> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.aichat.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Instagram Comment Automation Automatically reply to Instagram comments and send follow-up messages through Instagram DM to engage users directly from your Instagram posts. ## Before You Begin Ensure your Facebook Page is integrated with your AiChat chatbot. If you have not connected your Instagram account yet, complete the [Instagram connection setup](/social-messaging-channels/instagram/connecting-instagram) first. ## How Instagram Comment Automation Works When a user comments on a monitored Instagram post: Image (27) 1. AiChat detects the comment 2. The automation checks if the comment matches your trigger rules 3. AiChat replies publicly to the comment (optional) 4. AiChat sends a private message to the user’s Instagram DM (optional) **Limitations:** * **First Level Only:** The bot only replies to new comments, not replies made to existing comments. * **DM Limit:** To prevent spam, the bot will only send one private Messenger DM per trigger event. ## Configuration Guide ### Step 1: Create & Select Your Post * **Navigate:** Go to **Flows → Comment Automation** and click **Create comment automation**. * **Name it:** Enter an Automation Name and an optional description. * **Pick Content:** Select the published or scheduled Posts or Reels you want to monitor. You can use the search bar to find posts by their post caption or ID. Image ### Step 2: Define the Trigger Decide exactly what a user needs to type to start the automation. * **Rule Type:** Choose Any Comment (triggers for everyone) or Keywords (triggers only for specific words). * **Keywords:** List variations like "#interested", "price", or "details". * **AI Matching:** Enable Contextual Matching so the bot understands intent even if the user has a typo. Image (12) * **Media (Optional):** You can require users to include an Image or Video in their comment to trigger a response. Image (13) * **Fallback:** Set a Default Reply for comments that don't match your keywords or arrive outside of your schedule. Image (14) ### Step 3: Set Your Responses Choose how the bot will interact with the user. * **Public Reply:** Type a message that appears directly under the user's comment (e.g: "We've sent you a DM!"). * **Private DM:** Select a Custom Message or a pre-made Automated Flow to be sent to the user's Messenger inbox. * **Note:** Only one Messenger DM can be sent per trigger. Image (15) ### Step 4: Schedule & Launch Review your settings and turn the bot on. * **Timing:** Choose to Start Immediately or Schedule for later with a specific date and time. * **Activate:** Click Activate Automation to go live. Image (16) Once activated: * Users can trigger the automation by commenting on the selected post * Public replies will appear automatically * Messenger messages will be delivered based on your response setup ### Test the Automation After activation: 1. Open the monitored Instagram post 2. Add a test comment 3. Verify: * The public reply appears correctly * The Instagram DM is delivered * Keywords trigger correctly * Media requirements work as expected ## Campaign Best Practices To avoid multiple automated responses being triggered for the same user comment, avoid creating campaigns that use: * The same Instagram post * The same keywords * Overlapping campaign dates **Example:** If two campaigns use the keyword `DM` on the same Instagram post during overlapping periods, multiple automated replies or DM flows may be triggered for the same comment.