How does a story mention work?
When a person tags you in their story, Instagram notifies your professional account. Through the API, Meta sends a webhook with a link to the story media. Meta sets three conditions worth knowing:
- The mention only comes through if the person's account is public, or private and following you.
- Only story mentions trigger this. Tagging you on a regular post does not.
- Apps must not store or cache the story media on their servers.
What is the difference between a story mention and a story reply?
A story mention is someone tagging you in their story. A story reply is someone replying to your story, which arrives in your DMs as a message. Meta delivers both through the messages webhook, though story reply webhooks don't support GIFs or stickers.
What does an automatic story mention reply look like?
DM
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Why do story mentions matter for DM automation?
A mention is free word of mouth, and stories are short-lived. Meta says Instagram conversations begin when a person messages you, including through story mentions, so a mention is a chance to reply while it is still live. A quick thank-you with a code gives people a reason to tag you again.
How does ReplyRep handle story mentions?
ReplyRep answers story mentions automatically with a thank-you, a code or a link, about three seconds after the mention arrives. Story replies use the same automation as comments. See story mention auto-reply, story reply automation and the guide to automating Instagram story replies.
Thank every mention automatically
Reply to tags while the story is still live.
Related terms
- Messaging window: how long you have to reply.
- Opt-in: why replying to a mention is not a cold message.