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How to set auto reply on instagram


How to Set Up Auto Reply Instagram

Want to know how to activate Instagram auto reply messages? We've got you covered! This article will explain why you need an Instagram auto responder and the different ways you can set up auto reply on Instagram.

What is Instagram Auto Reply

Instagram auto reply is the automated response sent when customers message you on Instagram. Welcome and away messages are two of the most common auto replies businesses use to improve customers’ experience.

Compared to traditional messaging channels like email, customers have higher response time expectations on apps like Instagram. However, businesses are not always able to respond immediately due to lack of staff, limited hours of operation and more.

To solve that, businesses can manage customers’ expectations by setting automated away messages with details of when customers can expect a reply from them or alternate ways to contact them if there’s a pressing issue.

Benefits of Instagram auto responder

If a customer is contacting you for the first time, automated welcome messages can help your business make a positive first impression by providing a timely and friendly response.

To make the most out of a welcome message, businesses can include a pre-chat survey to collect customer information and inquiry details so that agents can understand the situation before conversing with them.

Now that you understand the fundamentals, let's look at the different ways you can set up Instagram auto reply.

How to Set Up Auto Reply on Instagram

Businesses can use one of three methods to set up prompt responses to customers who message them on Instagram.

How to set up Instagram auto responder

These include:

  • Instagram App Direct Message Inbox
  • Meta Business Suite Inbox
  • Respond.io’s Omnichannel Messaging Inbox

In the next section, we’ll explain the functions of each option and how to set them up so you can start using Instagram auto reply right away.

How to Set Up Instagram Quick Reply: Instagram DM Inbox

There’s no Instagram DM auto reply feature on the app itself. Therefore, businesses communicating with clients solely through the app can send ready-made responses to common customer queries using Instagram Quick Replies.

To use this feature, your must first ensure that your Instagram account is a business account. Note that you can only set up Quick Replies on the Instagram phone app. To set it up, go to Settings > Business > Saved replies and start composing your quick replies.

For step-by-step setup instructions, read our guide to Instagram Quick Replies. Next, we’ll show you how to set up Instagram auto reply and the types of auto replies available on Meta Business Suite.

How To Set Up Automatic Replies on Instagram: Meta Business Suite Inbox

Thanks to Meta’s ownership of Instagram and Facebook Messenger, businesses can send Instagram auto replies via Meta Business Suite. However, the automated messaging features on Meta Business Suite are limited to instant replies and away messages.

To set up auto reply on Instagram, you must first connect your Instagram Business account to Meta Business Suite. Once they are connected, you can set instant reply and away messages.

Auto Reply Instagram: Instant Reply

1. Open Meta Business Suite Inbox and click on Automations.

How to set up automatic replies on Instagram: Click on Automations in the Meta Business Suite Inbox

2. Navigate to Instant Reply and turn on the toggle.

How to activate Instagram auto message: Turn on Instant reply toggle

3. Select Instagram by checking the box.

How to set up auto replies on Instagram: Click on the Instagram checkbox

4. Compose your auto reply message and click on the Sparkles icon if you want to personalize your Instagram auto responder instant reply.

How to set up auto response on Instagram: Compose your message and personalize it

5. Click on Save Changes to publish your auto reply.

Instagram auto responder: Click on Save Changes to save Instagram auto response

If you want to test the message before saving it, click on Preview in Messenger. Next, we’ll show you how to set up an away message on Meta Business Suite.

Auto Reply Instagram: Away Message

1. Open Meta Business Suite Inbox and click on Automations.

How to set up automatic replies on Instagram: Click on Automations in the Meta Business Suite Inbox

2. Navigate to Away Message, select Instagram by checking the box and click on +Add Time to schedule your away time.

How to set up auto reply on Instagram: Navigate to Away message, select Instagram and Add Time

3. Set your away hours.

How to schedule auto response on Instagram: Schedule time based on business operation hours

4. Compose your away message and click on +Add Customer’s Name if you want to personalize it.

How to set up Instagram auto responder: Compose your message and personalize it

5. Click Save. Your away message will be sent when customers message you outside of your business hours.

Save auto reply Instagram away message

Want more advanced automation with messaging compared to what Meta Business Suite can provide? You'll need a business messaging platform like respond.io.

