HeyOrca's Auto DMs help you make the most of your Instagram comments by turning them into meaningful, one-on-one conversations in your audience’s inbox! Whether you’re growing a newsletter, promoting a campaign, or building a private community, this feature allows you to instantly connect with engaged followers.
Video Tutorial [4 min]
What are Auto DMs?
Auto DMs are an automation tool that sends a direct message to users who comment on your Instagram posts or Reels! Instead of manually responding to every comment, you can pre-set a personalized message that gets delivered automatically. This allows you to follow up with leads, drive traffic to content, and build stronger relationships, all within HeyOrca!
How to Use Auto DMs
Step 1: Create your Instagram post or reel by using the New Post button on your calendar tile:
Step 2: Once your post is created, click the Auto DMs dropdown and select "Create Automation"
Step 3: To begin creating your automation, add a name to your automation so it’s easy to track.
Step 4: Set up your keyword rules
Here you can choose “Any Words”, this means your Auto DM will be sent to anyone who comments on your post
Or, set specify keywords to include or exclude!
Step 5: Build your automated message
(Optional) Add a public reply to matching comments. Toggle this off if you don't want to reply with a comment.
Add the message you'd like to send a DM, the link you'd like to share, and a button label for the link!
Lastly, click “Save”!
Your automation will go live when the post is publishes, and can be toggled on or off at any time.
Preview your automation
Once your automation has been created, you can preview how your automation will appear by clicking the menu, then Preview.
From the preview automation screen, you'll be able to view your post, an example of a keyword comment and your scheduled reply, and a preview of how the message will appear to the receiver:
Edit your automation
If you need to make any changes to an existing automation, click the menu and the Edit button!
Copying an automation
When an Instagram post with an automation has been copied, your automation will automatically copy to your new post, but will be disabled. You can enable the automation or make any changes under the Auto DMs tab:
Troubleshooting: Not seeing Auto DMs from HeyOrca?
If you’re not seeing your scheduled Auto DMs being sent from HeyOrca, it may mean that Instagram messaging access across apps hasn’t been enabled yet. This setting allows your messages to sync properly between Instagram and HeyOrca.
Here’s how to check and enable this setting:
First, switch into the Facebook Page connected to your Instagram account. You can do this by clicking your profile image in the top right corner of Facebook and selecting the Page from the dropdown.
Once you're acting as the Page, click the profile image again and navigate to Settings & Privacy > Settings.
In the left-hand menu, select Linked Accounts, then click on Instagram.
Look for the setting called “Allow access to Instagram messages in Inbox” and make sure it’s turned on.
Once this is enabled, HeyOrca will have permission to send and sync messages.