Are You Testing from Your Own Account?
This is the #1 reason automations appear broken.
CreatorFlow does not trigger automations when you comment on your own post or DM yourself. This is by design.
You must test from a different Instagram account. Have a friend or second account comment the keyword on your post.
Testing from your own account will never trigger the automation. Always use a separate Instagram account to test.
Did You Select the Wrong Automation Type?
Check that the trigger type matches what you want. Each automation type responds to a different action:
Triggers when someone comments on a post or reel.
Triggers when someone reacts to or replies to a story.
Triggers when someone sends you a DM containing a keyword.
If you created a Keyword DM Reply but expect post comments to trigger it, it won't work. Make sure the automation type matches the user action you're targeting.
Has Your Instagram Token Expired?
If your automation worked before but stopped, your connection may have expired. This happens after:
Changing your Instagram password
A security check from Instagram
Revoking app permissions in your Facebook or Instagram settings
Don't disconnect
Do not use the Disconnect button — it permanently deletes all automations, contacts, and history in the workspace, with no recovery.
Email hello@creatorflow.so
Include your Instagram username and a short description of what stopped working.
The team fixes it on the backend
Connection and token issues are repaired without touching your automations, contacts, or history.
Never disconnect Instagram to fix a connection problem. Disconnecting permanently deletes ALL automations, contacts, and conversation history — there is no recovery. Email hello@creatorflow.so instead.
Are You Using Special Characters in Keywords?
Keywords with €, emojis, or special characters may not trigger reliably. Use text-only alternatives instead:
Instead of "5€" use "5euros"
Instead of emoji keywords, use text words
Stick to plain alphanumeric characters for the most reliable keyword matching.
Is It a Collaborative Post?
Instagram only sends comment events for a collaborative post to the main author. If you're the invited collaborator, comments on the collab post never reach your automation — even when everything else is set up correctly.
Check who posted it
If the post was published from the other account and you joined as a collaborator, your automation won't receive the comments.
Post non-collaborative content
Publish the post or reel from your own account without the collab invite, then set up the automation on it.
This is an Instagram platform behavior, not a CreatorFlow setting — only the main author of a collab post receives comment events.
Is Your "Any Post/Reel" Trigger Not Firing?
If the global trigger ("Any Post/Reel") isn't working, try creating an automation for a specific post instead.
This can help narrow down whether the issue is with the global trigger or something else in your setup.
Debugging Checklist
Run through each item to confirm your setup is correct:
I tested from a different Instagram account (not my own)
My automation type matches my goal (Comment-to-DM, Story Reply, or Keyword DM)
My Instagram account is still connected (Workspace Settings > IG Account)
I have not changed my Instagram password recently
My keywords are plain text (no emojis, no special characters)
The post is not a collaborative post (collab comments only reach the main author)
The automation was activated with Start Automation (not just saved as a draft)
Still need help? Contact us at hello@creatorflow.so or use the chat widget inside the app (bottom-right corner).