# DM keywords (/docs/dm-keywords) DM keyword automations answer people who start in Direct instead of the comments. Someone sends PRICE, LINK or any keyword you choose, and they get your DM. Every plan. ## Create one [#create-one] Go to Automations, then New automation. Pick **DM keywords** . There is no post to select, so you go straight to Keywords. Keywords: add your keywords and pick how they match. Each keyword can belong to only one DM automation. Build the DM: a template or an inline message, same as for comments. Audience: there is no welcome message (Yes, send it over) here, because their DM already opened the chat. Follow check, lead questions and the follow-up all work. Name it, optionally set active times, review and create. You can create as many as your plan's automation limit allows. ## How replies work [#how-replies-work] * A DM with one of your keywords starts that automation. See [Keywords and triggers](/docs/keywords-and-triggers) for Exact, Whole word, Contains and Close enough. * DMs that match none of your DM automations get **no reply**. * Each person gets the same DM automation **at most once a day**, so typing the keyword again does not spam them. Events show those as skipped with a cooldown. * If someone is answering one of your lead questions, their message goes to that question, not to a keyword. * **Human takeover:** if you replied to someone yourself, from the inbox or the Instagram app, DM automations stay quiet for that person for 30 minutes. Change or turn this off in DM setup. ## Shared posts and Reels [#shared-posts-and-reels] People often send your own post or Reel back to you asking for the link. Every post and Reel automation has a switch, on by default: **Also reply when someone shares this post to your DMs**. When it is on, they get that post's DM, no comment needed. ## DM setup page [#dm-setup-page] Open Automations, then **DM setup**. **Ice Breakers.** Up to 4 questions people can tap when they open a new chat with you, like “What does it cost?”. Each one starts one of your automations right in the chat: a DM keyword automation, or a post, Reel, story or live one. **Publish to Instagram** sends them to Instagram. They show in the Instagram app, not on desktop, and can take a few minutes to appear. **Menu in Direct.** Up to 5 items that stay in every chat with you. Each starts one of your automations (any type) or opens a link that starts with https. If Instagram does not accept a change, the page says why and offers **Try again**. Your list stays saved either way. **Already set somewhere else?** DM setup checks what Instagram shows right now. If your account already has Ice Breakers or a menu, for example from another tool, or they differ from what is saved here, a notice lists them. **Load into the editor** copies them in so you can keep and edit them; items from another tool need a DM automation picked before you publish. Publishing here replaces what Instagram has. If you already have a list here, **Publish ours again** puts yours back. To clear the old ones instead, use **Remove** next to either list, or **Remove both from Instagram**. You confirm first, and the lists saved on this page are not changed. **Missed demand.** The most common short DMs that none of your DM automations answer, over the last 90 days, with how many times and from how many people. **Turn into keyword** starts a new DM automation with that phrase, or adds it to an existing one. Hide removes a phrase from the list. **Settings.** * Stay quiet after you reply by hand: minutes, default 30, 0 turns it off. * Suggest your keywords when a DM matches nothing: off by default. When on, someone whose short DM matches nothing gets your keywords as tap buttons, at most once a day. Buttons show in the Instagram app only. ## Analytics [#analytics] The Analytics page shows **Where conversations start**: comments, stories, live, DMs, shared posts, Ice Breakers, menu and quick reply taps. A DM automation's own page counts DMs instead of comments. ## Related [#related] * [Keywords and triggers](/docs/keywords-and-triggers) * [DM funnel and audience](/docs/dm-and-audience) * [Events and skips](/docs/events-and-skips)