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Save time and grow your community with Instagram Auto DMs

Turn public engagement into private, personalized conversation - automatically!

Updated this week

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.

📌 Available on HeyOrca Pro calendars

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:

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