Connect your Instagram professional account
Link your Instagram account to LiliFlow through Meta's official API — you need a professional or business account connected to a Facebook Page.
Step by step
How to auto-reply to Instagram comments in 3 steps
You can set up automatic comment replies on Instagram in a few minutes using Meta's official API. LiliFlow lays out the path: connect your account, pick a post, and write the DM — with optional AI to answer what each person actually commented.
Short answer
- Direct answer
- To auto-reply to Instagram comments, connect your professional account to a tool built on Meta's official API, such as LiliFlow, choose a post or Reel, set a keyword, and write the DM that gets sent.
- Do I need a business account?
- Yes. To connect with LiliFlow, Meta's official comments and messaging API requires an Instagram professional or business account linked to a Facebook Page.
- Can I do this without AI?
- Yes. In LiliFlow, basic keyword automation is unlimited and does not use AI; AI is an optional layer that replies to the comment's specific content, starting at 10 credits per reply.
- How long setup takes
- A simple comment-to-DM campaign in LiliFlow takes a few minutes: pick the post, type the keyword, and write the message.
The overview screen
The account's numbers, without opening Instagram
Reach, comments and saves for every post, pulled from the official API. This is the screen that tells you which post deserves an automation.
Overview
@studio.store · 24 recent posts
Views847.2K
Reach612.4K
Likes38.1K
Comments4,204
Saved9,712
Shares2,340
Followers over time+2,417 in 30 days
PostReachComments
Launch reel214.8K9.1K
Restock haul88.4K5.2K
Behind the studio51.3K3.4K
Pick a post or Reel and set the keyword
Choose the content the automation will run on and write the keyword your audience will comment to trigger the reply.
Write the DM and turn it on — with or without AI
Write the base message that gets sent as the DM. Without AI, the text is fixed; with AI turned on, LiliFlow adapts the reply to what each person commented, at 10 credits each.
Quick setup
From zero to your first auto-reply in just a few minutes
Connect your account, pick the post, and write the DM — no flowchart required.
3 stepsconnect, pick the post, and write the DM
10 creditsper AI reply, only if you turn that option on
1,000free automations a month with no AI needed
What the official API allows before you automate anything
Before setting up any automation, it helps to know the limit: Meta's official API only allows replying to someone who commented, replied to a Story, or messaged within a 24-hour window — with one specific exception for a private reply to a comment, which opens a DM once per comment. That means comment-to-DM automation is never a bulk send or a cold message to a follower who has not interacted.
It is Instagram only: the official API used here covers Instagram comments and direct messages, not WhatsApp, TikTok, Facebook, SMS, or email.
Basic auto-reply vs. AI-powered replies
The simplest automation replies by keyword: everyone who comments the same word gets the same configured text, and that kind of automation is unlimited in LiliFlow, even on the free plan. AI-powered replies read the whole comment and write something specific about what the person asked, at a cost of 10 credits per reply.
The choice between the two comes down to volume and variety of questions: for a simple availability notice, basic automation is enough; for answering questions about price, timing, or format, AI keeps someone from getting a generic reply.
What it costs to automate
LiliFlow's free plan covers 1,000 automations a month with no AI. To use AI, the Starter plan costs $8.97 a month with 8,000 credits included, and the Pro plan costs $18.97 a month with 25,000 credits and the option of cloned-voice audio at 200 credits per 30 seconds. A one-time top-up of 3,000 credits costs $5 and never expires.
FAQ
What everyone asks first
How do I auto-reply to Instagram comments?
Connect your Instagram professional account to a tool built on Meta's official API, such as LiliFlow, choose a post or Reel, set the keyword that triggers the automation, and write the DM that gets sent as a private reply to the comment.
Do I need an Instagram business account to automate comments?
Yes. Automation through the official API requires an Instagram professional or business account linked to a Facebook Page; personal accounts do not have access to this API.
Can I automate comment replies without using AI?
Yes. Keyword-based automation without AI is unlimited on every LiliFlow plan, including the free one; AI is an optional layer for replies specific to the comment's content.
How long does it take to set up the automation?
A basic campaign takes a few minutes: connect the account, pick the post and keyword, and write the DM. There is no flowchart to build.
Can I reply to someone who has never sent me a DM before?
Yes, once per comment, through a private reply — Meta's official API exception built for exactly this case. Outside that exception, you can only reply to someone who has already commented, replied to a Story, or messaged within 24 hours.
How much does it cost to automate Instagram comment replies?
Basic automation without AI is free for up to 1,000 automations a month; with AI, plans start at $8.97 a month with 8,000 credits, at 10 credits per reply generated.
Get started
Growing on Instagram should not grow your bill
Free forever, no card · 1,000 automations per month