<call-out> Warning! Following Meta's latest changes to its Handover Protocol, you can now only have one primary app: either Meta Business Suite Inbox or a third-party inbox like respond.io. Note that only the primary app will receive incoming messages. <call-out>

Next, we'll show you how to set up Instagram auto reply messages on respond.io. However, before you can use respond.io as a third-party Instagram inbox, you must disable Meta Business Suite Inbox and make respond.io the primary app instead.

How to Set Up Instagram Auto Responder on respond.io

Respond.io advanced automation allows you to capture customer information and send contextual automated messages based on customer categories such as geography, products purchased, subscription tier and more.

Plus, setting up advanced automated messages is easy with respond.io’s Workflows. You can even configure your Workflow to route contacts to the right team and assign them to an available agent once your auto replies are sent. Follow the steps below to get started.

1. Navigate to the Workflows Module and click on Add Workflow.

How to set up auto reply on Instagram: Add a new Workflow on respond.io

2. Set the Workflow Trigger to Conversation Opened.

How to activate Instagram auto message: Set Workflow Trigger to conversation opened

3. Add the Date & Time Step to set your business hours. This will determine when an away message or welcome message should be sent.

Define business hours to schedule auto response on Instagram

4. Add the Send a Message Step. Make sure to set the Channel to Instagram in the configuration drawer when you compose your welcome and away messages.

How to activate Instagram auto message: Add send a message step, select Instagram and compose a message

If you wish to obtain customer information, add the Ask a Question Step. The responses can be saved as Variables or Contact Fields to be used in other parts of the Workflow. Once you’ve set up your Workflow, save and publish it.

Add Ask a Question Step to obtain customer information, save and publish

Want to start sending Instagram auto replies with respond.io? Create a free account and connect your Instagram to boost your Instagram auto reply game. To ease your setup process, we have compiled examples of welcome messages, away messages and lead capture messages for you.

Further Reading

Did you find this article useful? If so, here are some readings on Instagram that might interest you.

  • Instagram Quick Reply
  • Instagram Messaging for Business
  • Instagram Business Account Multiple Users

How to Set Up the Instagram Autoresponders for Customer Support

For many business owners, their Instagram direct message (DM) inbox is like the Wild West. More than 400 million messages are sent to businesses on the platform every day. Yet ongoing conversations with potential customers are stuck between random emoji responses to your story, making it hard to keep track of who you have replied to—and who is still waiting for a response. 

An Instagram autoresponder takes that job off your hands. It gives you breathing space to put together a thoughtful response, without making your followers feel ignored in the meantime. 

This guide shares how to set up automatic messaging on Instagram, with bonus tips on automating the conversations you have through the platform. 

Why is customer support important on Instagram?

Product inquiries and customer support are the top reasons for followers to interact with a business through Instagram DMs. But they’re not willing to wait around: data shows that 90% of customers think an immediate response is very important when they have a customer service question. That’s defined as 10 minutes or less.

When you’re growing an Instagram account, more followers equals more DMs. It’s a time-consuming process to personally respond to each one in real-time, especially when other activities—like creating content, researching your audience, and monitoring success—take up hours of your week.

With auto replies on Instagram, your business can:

  • Point people toward product pages. The sheer volume of user-to-business messaging on Instagram makes for a great opportunity to showcase your bestselling products. Edit your Instagram autoresponder to divert people there while they wait for a response. 
  • Answer FAQs. Limit the time your Instagram customer support team spends answering repetitive questions by covering them in your Instagram autoresponder. This could include shipping timescales, product availability, or information about an upcoming event.
  • Divert followers to other contact methods. If your Instagram DMs are becoming too hard to control and you’d rather field questions through other communication channels, explain this in your autoresponder. You could say: “Thanks for your message! We don’t respond to DMs, so please email [your address] to get in touch with our team.”

Footlocker’s Instagram autoresponder explains how to find product availability and release dates.

Ready to start giving people who DM your business’s Instagram account an immediate, automatic response? Here’s how to configure auto replies on Instagram. 

1. Switch to a business account 

Only Instagram users with a business account can connect their profile with Meta Business Suite—the tool that powers autoresponders across both Instagram and Facebook. So, if you haven’t already, switch to a business Instagram account:

  1. Open a personal account.
  2. Go to your profile and hit the hamburger icon in the top-right corner. 
  3. Open Settings and select Account.
  4. Click Switch to Professional account.
  5. Choose a business or creator profile. (Either works with autoresponders.)

