How to Use Rewind to DM Past Commenters

TL;DR:Rewind retroactively sends DMs to people who commented before you set up an automation, or whose comments were missed. It works with Comment-to-DM automations only, looks back 7 days, is available on Pro and Growth, and lives in the sidebar between Contacts and Analytics.

What Is Rewind?

Rewind looks back at comments that already happened and sends your automated DM to the people who commented — even if your automation wasn't running at the time.

It's built for the gap between "someone commented" and "my automation was live." That gap happens when you set up an automation after a post took off, or when an automation was paused for a while.

Rewind works with Comment-to-DM automations only. Story Reply and Keyword DM Reply automations are not eligible.

When to Use It

Migrating from another tool

You just moved to CreatorFlow and want to reach people who commented on a recent post before you set things up.

A post went viral before you were ready

You added a Comment-to-DM automation after the comments started rolling in.

Recovering from downtime

An automation was paused and you want to catch the comments it missed.

How to Use Rewind

Set up a Comment-to-DM automation on the post

Rewind only works with Comment-to-DM automations. Open My Content > Posts & Reels, find the post, and click Set up Automation, or build one with + New Automation.

Open Rewind in the sidebar

Rewind sits in the sidebar between Contacts and Analytics.

Pick the automation to rewind

Choose the Comment-to-DM automation you just set up. Rewind looks back at comments on that post.

Run it

Rewind sends your DM to eligible past commenters. It skips anyone it has already messaged in a previous Rewind run.

What's Eligible

Rewind can reach comments from the last 7 days. Some comments are never eligible:

Eligible

Comments on a normal post or reel, within the last 7 days, that haven't already been DMed by Rewind.

Not eligible

Comments on ads, sponsored or collaborative posts, and anyone Rewind has already DMed in a previous run.

The 24-hour reply window

Even though Rewind looks back 7 days, Instagram's 24-hour reply window often blocks delivery for older comments. The most recent comments are the most likely to receive a DM.

Limits and De-duplication

Rewind dedupes within itself — it won't DM the same person twice across its runs. Regular automations do not dedupe; they send one DM per comment.

DMs sent by Rewind count toward your monthly DM limit and Instagram's API rate limits, the same as any other automated DM.

Rewind works with both active and paused automations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which automations work with Rewind?+

Comment-to-DM automations only. Story Reply and Keyword DM Reply automations are not eligible.

Does Rewind work on paused automations?+

Yes. Rewind works with both active and paused automations.

Will Rewind DM someone twice?+

No. Rewind dedupes within its own runs and skips anyone it has already messaged. (Regular automations do not dedupe.)

Can I use Rewind on ad or collab posts?+

No. Comments on ads, sponsored posts, and collaborative posts are not eligible.

Which plans include Rewind?+

Pro and Growth. Rewind is not available on the Free plan.

How far back can Rewind reach?+

Up to 7 days, though Instagram's 24-hour reply window often blocks delivery for older comments.

Last updated: 23 July 2026