Quick Comparison
Trigger: Comment on a post or reel. Scope: Specific post, next post, or any post. Messaging window: 7 days. Best for: Driving link clicks, lead capture.
Trigger: Reaction or reply to a story. Scope: Specific story or future stories. Messaging window: 24 hours. Best for: Capturing story engagement.
Trigger: DM with a keyword. Scope: All DMs. Messaging window: 24 hours. Best for: Answering repeated questions.
Comment-to-DM
The most popular type. Someone comments a keyword on your post or reel. CreatorFlow sends them a DM with your link, offer, or message.
Trigger scope options:
- Specific post or reel — Only fires on comments to that post - Next post or reel — Applies to the next thing you publish - Any post or reel — Applies to all your content
Use when: You post "Comment LINK to get the download" on a reel. You run a giveaway. You sell products and want to send links to interested commenters.
Story DM
Sends a DM when someone reacts to or replies to your story. Stories disappear after 24 hours, and the automation works within that same window.
Use when: Product drops, flash sales, event announcements. "React to this story for early access." Story engagement is high-intent — people who reply to your story are paying close attention.
Keyword DM Reply
Sends an automatic reply when someone DMs you a specific keyword. Works in your DM inbox, not in comments or stories.
Use when: You get the same questions over and over (pricing, booking, availability). You share "DM me PRICE for pricing info" in your content. You want instant auto-replies when you're offline.
Which Type Should You Use?
You can run all three types at the same time. They work independently.
Comment-to-DM
Story DM
Keyword DM Reply
Start with Comment-to-DM on your next post
What CreatorFlow Does Not Do
Not available on CreatorFlow. There is no way to detect when someone follows you through the official API.
Each automation sends one DM (plus an optional pre-DM step). No drip campaigns or if/then branching.
Keywords must include text. Emoji-only comments do not trigger automations.
One automation per post or reel. Use up to 20 keywords within one automation instead.