Keywords and triggers
Set keyword pills or Send DM to all comments, and pick how keywords match, including Close enough for typos. Matching is case insensitive. Nested replies are skipped.
The Trigger panel decides when Send Link To Me starts the private reply. Title: Trigger. Lede: Choose when Send Link To Me sends the private reply.
Two modes
Keywords (default). Send DM to all comments is off. Field: Keywords. Description: Case insensitive. Any listed keyword can trigger the DM. On story compose: Matched against the story reply text (case insensitive).
Every comment. Switch: Send DM to all comments. Description: Every non-empty comment gets the DM. Keyword matching is skipped. When on: Every comment on this post gets the DM (still subject to follower gating and send limits).
You must use one of those. Error if keywords are empty and the switch is off: Add at least one keyword.
Matching
Matching sits under the keywords as four cards. Tap one to pick it. New automations start on Exact.
| Option | Matches |
|---|---|
| Exact | The comment or DM is just the keyword, like LINK. |
| Whole word | LINK in “send the link please”, not in “linkedin”. |
| Contains | The keyword even inside another word. |
| Close enough | Also “lnik” or “prise”. Keywords of 3 letters or fewer must still match exactly, and words in a phrase must stay in order. Similar words can match too (PINK for LINK), so keep keywords distinct. |
When two DM automations could both answer a DM, the stricter match wins (Exact, then Whole word, then Contains, then Close enough).
Shared posts
On post and Reel automations, the switch Also reply when someone shares this post to your DMs (on by default) sends the same DM when someone shares that post or Reel into your DMs. See DM keywords.
Add and remove keywords
Empty values and the internal __all__ token are dropped.
Create defaults: link, links, dm, send, product, price. Edit those before you save if they are not the words you will print on the post.
What actually matches
- Comparison is case insensitive.
LINKandlinkare the same. - Any listed keyword can fire the rule (OR).
- Only top-level comments on posts, Reels, and live. A reply under someone else's comment is skipped (
reply_comment). - Your own comments are skipped (
own_comment). - Empty comment text is skipped (
empty_text). - On stories, the matcher uses the reply text.
When two enabled rules could match the same comment, the first matching in-window rule wins. On stories, a This story rule beats an All stories window rule. The UI says: Specific story rules take priority when both match.
Keyword overlap
Create and save fail when a sibling rule already uses one of your keywords.
| Surface | Compared against |
|---|---|
| Post, Reel, or This story | Same Instagram and the same media |
| Live | All other live comment rules on that Instagram (not window-scoped) |
| All stories window | Other window story rules on that Instagram |
| DM keywords | All other DM keyword automations on that Instagram |
This story and All stories window are not overlap-checked against each other. Send DM to all comments skips the overlap check.
Error examples:
- Keyword "link" is already used by another automation on this post.
- Keywords already used by another automation on this post: link, price
For DM keywords the message says in your DMs. The message lands on the Keywords field.
After they match
A match does not mean the offer lands immediately. The welcome message goes first when it is on (the default for comments). Then follow gate, then optional leads, then the offer. See How the DM runs and who gets it.
If a comment never becomes a send, open Events and read Status and Detail.
Related
DM keywords
Reply automatically when someone sends you a keyword in Direct, when they share your post or Reel to your DMs, or when they tap an Ice Breaker or the menu. Every plan.
How the DM runs and who gets it
How the private reply runs: welcome confirm, optional follow gate, optional lead capture, then your offer. Public replies on posts and Reels.