Fluxx Tech
Most Instagram DMs to a business ask the same handful of questions: price, location, timing, availability, how to order. Answering each one by hand costs hours a week, and the reply often comes too late, after the customer has messaged a competitor.
Auto reply fixes the easy 70%. Here is how to set it up properly in about half an hour.
Step 1: Write down your real questions
Open your Instagram DMs and read the last 50 messages. Note what people actually ask. For most businesses the list looks like:
1. Price / rate / how much
2. Location / address / where are you
3. Timing / open hours
4. Availability / is this in stock
5. How to book or order
6. Delivery / shipping
7. Course or service details
8. Contact number
Your list is your automation plan. Do not guess it.
Step 2: Set a welcome message
The first message someone gets when they DM you for the first time. Keep it short, say what you can help with, and give options.
Hi! Thanks for messaging [Business Name] 👋 Reply with a number: 1 — Price list 2 — Location & timing 3 — Book an appointment 4 — Talk to our team
A numbered menu converts better than a paragraph, because it tells the customer exactly what to type.
Step 3: Build keyword rules
Each rule is: when the message contains X, reply with Y.
Keywords | Reply |
price, rate, cost, how much, enna rate | Price range + link + offer to send details |
address, location, where, shop | Full address + map link + landmark |
time, timing, open, hours | Working hours + holiday note |
book, appointment, slot | Booking link or “share your preferred date and time” |
delivery, shipping, courier | Delivery areas, charges and timing |
1, 2, 3, 4 | The matching menu option |
Tips that make a real difference:
• Add misspellings and Tanglish: “prize”, “rateu”, “evlo”, “enna rate”
• Add both English and Tamil keywords
• Keep each reply under about 4 lines
• End every reply with a next step, not a full stop
Step 4: Write a fallback
When nothing matches, do not stay silent and do not pretend to understand.
I’m not sure I got that. Our team will reply shortly. Meanwhile, reply 1 for prices, 2 for location, or 3 to book.
Step 5: Set up comment-to-DM
Pick your best-performing posts and reels. Set a keyword, say PRICE, and the tool sends a DM with details whenever someone comments it. Then put “Comment PRICE for details” in the caption.
This is the single highest-return automation on Instagram. More on it in our comment-to-DM guide.
Step 6: Set working-hours behaviour
• During hours: automation answers the easy ones, staff handle the rest
• Outside hours: an away message with an expected reply time, plus the self-serve menu
Thanks for messaging! We’re closed now and will reply by 10 am. For prices reply 1, for location reply 2.
Step 7: Decide the handover rule
Automation should hand over to a human when:
• The customer types “agent”, “human”, “call”, “talk”
• The same question repeats twice
• The conversation involves a complaint, a refund or a custom requirement
• The fallback fires twice in a row
A bot that will not let go is worse than no bot.
Mistakes that annoy customers
• Long paragraphs nobody reads
• No way to reach a human
• Promising “we’ll reply in 5 minutes” and not doing it
• Asking for a phone number before giving any value
• Sending the same message twice because two rules matched
• Leaving an outdated offer live for months
Step 8: Review weekly
• Which keywords fired most? Improve those replies.
• How often did the fallback fire? Those are missing rules.
• Where did people drop off?
• How many conversations became enquiries?
Add two or three rules a week for the first month. After that it stabilises.
Frequently asked questions
Will customers know it’s automated? Often yes, and that is fine when the answer is useful and instant. Do not pretend a bot is a person.
Can auto reply handle Tamil? Yes, if the tool supports it. Add Tamil and Tanglish keywords alongside English ones.
How much can be automated? Most businesses handle 60–80% of DM volume with keyword rules and a menu, leaving staff for real conversations.