2. Link your Instagram account with Meta Business Suite

Next, go to the Meta Business Suite (formerly known as Facebook Business Manager) and link your Instagram account:

  1. Go to your Instagram profile and hit the hamburger icon in the top-right corner. 
  2. Go to Settings and select Account.
  3. Choose Sharing to other apps.
  4. Select Facebook and enter your login information. 
  5. Head back to your Instagram settings and select Privacy.
  6. Click Messages.
  7. Toggle the Allow access to messages button to On. 

3. Turn on automated responses

Now that your Instagram account is linked with the Meta Business Suite, you can turn on autoresponders for anyone who sends a DM to your account. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open the Meta Business Suite.  
  2. Click Inbox in the left-hand column.
  3. Press Automated Responses.
  4. Select Instagram.
  5. Write your automated response.
  6. Toggle the Instant reply button to On.
  7. Press Save changes.

How to write a good Instagram autoresponder

The actual message that goes into the autoresponder can vary depending on your audience, though the best Instagram autoresponder meets this criteria:

  1. It acknowledges a follower’s message and thanks them for their patience. 
  2. It answers the question (if possible). Most businesses address FAQs in their responder. 
  3. It gives a timeframe of how long they should expect to wait for a human reply. 

Get more Instagram DM automation features with ManyChat

Instagram’s own autoresponder tool is a good starting point if you’re dealing with small DM volumes. But once your profile begins to grow and the number of DMs you’re dealing with feels uncontrollable, use Instagram Automation by ManyChat to:

  • Customize autoresponders based on context
  • Encourage DMs with conversation starters
  • Collect follower data for future retargeting
  • Offer live chat as a backup

Customize autoresponders based on context

The Instagram auto reply tool gives the same response to anyone who DMs your business’s account. That makes it difficult to give the personalized customer experiences that influence 80% of customers to make a purchase.

With Instagram Automation by ManyChat, however, you can customize the automated response that a follower gets, based on the contents of their message. The keyword trigger picks up on what the DM is asking. A custom flow then sends an automated reply related to their query, rather than a generic “Thanks for your message!” response.

Take a look at this example. When a user sends a DM containing the word “ebook,” the autoresponder tool responds with information on how to access it. The follower then enters an automated conversation, which collects their email address in exchange for the ebook. (More on this later.) 

Encourage DMs with conversation starters

Instagram’s auto-response tool only works when a follower starts the conversation with your business’s account. But there’s a good chance that people will avoid initiating conversations if they’re unsure of how to word it. That could mean you’re leaving money on the table—especially if they’re asking questions about your products or service.

Help followers kick off the DM with the Conversation Starters feature. Show the below options and configure a custom autoresponder, based on the context of the DM, with ManyChat:

  • Interested in sales
  • Get help with a purchase
  • Free shipping criteria
  • Browse product catalog

Collect follower data for future retargeting

Earlier, we mentioned that Instagram automation has the capability to collect information about your followers. That makes it a superb way to build your email list and engage with potential customers outside of the Instagram app. 

To configure this autoresponder tool, use the keyword trigger to define when you’d like to ask a follower for their email address. They can respond with their information directly in the Instagram DM conversation (as opposed to an external landing page). ManyChat will feed that data through to a CRM, which you can sync with email marketing platforms like Klaviyo or MailChimp. Talk about making personalized shopping experiences easier. 

Offer live chat as a backup

Automating your Instagram DMs doesn’t take the entire task off your hands. Treat it like a filter to weed out the conversations that don’t need human intervention. It’ll give your customer support team more time to focus on questions that need a personalized response. 

ManyChat makes this easy by tagging unresolved Instagram DMs. The CRM alerts customer support teams when a follower choses the “Speak to a real person” button. Simply hop back into the conversation and pick up where the autoresponder left off.

Don’t leave Instagram followers in the lurch

It doesn’t matter how many followers you have—the Instagram auto-reply tool is a fantastic way to show gratitude for Instagram users who DM your account, recognize their question, and provide an estimated timeframe for a response. Though it might be time to upgrade the experience you give to customers when your DMs become too much to handle.  

Give your Instagram followers the personalized customer experience they deserve with Instagram Automation by ManyChat. Not only will they get real-time responses that actually help with their query, but you can collect valuable customer data to use for retargeting. It’s the best way to make sure Instagram becomes a top sales channel for your business.

