How to Set Up Comment-to-DM on Instagram (Step by Step)

Comment-to-DM is the highest-converting automation you can set up on Instagram. Someone comments a keyword on your post, and they instantly receive a DM — your link, your offer, your lead magnet.

Here's how to set it up in under 5 minutes.

What you need before starting

• An Instagram Professional account (Creator or Business) — free to set up
• A CraftyDMs account — free plan available at craftydms.com
• The keyword you want to trigger the automation (e.g., "link", "price", "details")
• The DM message you want to send

Step-by-step setup

Step 1: Connect your Instagram account

Log into CraftyDMs and click Accounts in the sidebar. Click Connect Instagram and follow the Meta authentication flow — this is the official Instagram login, not a third-party login. You'll grant CraftyDMs permission to send DMs on your behalf.

This takes about 60 seconds.

Step 2: Create a new automation

Click Automations → New Automation → Select Comment to DM.

Step 3: Choose your trigger post

You can set the automation to trigger on:

• A specific post — paste the Instagram post URL
• All posts — any comment with the keyword on any of your posts triggers the DM

For most creators, starting with a specific post is better — you control exactly which content drives the automation.

Step 4: Set your keyword

Type your trigger keyword. Examples that work well:

• link — for sharing URLs (Instagram doesn't allow clickable links in captions)
• price — for product or service pricing
• guide — for free resources
• win — for giveaways
• join — for communities or courses
• details — for anything you're promoting

Pro tip: Use common misspellings as additional keywords. People type fast in comments — "lnk", "linck", "Lnk" all happen regularly.

Step 5: Write your DM message

Keep it short, natural, and action-oriented. Examples:

For sharing a link:

Hey! Here's the link you asked for 👉 [your link] Let me know if you have any questions!

For a lead magnet:

Hey! Your free [resource name] is ready 🎉 Download it here → [link] Hope it helps!

For product pricing:

Hey! Here are our pricing details 👇 [pricing info] DM me "order" if you'd like to place an order!

Avoid starting with "Hi there" or "Dear customer" — it immediately reads as automated. Starting with "Hey!" or just jumping into the content feels more natural.

Step 6: Go live

Toggle the automation to Active and you're done. Test it immediately from a secondary Instagram account — comment your keyword and confirm the DM arrives within a few seconds.

How to use comment-to-DM for different use cases

For course creators

Caption: "Comment 'DETAILS' to get the full course breakdown and pricing 👇" DM: "Hey! Here's everything about [Course Name] 👇 [link to landing page]. Batch starts [date]. Any questions? Just reply here!"

For D2C brands

Caption: "Comment 'SHOP' to get our full catalogue with prices 🛍️" DM: "Hey! Here's our full product catalogue 👉 [link]. Use code INSTAGRAM10 for 10% off your first order 🎁"

For coaches and consultants

Caption: "Comment 'CALL' to book a free 15-min strategy call with me 📞" DM: "Hey! Here's my calendar link to book your free call 👉 [Calendly link]. Looking forward to talking!"

For content creators with giveaways

Caption: "GIVEAWAY 🎁 Comment 'WIN' to enter! Winner announced [date]" DM: "Hey! You're entered in the giveaway 🎉 We'll DM you if you win. Good luck! Follow me so we can reach you if you win 🙏"

How many keywords should you set?

Start with one primary keyword. Once your automation is live and working, add variations:

• Capital versions: "LINK", "Link", "link"
• Common misspellings: "lnk", "linck"
• Related words: if your keyword is "guide", also add "pdf", "resource", "download"

CraftyDMs supports multiple keywords per automation on the Basic plan.

Common mistakes to avoid

Don't make the comment ask too complicated. "Comment your email address and phone number and I'll send you the link" — nobody does this. Just ask them to comment one simple word.

Don't forget to tell people what to comment. The automation only works if people know what keyword to use. Put it clearly in your caption: "Comment 'LINK' below 👇"

Don't set it on every post. Start with your most engaged content and highest-intent posts. Once you're comfortable, expand.

Don't ignore the follow-up. If someone got your DM but didn't click, a follow-up 24 hours later ("Did you get a chance to check it out?") can significantly improve conversion. CraftyDMs Pro includes follow-up DMs.

Measuring success

In CraftyDMs Analytics, you can see:

• How many DMs were triggered (comments received the automation)
• How many were delivered successfully
• Click-through rate on your links

A healthy comment-to-DM automation typically shows 85–95% delivery rate. If delivery is lower, check that your account is in good standing and that you haven't hit any Instagram messaging limits.

Ready to set yours up? Start free at craftydms.com.

Start automating your Instagram DMs

Free to start · ₹499/month · Pay with UPI