Every contact in Inrō has a status that tells you whether you can message them and how. It updates automatically based on how they've interacted with your account. You can't set it by hand.
You'll see the status badge on any contact row in the Contacts table, and at the top of any conversation in the inbox. Each badge has a ? icon you can tap for a quick in-app explanation.
The short version: can I message this contact?
The status you'll care about most is whether a contact is reachable. Active means this contact has sent you a DM and nothing has told Inrō that Instagram has closed the door since. Anything else means you're limited or blocked until they interact again.
Status is Inrō's record of where a contact stands, not a live reading from Instagram. Instagram decides whether a message actually goes out, and it only says so at the moment one is sent. So a contact can read Active for a while after their messaging window has quietly closed. The first time Instagram refuses a message to them, Inrō marks them Inactive.
The full status list
Pending: Inrō doesn't have enough information yet to decide this contact's status. It updates on their next interaction. New contacts start here.
Active: This contact has DMed you, so Inrō will try to reach them with campaigns, automated DMs, and AI Agent replies. It isn't a delivery guarantee: if Instagram has closed their messaging window since they last wrote, that send is refused and they move to Inactive.
Inactive: Inrō can't message this contact right now. Instagram refused the last message sent to them, usually because their window closed after a long stretch with no contact, they blocked you, or they never accepted your message request. They become Active again if they message you.
Commented: This contact commented on one of your posts or Reels. You have a 7-day window to send them a DM. If they reply, they move to Active.
Live commented: This contact commented during one of your Instagram Lives. Same idea as Commented, but the window is 24 hours instead of 7 days.
Requested: You've sent this contact a message but they haven't accepted the request yet. This happens when they don't follow you, so your DM lands in their message requests rather than their main inbox. Until they accept, you can't send more. (If they already follow you, your message goes straight to their inbox and they stay Active.)
Opt-out: This contact opted out of your messages. Inrō won't send them automated messages or campaigns. This status is sticky: automatic updates won't quietly reactivate them.
Deleted: This contact's Instagram account was deleted. Their profile stays in Inrō for your records, but they can't be contacted.
Spam: You added this contact to your spam list (by hand or in a batch action). They leave your main inbox and won't receive campaigns or automations. Like opt-out, this status is sticky.
How the messaging window works
Instagram, not Inrō, decides whether you can send a DM. When someone messages you, comments on your content, or replies to your story, a messaging window opens.
Commented and Live commented are real countdowns: 7 days and 24 hours from the comment. Once the clock runs out, Inrō stops treating that comment as a way in.
Active works differently. It isn't a countdown, and Inrō doesn't keep asking Instagram whether the window is still open. A contact stays Active from the moment they DM you until a message to them is actually refused, which is when they become Inactive. The only way back is for them to engage with your account again.
For contacts who only commented and never DMed, you get one outbound DM inside the window. If they reply, they become Active.
⚠️ Contact status is separate from handling status. Active or Inactive tells you whether Instagram lets Inrō message someone. Handling status (Human, Automation, Agent) tells you who is managing that conversation inside Inrō. The two move independently. See Handling Status: Human, Automation, Agent & More.
Opt-out and consent
The Opt-out status is your unsubscribe state. Once a contact is opted out, Inrō stops sending them automated messages and campaigns, and won't quietly reactivate them.
A contact can opt out in a few ways:
By you, from their status control ("Opt out contact from receiving messages"). Opting them back in recomputes their real status.
By a scenario, using the Opt-out contact action. See Contact Actions: Folders, Properties & Data Collection.
Automatically, if you turn on opt-out detection in settings: a keyword in a message, a persistent-menu unsubscribe button, or AI detection of an unsubscribe intent. You can also send an optional confirmation message when someone opts out.
This is how Inrō respects unsubscribe requests, so it's worth turning on opt-out detection if you run campaigns.
🐾 Netsuke's Tips
Filter to Status: Active before sending a campaign. Inactive contacts won't receive it at all. Expect some Active contacts to fall away too: if Instagram closed their window since they last wrote, that send is refused and they move to Inactive as it happens. A campaign reaching fewer people than it targeted is usually this, not a fault.
The Commented status is where comment-to-DM scenarios do their work. If you see contacts stuck here who should have been messaged, check your scenario's trigger.
Contacts in Requested are a warm audience: they've seen your message but haven't accepted. A nudge from your Instagram app directly (not through Inrō) can help them accept.
A large Inactive pool is a signal to plan a re-engagement push for the next time those contacts open a window.
What's next?
Now that you know what each status means, put it to work. See Segmentation & Filters: Build Smart Audiences to filter your contacts by status and build targeted audiences for your campaigns.