Get a handle over your Instagram DMs with ManyChat

Get started today

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The contents of this blog were independently prepared and are for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ManyChat or any other party. Individual results may vary.

Instagram autoresponder: How to set up an Instagram autoresponder

Would you like to learn how to activate your Instagram autoresponder? We will help you! In this article, we will explain why you need an Instagram auto-responder as well as the different ways to set up an auto-responder on Instagram.

What is an Instagram autoresponder

An Instagram autoresponder is an automatic response that is sent when customers message you on Instagram. Welcome and farewell messages are the two most common types of auto-replies used by companies to improve the customer experience.

Compared to traditional messaging channels such as email, customers have higher response time expectations in applications such as Instagram. However, businesses are not always able to respond immediately due to lack of staff, limited opening hours, etc.

To solve this problem, companies can manage customer expectations by setting up automatic exit messages with details of when customers can expect a response from them or alternative ways to contact them in case of an urgent problem.

Benefits of an Instagram autoresponder

If a customer is contacting you for the first time, automated welcome messages will help your business make a positive first impression by providing a timely and friendly response.

To get the most out of the welcome message, companies can include a pre-chat survey to collect customer information and request details so agents can understand the situation before speaking with them.

Now that you understand the basics, let's take a look at the different ways you can set up an Instagram autoresponder.

How to set up an auto-responder on Instagram

Businesses can use one of three methods to set up quick replies to customers who message them on Instagram.

How to set up an Instagram autoresponder

These include:

  • Instagram App Direct Message Inbox
  • Meta Business Suite Inbox
  • Respond.io multi-channel inbox

In the next section, we will explain the features of each option and how set them up so you can start using Instagram's autoresponder right away.

How to set up Instagram Quick Reply: Instagram DM Inbox

The app itself does not have the Instagram DM auto-reply feature. Therefore, companies that communicate with customers exclusively through the app can send ready-made answers to common customer queries with Instagram Quick Replies.

To use this feature, you first need to make sure that your Instagram account is a business account. Please note that you can only set up quick replies in the Instagram phone app. To set it up, go to Settings > Business > Saved Replies and start composing your quick replies.

For step-by-step setup instructions, read our Instagram quick response guide. Next, we will show you how to set up an Instagram auto-reply and the types of auto-replies available in the Meta Business Suite.

How to set up auto-replies on Instagram: Meta Business Suite Inbox

Because Meta owns Instagram and Facebook Messenger, businesses can send auto-replies to Instagram through the Meta Business Suite. However, the automatic messaging features in Meta Business Suite are limited to instant replies and personal messages.

To set up an autoresponder on Instagram, you must first connect your Instagram Business account to Meta Business Suite. Once connected, you will be able to set up instant reply and deleted messages.

Instagram Auto Reply: Instant Reply

1. Open the Meta Business Suite Inbox and click on Automation .

How to set up automatic replies on Instagram: Click on Automations in your Meta Business Suite 9 Inbox0002 2. Navigate to Instant Response and turn on the toggle switch.

How to enable auto messages on Instagram: Turn on the Instant Reply toggle switch

3. Select Instagram by checking the box.

How to set up Instagram auto-replies: Click the Instagram flag

4. Compose an auto-reply message and click the Glitter icon if you want to personalize your instant Instagram auto-reply.

How to set up an auto-reply on Instagram: Compose your message and personalize it

5. Press the button Save changes to publish the autoresponder.

Instagram Auto Reply: Click on the Save Changes button to save the Instagram Auto Reply

If you want to check the message before saving it, click on Preview in Messenger. Next, we'll show you how to set up an exit message in the Meta Business Suite.

Instagram Auto Reply: Remote Message

1. Open Meta Business Suite Inbox and click on Automation .

How to set up automatic replies on Instagram: Click on Automation in the Meta Business Suite Inbox

to plan your absence.

How to set up an auto-reply on Instagram: Go to "Get Out" message , select Instagram and " Add Time ".

3. Set opening hours for the outbound.

How to Schedule an Instagram Auto-Reply: Schedule based on business hours

4. Compose your exit message and click +Add Customer Name if you want to personalize it.

How to set up an Instagram auto-responder: Compose and personalize your message

5. Press Save. Your field message will be sent when customers contact you outside business hours.

Save Instagram Auto Reply

Want more advanced messaging automation than what Meta Business Suite can provide? You will need a business messaging platform such as respond.io.

