PostEaseThe short answer
A comment-to-DM automation watches the comments on your posts and, when someone comments a word you chose, such as “guide” or “link”, sends them a private message on its own. Creators use it to hand over a link, a discount or a download to everyone who asks, without answering each comment by hand.
On Instagram it runs on a feature Meta calls Private Replies. Meta allows one private message per comment, sent within 7 days of the comment, and the conversation can only go further if the person writes back.
Meta’s rules, in its own words
Meta’s developer documentation for Private Replies, updated in June and July 2026, sets these limits:
| Limit | What Meta says |
|---|---|
| How many messages | Only one message can be sent to the commenter |
| How soon | The message must be sent within 7 days from when the comment was created for comments on a post, ads post, or reel. |
| Live videos | For Instagram Live, private replies can only be sent during the live broadcast |
| Carrying on | Follow-up messages can only be sent if the recipient responds, and must be sent within 24 hours of the response |
| Where it lands | This reply appears in the person’s Inbox, if the person follows the Instagram professional account, or to the Request folder, if they do not |
| What it carries | The private reply message includes a link to the commented post |
How one automation runs
From a comment to a conversation, step by step:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Comment | Someone comments on your post or reel with the word you asked for |
| 2. Match | The automation checks the comment against your keywords |
| 3. Public reply | Optionally, it replies under the comment so others see the offer was answered |
| 4. Private message | It sends the one private reply Meta allows, with what was promised |
| 5. Conversation | If the person answers, the 24-hour window opens and the conversation can go on |
What it is good for
A comment-to-DM automation suits any post that offers something in exchange for a comment:
- A free guide, checklist or template, sent as a link.
- A product link or discount code from a post that shows the product.
- Sign-ups: a waitlist, an event, a newsletter.
- Answers to a question every viewer asks, such as where something was bought.
Doing it well
The automation sends the message; the post still has to earn the comment:
- Say the word and what it gets people in the caption and on the video, so nobody has to guess.
- Send what you promised in the first message: Meta allows only one until the person replies.
- Keep the keyword short and unusual enough that ordinary comments do not set it off.
- Answer the replies yourself: a person who writes back is the warmest lead the post produced.
- Say it is automated, in the message or the caption, so nobody feels misled.
Comment-to-DM in PostEase
PostEase’s Automations answer Instagram comments, messages and story replies by your rules: the keywords that start one, a public reply, the private message, an optional ask to follow first, a link that counts its clicks, and follow-ups. They are on the Creator plan, at $15 a month. YouTube, X, LinkedIn (personal profile), Pinterest, Bluesky, and WordPress publishing are live today; Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Threads are pending each platform's own API approval.
Questions
How many DMs can an automation send per comment?
One. Meta allows a single private reply to each comment; more messages can follow only if the person replies, within 24 hours of their reply.
How long after a comment can the DM be sent?
Up to 7 days after the comment on a post or reel, according to Meta. On Instagram Live, only while the broadcast is running.
Will the DM land in their inbox or requests?
Their inbox if they follow your account, and their message requests if they do not, according to Meta’s documentation.
Does comment-to-DM work on any Instagram account?
It needs an Instagram professional account, a business or creator account, since Meta’s Private Replies work on comments on professional accounts’ posts.
Sources
- Meta, Send a Private Reply to a Commenter (Instagram Platform), June 2026.
- Meta, Private replies - Instagram Messaging, July 2026.