Keyword rules
A rule is keywords plus a reply. Contains the word reacts to part of a word, exact match only to the word itself. Start with the questions you get every day: price, delivery, address, hours.
Instagram Direct auto-replies
Instagram DM auto-reply: answer every question in Direct, day and night
Price, delivery, address, opening hours — the questions you answer ten times a day get an instant reply from your account. Everything else gets your default reply, and every message lands in one log.
Official Instagram API · you keep replying by hand as usual · 3 days free, no card
Direct · aziza.m
Hi! Is the white bouquet from your last reel still available?
Hi! Thanks for writing 🌷 A florist will reply within the hour. Meanwhile, here's the full catalogue: flora.studio/catalog
And do you deliver today?
Yes 🚚 We deliver across the city in 2–3 hours, free from $30. Send your address and we'll confirm.
What Direct auto-replies do
A default reply for the rest
Three modes: only to the first message from a person, at most once a day, or to every message. Perfect for “Thanks, we'll answer soon” plus a useful link.
Stop and start
When someone writes “stop”, automated replies switch off for them; “start” turns them back on. The English, Russian and Uzbek words are understood.
A log of every message
“Messages and replies” shows each incoming text message and what the auto-reply did: which rule fired and what went out — or that nothing did. It keeps logging even when auto-replies are off.
Chats from before you connected
Right after connecting, Ai Xodim pulls your recent conversations — up to 50 chats, the last 20 messages of each (Instagram's limit) — so the log isn't empty on day one. “Pull history” does it again.
A push when a person is needed
The Ai Xodim app notifies you when a message was left without a reply, so an important question doesn't wait until evening.
Questions you can answer automatically
Look through your Direct: most messages are the same five or six questions. Each one becomes a rule.
| Keywords | Auto-reply |
|---|---|
| price, cost, how much | “Prices start at $25. The full price list: yourshop.com/prices” |
| deliver, shipping | “We deliver across the city in 1–2 days, free from $30.” |
| address, where, location | “Find us here: yourshop.com/map — open daily 10:00–20:00.” |
| hours, open | “We're open every day 10:00–20:00, Sundays until 18:00.” |
| book, appointment | “Pick a free time slot here: yourshop.com/book” |
| wholesale, bulk | “Wholesale prices are on this page: yourshop.com/wholesale” |
How to turn on Instagram DM auto-replies
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Connect Instagram
Create an account and press “Connect Instagram”. A Business or Creator account is needed.
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Open “Direct auto-replies”
In “Instagram”, pick the account and open the “Direct auto-replies” tab.
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Add rules
Keywords and a reply for each frequent question. Three rules usually cover most of your Direct.
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Write a default reply
Choose its mode: only to the first message, at most once a day, or to every message.
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Switch it on
Turn on the account's switch and watch “Messages and replies” — you'll see what came in and what went out.
An Instagram auto responder that doesn't sound like a robot
Write replies the way you'd answer yourself: short, one idea, one link, and a clear next step (“send your address”, “pick a time”). A wall of text with every detail gets skipped; a friendly two-line answer gets a reply.
Pick the default reply's mode by how people write to you. Only to the first message suits shops with regular customers — they won't get the same greeting every time. At most once a day works when people come back with new questions. To every message is rarely needed.
Automatic replies in Instagram Direct don't replace you — they take the routine. The Instagram app works exactly as before, and you step in where a person is needed. Instagram's rule is that a business can message someone within 24 hours after that person's last message; auto-replies answer at once, so they always fit.
Direct auto-replies pair well with comment-to-DM: a comment brings a person into Direct with your link, and the Direct rules answer the questions that follow.
Connect your AI through the AI connector and ask “What did people ask in Direct today, and what went unanswered?” — it reads the log, finds the messages that need you and drafts replies, sending them only after your yes. A detailed setup guide with reply templates: how to set up Instagram DM auto-replies.
Questions and answers
Can I still reply by hand in the Instagram app?
Yes. The Instagram app works as before; auto-replies only take the repeated questions. You can switch them off for the whole account at any time.
What happens to a message that matches no rule?
It gets your default reply, according to its mode — or nothing, if you haven't written one. Either way it appears in “Messages and replies”, and if nothing was sent, the app notifies you that it's waiting for a person.
Does it reply to voice messages, photos or stickers?
A voice message gets your default reply, by its mode — keyword rules need text. With Ai Xodim Pro it is also transcribed, so your AI reads it in the log like a text message. Photos and stickers stay for you to answer by hand.
Can a customer turn the auto-replies off?
Yes. Writing “stop” switches automated replies off for that person, and “start” turns them back on. The Russian and Uzbek words work too: “стоп”, “to'xta”, “старт”, “davom”.
Will I see conversations from before I connected?
Recent ones, yes: right after connecting, Ai Xodim pulls up to 50 chats with the last 20 messages of each — as much as Instagram gives. Press “Pull history” to do it again.
Is there a time limit for replying in Instagram Direct?
Instagram lets a business reply within 24 hours after the person's last message. Auto-replies answer immediately, so they're always inside that window.
How much does it cost?
Direct auto-replies are part of Ai Xodim Pro — $9.99 per month, with the first 3 days free and no card needed. The message log works without Pro. See pricing.
Guides on this topic
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