Every comment on your posts is a signal that someone is paying attention. With a comment-to-DM scenario, you reply to that comment publicly and slide into the person's DMs automatically, then walk them toward a link, a booking, or a freebie. This is the highest-performing automation pattern on Instagram, and it's the first one most people build.
What you'll build
A scenario that fires whenever someone comments on your post. It replies to the comment in public, sends the commenter a DM, and offers them a link they can tap. If they don't tap it within a day or two, it follows up once, then drops them into a folder you can retarget later.
The one-message rule and the 7-day window
Before you build, it helps to understand the one Instagram rule that shapes every comment-to-DM flow.
When someone comments on your post, Instagram lets you send them one DM as a private reply. That first DM is the single message you're allowed to send straight off a comment. To send anything more, the contact has to message you back. As soon as they reply, or tap a button in your DM, Instagram opens its standard 24-hour window, and you can message freely until 24 hours after their last action.
Two limits to design around:
One private reply per comment. Lead with something the contact can act on right away, like a tappable link or a quick question. That interaction opens the conversation so your follow-ups actually go through.
A 7-day window. You have 7 days from when a comment is posted to act on it. When you switch a comment scenario on, Inrō can also reach back and run it on matching comments from the last 7 days that haven't already triggered it (the Trigger on existing comments option).
⚠️ Inrō shows a warning in the builder if a comment-triggered scenario tries to send a second DM without waiting for the contact to reply first. Instagram may hold that message until they respond, so always put a tappable step (a conversion link, a question, or an ask-for-follow) before any extra messages.
This is the canonical explainer for the rule. Other playbooks that use comment triggers link back here instead of repeating it.
Step 1: Create the scenario and set the trigger
Go to Automation → Scenarios → Create new scenario. You have two ways to build:
Comment to DM link is a guided wizard that sets up the comment trigger, the public reply, and the DM sequence for you. Pick this for a fast, standard funnel.
Custom scenario opens the full flow builder so you can branch and add any action. Pick this when you want full control.
If you chose the custom route, click Add trigger and select Someone comments on your post. Configure two things:
Which posts to watch: choose any post to cover everything, or specific posts to target one post (good for a launch).
Which comments to trigger on: choose comments with a keyword to match a word like "LINK" or "INFO", all comments to catch everyone, or AI-detected intent to match by meaning.
Leave Exclude hateful and negative comments on. It's AI-powered and on by default, and it keeps trolls and spam out of your funnel.
⚠️ The any post option covers your 30 most recent posts. To target a post older than that, use specific posts.
Step 2: Reply to the comment
Add a Reply to comment action. Write a short, natural reply that tells the person a DM is on the way.
Example: "Hey {{contact.first_name}}! Just sent you a DM with the details. Check your inbox."
Click Add comment variant to write two or three versions. Inrō rotates through them randomly so your comments section doesn't look copy-pasted. You can also turn on Rewrite comment automatically to let AI vary the wording, and Auto-like the original comment ❤️ to like each comment as you reply.
⚠️ As a post collects more replies, Instagram starts skipping some automated comment replies to avoid spam detection. The first replies on a post always go out; the rate tapers off on very busy posts. This is normal and protects your account.
Step 3: Send the first DM
Add a Send message action. This is the private reply that lands in the commenter's inbox. Open with their name and get to the point.
Example: "Hey {{contact.first_name}}! Thanks for commenting. Here's what you asked about."
Keep it to a sentence or two. The payoff comes in the next step.
Step 4: Offer a link they can tap
Add a Conversion link action. It sends a rich card with a title, a short description, and a button the contact taps to visit your link. The tap is what opens the messaging window, so this step does double duty.
The conversion link has three branches:
When the link is clicked: they tapped your button. Send a thank-you, a booking link, or hand the chat to your AI Agent.
If the link hasn't been clicked after a set time: send one follow-up. Set this to 1 to 2 days.
Continue: runs the rest of the flow no matter what.
For the full setup, including payments, bookings, and surveys, see Conversion Actions: Links, Payments, Bookings & Surveys.
Step 5: Follow up once, then stop
On the If the link hasn't been clicked after a set time branch, send a single nudge with the link again: "Hey {{contact.first_name}}, here's that link again in case you missed it."
One follow-up is enough. Two or more on a cold contact feel pushy and push up your opt-out rate.
Step 6: Organise your new contacts
After the first message, add an Add or remove folder action to move the contact into a folder like "Comment leads". This lets you retarget them later with a campaign or another scenario. See Folders: Create, Organise & Automate for how folders drive automation.
Step 7: Test and activate
Click Test scenario in the top right, pick a contact, and run the flow to check the messages and branches. When it looks right, click Activate scenario.
On activation you'll see Trigger on existing comments from the last 7 days. Turn it on if the post already has comments you want to capture.
Variations
Story mentions and story replies. The same pattern works for stories. Swap the comment trigger for Someone mentions you in a story or Someone replies to a story to DM people who engage with your stories.
Keyword gating. If your caption says "Comment GUIDE to get the download", set the keyword filter to match only that word. This pre-qualifies commenters and makes your reply feel intentional.
AI handover. Instead of a fixed DM sequence, end the flow with a Hand over to AI Agent action. The agent takes over, answers questions, and qualifies the lead in your voice. See AI Smart Actions in Scenarios.
Results to expect
Comment-to-DM is one of the highest-performing patterns on Instagram. First-DM open rates commonly run 70 to 90 percent, since the contact engaged with your content seconds earlier. Click-through on the conversion link varies by offer, but 20 to 40 percent is normal. A single follow-up to non-clickers tends to recover another 10 to 20 percent.
🐾 Netsuke's Tips
Use one clear keyword per post. "Comment INFO below" lifts both your comment volume and the quality of the contacts who enter the flow.
Reply fast. The reply-to-comment action fires instantly, and the sooner the DM lands, the higher your open rate, because the person is still on Instagram.
Add a short delay (5 to 10 seconds) between the comment reply and the first DM so it feels like a real person followed up rather than a bot.
Check your scenario history after a few days. If the follow-up message has a low read rate, your delay is probably too long.
What's next?
Once commenters are sitting in your "Comment leads" folder, reach back out with a follow-up. See Re-engagement Campaigns for Cold Leads to structure that send. For every trigger and filter option behind this flow, see Triggers: The Complete Reference.