# AI checks (/docs/ai-checks)



AI checks are four optional helpers for one Instagram account. Every check starts **off**. While a check is off it only watches: it looks at a small sample, records what it would have done, and changes nothing. You review those decisions and turn a check on when you trust it.

A check never blocks or changes a send unless you turned it on. If the AI is slow, busy, or fails, everything works the way it does without the check.

**Plans:** every plan, on the website and in the Shopify app. Message tags only runs where the [inbox](/docs/inbox) runs.

## Find AI checks [#find-ai-checks]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Open the Instagram account.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    In the sidebar under Account, choose 

    **Instagram account**

    .
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Scroll to the 

    **AI checks**

     card: These watch quietly and show what they would do. Turn one on when you trust it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

If you do not see the card, AI checks are not ready on that account yet. There is nothing you need to do.

## The four checks [#the-four-checks]

| Check                 | What it looks at                                                       | What it does when on                                                           |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Spam check**        | Comments and live comments that match an automation, and story replies | Skips the DM when it looks like spam or a scam                                 |
| **Message tags**      | New DMs in your inbox                                                  | Tags the conversation: Wants the link, Price question, Complaint, or Spam      |
| **Lead answer check** | Names, emails, and phone numbers people send to your lead questions    | Marks answers that do not look real with Check this answer                     |
| **Similar words**     | Comments on posts, Reels, and live that matched no keyword             | Sends the DM when a comment clearly means one of your keywords, like "lnk pls" |

## Off means watching [#off-means-watching]

* The switch reads **Off** and the row shows **Trying it out**.
* Each check looks at a sample of **up to 25 items a day** on each Instagram account and records what it would have done, for example Would not have sent the DM.
* Nothing changes. Every DM, tag, and answer stays exactly as it would without AI checks.
* Each row sums up the last 7 days, for example: Last 7 days: checked 40, would have flagged 3 as spam. You agreed with 2, disagreed with 1.

## Review decisions: Right or Wrong [#review-decisions-right-or-wrong]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Choose 

    **Review**

     on a check. A drawer opens, for example Review spam check.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Each decision shows what the check decided (such as Spam or promotion, or Looks fine), when, the text it looked at, what it did or would have done, and the automation when there is one.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Choose 

    **Right**

     or 

    **Wrong**

    . You can change your answer later.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Your answers help decide when it is safe to turn the check on. **Load more** shows older decisions. With nothing yet, the drawer says Nothing to review yet. Decisions are kept for **30 days**.

## Turn a check on or off [#turn-a-check-on-or-off]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Flip the switch on the check's row.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Spam check and Similar words change what gets sent, so they ask first: Turn on spam check? or Turn on similar words? Choose 

    **Turn on**

    , or 

    **Keep watching only**

     to leave it off.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Message tags and Lead answer check turn on right away.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Turning a check off works the same way and takes effect at once. It goes back to watching.

## What each check does when on [#what-each-check-does-when-on]

### Spam check [#spam-check]

* Looks at comments and live comments that match an automation, and at story replies, right before the DM would go out.
* When one looks like spam or a scam, no DM is sent. [Activity](/docs/activity) shows Looked like spam, no DM sent, and the automation's [Events](/docs/events-and-skips) show the skip reason `spam_suspected`.
* When the check is unsure or slow, the DM goes out as usual.
* If a real person was skipped, mark that decision **Wrong** in Review, or turn the check off.

### Message tags [#message-tags]

* Tags new DMs in your inbox as Wants the link, Price question, Complaint, or Spam. The tag shows on the conversation in the inbox list. Hover it to read Tagged automatically. It can be wrong.
* Voice notes are tagged from their transcript.
* Runs only on plans with the inbox: Starter and up on the website, Growth and Pro in the Shopify app.
* Turning it off removes every automatic tag on that account. Tags you added yourself stay.

### Lead answer check [#lead-answer-check]

* Looks at each name, email, and phone answer after it is saved.
* An answer that does not look real gets **Check this answer** next to it in Contacts (Customers in the Shopify app) and in the inbox profile. Hover, focus, or tap it to see why, like Not a real email or The email may have a typo.
* It never changes the answer or the conversation. Nobody is asked again.
* The mark goes away when that answer changes. Turning the check off removes every mark.

### Similar words [#similar-words]

* Looks at comments on posts, Reels, and live that matched no keyword. Never DMs or story replies.
* When a comment clearly means one keyword, like "lnk pls" for LINK, it gets that automation's DM with its usual steps: welcome message, follow check, questions, and your plan's limits.
* When a comment could mean more than one keyword, it gets no DM.
* For a keyword set to Exact, only short comments count. "Please send me the link" does not reach an Exact LINK automation this way.

## Limits [#limits]

* **Off:** up to 25 items a day per check on each Instagram account.
* **On:** up to 2,000 a day per check on each Instagram account. Past that, the check rests until the next UTC day and everything works as it does with the check off.
* **A failure never blocks a send.** If the AI is busy, slow, or not available, the DM goes out the way it would without the check.
* **Checks can be wrong.** Review a few days of decisions before you turn one on, and keep an eye on Review after.
* Decisions are deleted after 30 days, and right away when you disconnect the account.

## Related [#related]

* [Manage Instagram](/docs/manage-instagram)
* [Activity and why someone got no DM](/docs/activity)
* [Inbox](/docs/inbox)
* [Contacts and export](/docs/contacts-and-export)
* [AI writing help](/docs/ai-writing-help)