A Comment-to-DM scenario captures new comments as they arrive. An Opt-in Campaign reaches back to the ones you already have: in a few clicks it sends a single opt-in DM to everyone who only commented on your posts in the last 7 days. The people who tap or reply become engaged contacts you can keep marketing to.
It's the bulk, look-back counterpart to Comment-to-DM: one send instead of a real-time trigger.
How it works
A one-off campaign that DMs everyone who commented in the last 7 days, asks them to opt in with a button or a quick reply, and drops the ones who respond into a folder you can retarget later. You build it in a three-step wizard: pick your commenters, write the message, review and send.
[SCREENSHOT: The opt-in campaign card selected in the New campaign dialog, with the three-step wizard (Select contacts, Send message, Review) about to open.]
The one-message rule and the 7-day window
One Instagram rule shapes the whole campaign. When someone comments, you're allowed one DM back as a private reply. To send anything more, they have to interact: as soon as they reply or tap a button, Instagram opens its standard 24-hour window and you can message freely.
Two limits follow from that:
A 7-day window. You have 7 days from a comment to act on it, so the campaign only targets people who commented in the last 7 days. The count shifts daily as old comments age out and new ones land. (Live-video comments give you 24 hours, not 7 days.)
One reply per contact. The opt-in DM is that one message, so it has to give the contact something to act on. That tap or reply is what opens the door to everything after it.
That's why it's an opt-in: the first message earns one interaction that turns a passive commenter into a contact you can reach again. More on statuses in Understanding Contact Status.
Step 1: Pick your commenters
Go to Campaigns → New campaign, and choose the Opt-in Campaign card. Under Which comments do you want to target?:
All comments reaches everyone who commented in the last 7 days.
Comments with keywords narrows to people whose comment contained a word you specify, useful for previous keyword comment hooks.
The panel shows the total contacts who match in the 7-day window.
💡 This does not include contacts who are already in your inbox as they're already active and do not need to opt-in. It also excludes contacts who already triggered a Comment-to-DM automation on their comment.
[SCREENSHOT: The Select contacts step showing the comment-targeting options, the matching-contacts count, and the per-day bar chart for the last 7 days.]
Step 2: Write the opt-in message
Pick how people opt in:
Message with button sends your message with one tappable button. The tap is the opt-in. It's simple and efficient.
Simple DM sends a plain message that invites a Yes/No reply. The reply is the opt-in. It's more natural but requires AI features to detect replies.
Keep the Message short and give a clear reason to respond, like "Want to get exclusive deals?" of "Interested in learning more?". Also label the button with an action like "Keep me updated".
When people click the button or reply positively, you can:
Send a reply message, like "Great, I'll keep you informed!"
Add them to a folder, useful for building a list of valuable contacts
We really encourage you to add them to a folder: it's what turns a one-off send into a reusable audience. See Folders: Create, Organise & Automate.
[SCREENSHOT: The Send message step in button mode, with the message, button label, and the "When the button is clicked" reply + folder branch, alongside the DM preview.]
Step 3: Review, test, and send
The Review step confirms the title and how many contacts you'll reach. Before sending, send a test to yourself and check the message renders correctly.
Then Send campaign now, or Schedule campaign for later.
[SCREENSHOT: The Review step showing the contact count, the 72-hour exclusion checkbox, and the Send / Schedule / Test buttons.]
⚠️ Contacts age out of the 7-day window continuously, so a scheduled send reaches fewer people than the count shows today. For the largest audience, send promptly.
Results to expect
Recipients engaged with your content in the last week, so opt-in DMs open at high rates, commonly 70 to 90 percent. How many opt in depends on your ask, but a clear, single-action message converts a healthy share, and every one of them lands in your folder for the next step.
🐾 Netsuke's Tips
Lead with the opt-in, not the pitch. One clear action beats a paragraph of context.
Run it weekly, your eligible audience refreshes every day.
Always add a folder, a send with none captures no audience.
What's next?
Reach back out to your foldered contacts with Re-engagement Campaigns for Cold Leads, and capture new commenters automatically with a Comment-to-DM scenario.