Instagram DM automation with AI, inside Meta's rules
Answer every Instagram DM in seconds with keyword rules and Claude, send the right offer link, and hand the tricky ones to a person.
DMCircuit automates Instagram DMs by matching each message against your keyword rules (3 to 5 keywords each, typos tolerated) and letting Claude answer anything else from facts you provide. It replies only within Meta's 24-hour window, never sends cold DMs, and sends refunds, legal questions and “talk to a human” to you.
What Instagram DM automation does
Most Instagram DMs ask the same handful of things: price, availability, how to start, where the link is. DMCircuit answers those with keyword rules you write once, adds quick-reply buttons, and sends a tracked offer link so you can see which conversations turn into sales. Anything your rules don't cover goes to Claude, which answers only from the knowledge base you fill in, scores the lead from 0 to 100 and tags the intent.
Keyword rules first, Claude second
Each rule has 3 to 5 keywords and two messages: an opener with a button, then a follow-up with the link. Matching tolerates a small typo, so “prcie” still finds your pricing rule. Keyword replies cost nothing to run; Claude is called only when no rule matches, and a daily budget (default $10) caps what it can spend.
Comment-to-DM
When someone comments a keyword on your post, such as “GUIDE”, DMCircuit sends one private reply with the link. One per comment, never more. See the comment-to-DM guide for captions that work.
Sales tracking
Offer links are signed for each contact. When the person pays through a Stripe Payment Link, the sale is credited to the conversation that produced it and shows on the dashboard by offer.
Instagram's rules, built in
- The 24-hour window. Meta lets a business message a person only within 24 hours of that person's last message. DMCircuit records each contact's window and checks it before every send, including follow-ups.
- No cold DMs. DMCircuit never messages anyone who hasn't written to you. For creator outreach it copies an approved message and opens the profile so you send it yourself.
- App Review. The public gets replies only after Meta approves
instagram_business_manage_messagesandinstagram_business_manage_commentsfor your app. Until then, people with a role on the app (your testers) get replies. - Message length. Instagram allows up to 1,000 characters per message.
On every platform, three more rules apply:
- STOP, unsubscribe and similar one-word replies stop every automated message to that person on that platform until they send START.
- Security issues, refunds, legal questions, press, angry messages and “talk to a human” pause the bot for that person for 24 hours and alert you by email and phone.
- No more than 6 bot messages per contact per hour, and one emergency switch silences every automated send.
How setup works
- Sign up for a DMCircuit workspace. Every new workspace gets a 14-day Growth trial.
- Create a Meta app with the Instagram product and connect your professional account.
- Point the webhook at
your-address/webhooks/instagram, subscribed to messages, postbacks and comments. - Write your Business profile and 5 to 10 keyword rules, then test them in the dashboard's Test console.
- Submit App Review. Your testers get replies while you wait.
What it costs
Starter free · Solo $29/mo · Growth $79/mo · Agency $199/mo, or 20% less billed yearly. Prices are flat per workspace with no per-contact fee, so a bigger audience doesn't raise the bill by itself.
Questions
Can DMCircuit send cold DMs on Instagram?
No. Instagram doesn't allow automated cold DMs, and DMCircuit only replies to people who wrote to you, inside Meta's 24-hour window.
Do I need Meta App Review?
Yes, to reply to the general public. Until your app is approved, only people with a role on the app get replies, which is ideal for testing.
Does it read my other DMs?
No. DMCircuit sees only the messages Meta sends to its webhook for your account, and it never reads anyone else's private messages.
What happens if someone asks for a refund?
Refunds, legal questions, security issues, press, angry messages and “talk to a human” pause the bot for that person for 24 hours and alert you by email and phone.
Can I run campaigns on Instagram?
Only to people who messaged you in the last 24 hours, because of Meta's window. That audience changes daily, so Claude usually gives Instagram two slots a week.
Try it before you set it up
The live demo runs the real dashboard against a fictional coaching business, with every page clickable and nothing sent. When you are ready, the build handbook walks through setup in the browser.