Building an automation: every option explained

Trigger, match type, the DM itself, and the extra rules around it.

Paid plans Dashboard · IG Suite · Auto-DMs · New

How it works

The New Auto-DM dialog is split into "When this happens" (the trigger) and "Then we send this" (the DM), plus a shared "Extra rules" panel.

Trigger on: Post or Incoming DM are free on every plan. Reel is free too. Story/Mention and Ad (Dark Post) triggers require a Pro plan. If you pick Post or Reel you can optionally narrow the trigger to one specific post (pick it from your last 20) or leave it as "Any post" to match the keyword everywhere.

Match: choose "Contains keyword" (comment includes any of your comma-separated keywords), "Exact match" (comment must equal a keyword exactly), or "Any comment" (fires on everything, no keywords needed).

The DM message is the text sent back. Optionally attach a Link to send: None, a Custom URL, or a Product picked from your store (only available once this Instagram account is linked to a knit.bio page). You can also set a Public reply, a short comment Instagram posts under the trigger comment (defaults to "Check your inbox! 📩").

Extra rules: Tag contacts adds one or more comma-separated tags (e.g. interest:beginner_fitness) to anyone who matches, so they’re filterable later on the Leads page. Follower gate and Capture email are both Pro-only toggles.

Set it up

  1. 1

    Name it

    Give the automation an internal name (e.g. "Free workout PDF") — this is just for your own list, it’s never shown to followers.

  2. 2

    Set the trigger

    Pick where it fires (post, reel, story, ad, or DM), optionally the exact post, and how comments should match your keywords.

  3. 3

    Write the DM

    Write the message, attach a link or product if relevant, and set the public reply. Click Create automation.

  4. 4

    Add extra rules if needed

    Tag contacts for segmentation, or turn on the follower gate / email capture (Pro).

Open IG Suite

Tips to get the most out of it

  • Follower gate is honor-system only — Instagram has no API to verify a follow, so it works by asking the person to follow then tap "Unlocked" themselves. Use it for light-touch gating, not hard enforcement.
  • Capture email asks for an email address inside the DM conversation before releasing the link, useful for building an email list straight from Instagram engagement.
  • Point the "Which post?" picker at your best-performing post so a keyword campaign scopes to exactly the content that’s driving comments.