To set up comment-to-DM in Planoly, you need a paid Planoly plan and an Instagram account connected with Auto-post. Then open a post, select the Automations row under Posting method, choose a trigger and keywords, write your DM, and save. Most people can build their first one in about 10 minutes.
You've seen the "comment GUIDE and I'll send it to you" posts. Maybe you've been answering those comments by hand, one DM at a time. This tutorial walks you through building the automation inside Planoly, step by step, so the next time people comment, the DM goes out on its own.
What Do I Need First?
Check these four things before you start, per the Automations help article:
1. An Instagram channel. Automations are Instagram only. The Automations row only shows on an Instagram channel in the post builder.
2. A paid plan. Automations come with a paid plan. On the free plan you'll see an upgrade screen, and only the workspace owner can change the plan. All three paid plans list "Automate Instagram DMs" on the pricing page, and Automations work the same on every paid plan.
3. Auto-post. The post has to publish through Planoly. If Posting method is set to Reminder, the row reads "Automations require Auto-post" and won't open.
Why it works: Planoly finds a comment's post by the Instagram ID recorded when the post publishes. A reminder post is published by you, so it never gets one.
4. A connected Instagram account with comment and DM permissions. Without a connection, Planoly asks you to connect an Instagram account with Auto-post first.
Don't see the Automations row? Make sure the Instagram tab is selected in the post builder; the row only shows on an Instagram channel.
How Do I Open Automations?
1. Open a post in the post builder and select its Instagram channel.
2. Find the Automations row under Posting method. It reads "Nothing set up yet" until the post has one.
3. Select Create automation.
You can also start from the Automations page in the main navigation (between Inbox and Campaigns) and select New automation.
How Do I Pick the Trigger and Keywords?
This is Step 1 in the editor.
1. Name it. The name is for you. It's what the Automations row shows on the post.
2. Choose which posts it watches. Under "When someone comments on," pick:
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This post: just the post you're working on.
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Every post: every post on the account, including posts already live and posts published without Planoly.
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Choose posts: a grid of posts already live on Instagram.
3. Choose the words. "Any words" answers every comment. "These words" answers comments that contain one of your keywords. Type a keyword and press Enter or a comma. You can add up to 10.
Why it works: Keywords ignore case and match anywhere in the comment, so "link" answers "LINK," "link please" and "linked." Pick a distinctive word like GUIDE or MENU so ordinary comments don't trigger it by accident.
4. Set the public reply. It's on by default with three replies filled in. They're used in turn, and each can be up to 100 characters. Turn the switch off to send the DM alone.
Select Next. If anything's missing, a message shows under that field.
What Goes in the Opening Message?
This is Step 2, the DM itself. It starts with the opening message: a short text with one button, sent first, on its own. A new automation starts with "Hey! So glad you're here 🤍 Tap below and I'll send the link over," and a "Send me the link" button. Rewrite it in your own voice. The text can be up to 640 characters and the button label up to 20.
Why it works: Instagram allows one private reply to a comment until the person answers, per Meta's Private Replies rules. The button tap is that answer. When they tap, Planoly sends every message below it. Someone who never taps gets only the opening message.
You can turn the opening message off. On a post, only the first message below it then sends.
What Can the DM Include?
Select Add content to add messages. They send in the order listed, and you can move them up or down or remove them. You get up to 10 messages per automation:
| Kind | What it sends | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Text | A written reply, up to 3 buttons | 1,000 characters, or 640 with buttons |
| Media | A photo or video | JPEG or PNG up to 8MB; MP4, MOV or WebM up to 25MB |
| Voice note | Audio recorded in the editor or uploaded | Up to 5 minutes, one per automation |
| A document to download | Up to 25MB | |
| Card | Picture, title, description and link, up to 3 buttons | Title and description 80 characters each |
| Gallery | Several cards in a row | Up to 10 cards |
A button needs a label (up to 20 characters) and a full link. Photos, videos and PDFs across all messages add up to 5 at most.
Select Add to this post to finish. The preview plays the comment, public reply and DM so you can see exactly what people get.
When Does It Start Replying?
Saving a new automation turns it on. If the post isn't published yet, the automation waits and starts answering comments once the post goes live. If the post is already published, it starts as soon as you add it.
A few rules to know:
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Each person gets one reply per post, even if they comment three times.
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Your own comments never trigger it.
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If two automations match, only one answers. One chosen for this post beats one on Every post.
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On the calendar, a post with an automation shows a wand icon.
How Do I Know It's Working?
1. Test it from a second account. Once the post is live, comment your keyword from another Instagram account and check that the public reply and DM arrive.
Why it works: Your own comments don't trigger automations, so you need a second account to see it the way your followers will.
2. Check Sent and Opened. On the Automations page, each automation shows its results as Sent and Opened. Sent counts the people your automation answered, and Opened counts those who read the DM or tapped its button.
3. Watch for banners. If Planoly shows "Allow comments" or "Allow direct messages," reconnect and grant that permission. If you see "Another app is answering some of your messages," choose Planoly under Instagram Conversation Routing on the linked Facebook Page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set up comment-to-DM on the Planoly mobile app?
Yes, for comments and story replies. The mobile app has an Automations row on Instagram posts. DM keyword automations need the Automations page on the web.
Can I add an automation to a post that's already live?
Yes. Use Every post or Choose posts, and it starts as soon as you add it.
How do I pause an automation?
Use Pause in its menu. Pausing stops it on every post it runs on. Resume turns it back on.
Why does the row say "Automations require Auto-post"?
The post is set to Reminder. Switch Posting method to Auto-post to use Automations.
TL;DR
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You need a paid plan, Instagram, Auto-post and a connected account.
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Post builder, Automations row, Create automation.
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Pick posts and up to 10 keywords, set public replies.
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Write a short opening message with one button, then add your messages.
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Test from a second account and check Sent and Opened.
What will your first keyword be?
