Follow Gate adds a simple step before delivering your DM content: it asks the user to follow you first. It's the easiest way to turn every automation into a follower growth engine.
How Follow Gate Works
- Someone triggers your automation (comments a keyword, replies to a story, etc.)
- CreatorFlow sends a DM asking them to follow your account
- After a short delay, CreatorFlow sends the actual content (link, message, etc.)
- The user gets the content regardless of whether they followed, but most do
Setting Up Follow Gate
- Go to the Automations page and open your automation (or create a new one)
- Scroll to the Pre-DM Options section
- Toggle Follow Gate on
- Save the automation
Hey! Make sure to follow @{username} so you don't miss future content. Your link is on the way!
You can customize the Follow Gate message to match your tone. Use {username} to insert your Instagram handle automatically.
What You Should Know
It works on trust
Instagram's API does not allow apps to check whether someone follows you in real time. Follow Gate works on the honor system: it asks the user to follow, waits a few seconds, then delivers the content.
This sounds like it shouldn't work, but it does. When someone wants your content (a free guide, a discount code, a recipe), they'll follow you to get it. Expect 80-90% of users to actually follow through.
The conversion trade-off
Every extra step between the trigger and the content delivery causes some drop-off. Follow Gate is a lightweight step, so the drop-off is small. But it's not zero.
The trade-off: slightly fewer people receive your content, but you gain followers from every automation. For most creators, this trade-off is worth it.
Mutually exclusive with other pre-DM options
You can only enable one pre-DM option per automation: Follow Gate, Email Gate, or Opening DM. You cannot combine them. If you need to collect emails, use Email Gate instead. If you want a personal intro message, use Opening DM.
When to Use Follow Gate
| Use Follow Gate | Skip Follow Gate |
|---|---|
| You want to grow your follower count from automations | Maximizing content delivery is the priority |
| You're giving away free content (guides, templates, recipes) | You're running a time-sensitive promotion |
| Your audience comes from Reels or Explore (non-followers) | Most of your audience already follows you |
| You're running a giveaway or contest | You're using Email Gate or Opening DM instead |