Warning! Following Meta's latest changes to its Handover Protocol, you can now only have one primary app: either Meta Business Suite Inbox or a third-party inbox like respond.io. Note that only the primary app will receive incoming messages.

Next, we'll show you how to set up Instagram autoresponders on respond.io. However, before you can use respond.io as your third-party Instagram inbox, you must disable the Meta Business Suite Inbox and make respond.io your primary application.

How to set up an Instagram autoresponder on respond.io

Respond. io advanced automation allows you to collect customer information and send contextual automated messages based on customer categories such as geography, products purchased, subscription level, and more.

In addition, setting up advanced automated messages is easy with respond.io workflows. You can even set up a workflow to route contacts to the correct team and assign them to an available agent after an automatic response is sent. Follow the steps below to get started.

1. Navigate to the Workflows module and click Add workflow.

How to set up an autoresponder on Instagram: Add a new workflow to respond.io

2. Set the workflow trigger to " Conversation open" .

How to enable auto message on Instagram: Set workflow trigger to open conversation

3. Add Date and time step to set business hours. This will determine when the check-out or welcome message should be sent.

Define business hours to schedule an auto-reply on Instagram

4. Add the "Send message" step. Be sure to set the channel to Instagram in the config drawer when composing your welcome and farewell messages.

How to enable auto-message on Instagram: Add a step to send a message, select Instagram and compose a message

If you want to get information about a client, add a "Ask a question" step. Responses can be saved as variables or contact fields for use in other parts of the workflow. After you set up the workflow, save and publish it.

Add an "Ask a question" step to get customer information, save, and publish

Want to start sending Instagram auto-replies with respond.io? Create a free account and connect your Instagram to boost your Instagram autoresponder game. To make the setup process easier for you, we've put together examples of welcome, exit, and engagement messages for you.

Facebook has finally officially allowed setting up an autoresponder on Instagram and thereby made life a little easier for brands on this social network. Now they do not need to break the rules and use third-party prohibited services. The setting is included in the Instagram messenger option - read the article on how to use it.

How auto-replies work

Contrary to what you might expect, Instagram's auto-reply cannot be used to send messages to new followers. This is definitely not a welcome email. The company will not be able to write first automatically - this, as before, is prohibited by the rules of the site. The functionality can be used when the user writes to you first. It can be set to run at specific times. For example, at night or weekends - when your managers are not working. You can also set up an auto-reply for every user who writes to you in Direct at any time.

How to set up

To connect an Instagram autoresponder, you need to link to a Facebook business page. This requires administrative rights. You won't be able to set it up without this. To set up an autoresponder, you need to go to the "Inbox" section of the page and find the item "Automatic replies" - it is located on the left. Inside this section there is an item “Message for the status “Out of office”” - this option will be needed if you want to set up auto-replies when your managers are away from the network. To set the parameters, click "Edit". On the right side of the page, you will see a preview of the message, that is, how it will look for the user.

When editing in the "Platform" section, you need to check the box Instagram. Then the auto-replies setting for this particular social network will turn on. In the "Due" section, you can create the required response schedule, and in the "Message" section, you can personalize the response. Similarly, you can configure "Instant replies", they are also located in the "Automatic replies" section. True, they do not have a schedule setting.

How and what to write in autoresponder messages

It all depends on the company's style of communication with customers, but it's better not to try to show strong emotions in messages. You can start the conversation with the traditional "Hello!". Make the answers lively and not reminiscent of the answers of a robot, avoid clericalism and clichés.

Many companies introduce themselves in such answers - a person understands that a living person with a first and last name is writing to him. This is much more pleasant for the client and the answer does not look faceless. You should also not dump a lot of information on a person - write briefly and to the point. If you have a lot of promotions, you don't need to tell him all of them right away. Most likely in such a situation, he will simply leave without reading. The purpose of an autoresponder is to make it clear to the person that his message has been received and that he will be answered at a certain time.

In the answer, you can write useful links for review (no more than 2-3) or leave additional contacts, give a link to the site. You can also ask a question to the user in order to already understand his need in advance.

If shoppers often inquire about the price of a product, here are 4 formats for pricing that will intrigue but not piss you off.

Learn more