How to Set Up Story Reply Automations

TL;DR:Story reply automations trigger when someone reacts to or replies to your Instagram story. The interaction must happen within the story's 24-hour window. You set them up in the same automation builder as comment-to-DM flows, with the same options for keywords, pre-DM steps, and final DMs.

What Are Story Reply Automations?

Story reply automations send a DM when someone interacts with your Instagram story. This includes emoji reactions and text replies.

How to Create One

You can also access from My Content > Stories and click "Set up Automation" on any story.

Start a new automation

Click "+ New Automation" in the sidebar.

Choose your template

Select "Send link on story reaction" template, or choose "Build your own" and select Story as the trigger.

Select your story

Step 1: Select which story to automate.

Set your keywords

Step 1: Add your keywords as part of the trigger setup — up to 20, case-insensitive, plain text.

Choose pre-DM option

Step 3: Choose a pre-DM option or skip.

Write your DM

Step 4: Write your DM message and add your link.

Start the automation

Click the lime green Start Automation button (top right) to activate.

The 24-Hour Window

Stories expire after 24 hours. Your automation works within that same window. When the story expires, the automation stops automatically.

If you post stories regularly, set your automation to trigger on your next story so it applies to each new one.

When to Use Story Automations

Still need help? The fastest way to get help is the in-app chat — bottom-right corner inside the app.

Quick engagement capture

Capture attention from your most active followers while the story is live.

Limited-time offers

"React for 20% off — gone in 24 hours."

Story polls and questions

Anyone who replies gets a resource delivered straight to their DMs.

Behind-the-scenes content

Share a follow-up offer with anyone who engages with your behind-the-scenes stories.

Testing

You must test from a different Instagram account. Reactions from your own account won't trigger the automation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does story reply automation work with emoji reactions?+

Yes. Both emoji reactions and text replies to your story can trigger the automation, based on the keywords you set when choosing the trigger.

What happens if my story expires before someone sees the DM?+

The DM is already sent and stays in their inbox permanently. Story expiration only stops new triggers. Anyone who reacted before the story expired will still have the DM waiting in their messages.

Can I reuse the same story automation for my next story?+

Each story automation is tied to a specific story. For recurring content, set the automation to trigger on your next story so it automatically applies to each new one you post.

Does story reply automation work with the Free plan?+

Yes. Story reply automations are available on all plans, including the Free plan with 500 DMs/month. Pre-DM options like Follow Gate and Email Gate require Pro or Growth plans.

Last updated: 23 July 2026