Instagram DM automation for shops and brands
In this lesson you will
- Build a comment automation for each product post that sends the product page
- Answer SIZE and SHIP questions with DM keyword replies
- Plan a month of product posts, a drop and a sale around your keywords
To use Instagram DM automation for a shop, give each product post its own keyword. The DM sends that product's page. Then add DM keyword replies for the questions you answer every day, such as SIZE and SHIP. Custom orders, complaints and order problems stay with you.
What shops and brands send by Instagram DM
Shoppers ask the same few things under every product post. Each question gets a keyword and its own DM.
| What they want | Keyword | Post idea |
|---|---|---|
| The product page | The product name, such as DRESS or CANDLE | The product in use, with the price on screen |
| Size and fit | SIZE | A try-on Reel with the model's height and size |
| Shade or scent | SHADE, SCENT | Three shades on three skin tones, or a lit candle |
| A new collection | NEW or the collection name | A drop post with the day and the time |
| A sold-out item | RESTOCK | The sold-out piece with the words Back soon |
| A discount code | CODE | A sale post with the end date on screen |
| Shipping and returns | SHIP, RETURNS | A Reel of you packing an order |
| Trade prices | WHOLESALE | A post for shop owners |
A comment keyword works on one post. A DM keyword answers questions that come every day, as in the DM question funnel.
Starter automations for a shop
Mila sells linen clothes from a small studio. She built these three first. Lesson 2 shows every screen. Each line to copy is the DM.
Play 1
Product page on every product post
A comment such as "link?" comes from someone who wants to buy now. Your home page makes them search again. The product page has the price and the buy button.
- Press Set up Automation on the post, or pick Next post or reel before you post. Use the product name and its plural, such as DRESS and DRESSES.
- Put the price in the first line of the DM and the product page on a link button.
Here is the linen dress from the Reel. It costs [price] and comes in S to XL. Tap Linen dress to see every colour.Play 2
SIZE answers for every product
Shoppers compare themselves with the person in the photo. A size answer before checkout means fewer wrong orders, even at midnight.
- Press + New Automation, pick Auto-reply to DMs and add SIZE, SIZES, SIZING and FIT.
- Give the model's height and size, one note about the fit and a size guide button. You answer the replies that follow.
Our model is 170 cm and wears S. Most pieces fit true to size. Between two sizes? Reply here and we will help. Tap Size guide for every measurement.Play 3
RESTOCK list on a sold-out post
A comment under a sold-out item comes from a buyer you lose today. With their email, you can write to them on the day it is back.
- Put RESTOCK on the sold-out post and turn on Email Gate in Step 3. It sends the DM anyway after about 15 minutes with no reply.
- Put two similar items that are in stock on the link buttons. When the item is back, export the emails from Contacts and write from your email tool. Email Gate and CSV export are on Pro and Growth.
When the black dress is back, we send one email to everyone who shared their address. Until then, here are two dresses in the same cut.
Caption, bio and parcel lines
REORDER and WHOLESALE each need a DM keyword reply. A QR code of ig.me/m/yourname?text=REORDER opens a chat with the word typed. Test it on a phone.
A month for a shop
| Week | What you post | Keyword | The DM sends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your best seller in use, and a bio line | The product name, SIZE | The product page, the size guide |
| 2 | A try-on Reel and daily outfit Stories | The product name, DROP | The product page |
| 3 | A drop post with the day and time, and a sold-out post | NEW, RESTOCK | The collection page, a similar item |
| 4 | A sale or gift post with the end date | CODE or GIFT | The code, the end date, the shop page |
Week 3 follows the launch campaign, week 4 the sale campaign. Keep product automations on after the month. Change the link when a product is gone.
Shop chats you answer yourself
Read your DMs and Message Requests at a set time each day. These chats need a person.
- Custom orders. A CUSTOM reply asks for the colour, size and date. You write the price
- Complaints and order problems, such as a late parcel. Answer these first
- Skin, health and allergy questions. Send the ingredient list and ask people to read the label
- Wholesale terms. The WHOLESALE reply sends the price list. You agree the rest
Mistakes shops make with DM automation
- Two products and one keyword
A post has one DM. Put up to 3 products on its link buttons, or post them one at a time.
- Only the singular keyword
Matching needs the whole word, so SIZES does not match SIZE. Add both.
- A link to a sold-out product
CreatorFlow does not see your stock. Change the link to a similar item, or pause the automation.
- Health claims in skincare or supplement DMs
Send plain facts and the ingredient list. Never write what a product does for someone's health.
Campaigns and funnels for shops
- Launch campaign for a drop or a new collection
- Sale campaign for a sale or a holiday push
- Giveaway campaign with a partner brand
- DM question funnel for SIZE, SHIP and WHOLESALE
- Story funnel for daily product Stories
- Email list funnel for a restock list
Practice
Your task
- 1
Pick your best-selling product and its newest post.
- 2
Build a comment automation on that post. The DM has the price and the product page.
- 3
Build a DM keyword reply for SIZE or SHIP, and add the word to your bio.
- 4
Send both keywords from a second account and tap every button.
You are done when the second account gets the product page from the comment and your answer from the DM.
Open CreatorFlowKey points
- Each product post gets its own keyword, and the DM sends that product's page.
- DM keyword replies answer SIZE and SHIP on every day of the week.
- Custom orders, complaints and health questions go to a person.
Questions
Does CreatorFlow connect to my online shop?
No. CreatorFlow sends the links you add. It does not read your stock, orders or carts.
Can one post send links to several products?
Yes, up to 3. A post has one DM, and a DM holds up to 3 link buttons. For more, link a page with only the items in the post.
Can CreatorFlow tell people when an item is back in stock?
Not by DM. Collect emails with Email Gate on the RESTOCK post, then write to them from your email tool.
Should I use product tags or a DM link?
Use both. A tag helps people who tap while they scroll. A DM helps people who ask or need a size answer.
Go deeper: Instagram DM automation for clothing brands, Instagram DM automation for boutiques, Instagram product tags and DM links, Wholesale enquiries from Instagram DMs.
Last updated November 4, 2026