Instagram app, as usual. The auto-reply doesn't lock the chat.

If you use an AI assistant, you can also ask it: “What did people ask in Direct this week, and which messages got no answer?” Here's [how to connect ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to Instagram](/en/blog/connect-chatgpt-claude-gemini-to-instagram).

## How to set it up in Ai Xodim

1. [Create an account](/en/register) — with a login and password, or with Google or Apple.
2. Click **Connect Instagram** and log in through the official Instagram window. The account must be **Business** or **Creator**; switching is free in the Instagram app: Settings → Account type and tools.
3. Open **Instagram** → your account → the **Direct auto-replies** tab and switch auto-replies on.
4. Under **Keyword replies**, add a **New rule**: keywords separated by commas, “Contains the word” or “Exact match”, and the reply.
5. Write the **Default reply** and choose **When to send**: only to the first message, at most once a day, or to every message.
6. Test it: write “price” from another Instagram account and open **Messages and replies** — you'll see the message and the reply that went out.

Right after you connect, Ai Xodim pulls in your recent conversations from before the connection — up to 50 chats, the last 20 messages of each, which is Instagram's limit — so the log isn't empty on day one. The **Pull history** button refreshes it.

Auto-replies are part of Ai Xodim Pro: $9.99 per month, the first 3 days free with no card — see [pricing](/en/pricing). Connecting Instagram, analytics and the Direct log are free. Everything the feature can do is on the [Direct auto-replies page](/en/instagram-dm-auto-reply).

## Mistakes that make people stop writing

- **A default reply to every message, all the time** — the same text after each “thanks”.
- **Short words with “contains”** — “hi” fires inside “this”. Use exact match for short words.
- **One word in two rules** — only the first rule answers. Give every word one home.
- **Only a link, no words** — people don't tap a bare link from a stranger. Add a sentence.
- **Old information** — prices, hours and delivery terms change; your replies should too.
- **No test** — write to yourself from a second account before you rely on it.

Want the same for comments? Read [how to send a DM to everyone who comments a keyword](/en/blog/instagram-comment-to-dm) and take a word from [30 keyword ideas with ready texts](/en/blog/instagram-auto-reply-keyword-ideas).

## FAQ

### Can I set up an Instagram DM auto-reply for free?

Instagram's own saved replies and FAQ questions are free but still need a person. In Ai Xodim, auto-replies are part of Pro — $9.99 per month with the first 3 days free and no card needed; connecting Instagram, analytics and the Direct log are free.

### Does the auto-reply answer photos, stickers or shared reels?

No. It reacts to text messages only. Photos, stickers and shared posts stay for you to answer in the Instagram app.

### Can I still answer DMs myself?

Yes. You reply in the Instagram app as usual, and you can switch Direct auto-replies off for the whole account at any moment.

### What if a customer doesn't want automatic messages?

They write “stop”, and automated replies stop for them; “start” turns them back on. Your own replies aren't affected.

### Will the bot message people who never wrote to me?

No. It only answers incoming messages. Instagram lets a business reply within 24 hours of the person's last message, and an auto-reply answers right away.

### Does it work with a personal Instagram account?

No, you need a Business or Creator account. Switching is free: Instagram app → Settings → Account type and tools.