What can Instagram DM automation do for a Shopify store?
Most Instagram comments on a store's posts are buying questions: how much, what sizes, does it ship to me, is there a code. Every one answered late is a sale that went cold. DM automation answers them in the buyer's inbox with the exact product link, while they are still looking at the post.
| Play | Trigger | What the DM sends |
|---|---|---|
| Product link from a post | Comment LINK or SHOP | The product page shown in the post |
| Price questions | Comment or DM PRICE | Price, variants and the product link |
| Sizing and shipping | Global Triggers for SIZE and SHIPPING | Size guide, delivery times, returns page |
| Discount codes | Comment CODE | A code made in Shopify, with its expiry and terms |
| Ad comments | Comment on a sponsored post | Price, link and code while they are on the ad |
| Drops and restocks | Comment DROP or RESTOCK | Waitlist signup by email, then the link on launch day |
| Story mentions | A customer tags you in their story | A thank-you and a code for next time |
One ReplyRep store result, as reported by the store: @ceramics.by.nadia (Handmade ceramics, 231K followers): $1.2M in sales from comments. For the full picture of how stores use ReplyRep, see Instagram DM automation for Shopify stores.
How do you answer product questions automatically?
Use account-wide Global Triggers for the questions you get every week. Set "shipping" once and it answers on every post, reel, story and DM, including next month's. ReplyRep allows 5 on Free, 20 on Lite, 50 on Boost, 500 on MAX Global Triggers per account. For the questions no keyword predicts ("does the blue one come in a 10?"), AI auto replies answer in your voice from what you have taught them about your products and policies.
DM
We ship in 1 to 2 business days from our studio. Delivery times and costs by country: yourshop.com/shipping Reply here if your order needs to arrive by a date.
DM
Here's the size guide with measurements: yourshop.com/sizes Between sizes? Most customers size up in the jackets.
How do you send discount codes by DM?
- 1
Create the code in Shopify
Set the percentage, the end date and any exclusions in your Shopify discounts. Make it unique to the Instagram campaign so you can count its uses.
- 2
Write the DM
Code on the first line, expiry in brackets, the product link on the second line.
- 3
Set the keyword
CODE, SAVE or a campaign word on the post or as a Global Trigger.
- 4
Tag the link
Add UTM parameters to the product link so your store's reports show sessions and orders from the DM.
- 5
Remind people who replied
A follow up before the code expires, to people who replied to the first DM, within 24 hours of their reply. Follow Up is on Lite and up.
Public reply
Code sent, check your DMs
DM
Your code: SPRING15 (15% off, ends Sunday) Shop the collection: yourshop.com/spring?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=dm&utm_campaign=spring15
The discount codes use case and the discount code templates cover more variations, including follow-gated codes.
How do you handle comments on Instagram ads?
Comments under a sponsored post are some of the most expensive comments you will ever get, because you paid for the reach that produced them. Meta's private replies work on comments on ad posts, so the same keyword automation applies. Put the keyword in the ad copy ("Comment PRICE for today's offer") and set a Global Trigger for the questions people ask without a keyword. ReplyRep's Instagram ad comment automation covers this.
DM
The starter set is $48 and ships free over $50. Shop it here: yourshop.com/starter New customers: WELCOME10 takes 10% off.
How do you get Instagram emails into Klaviyo?
ReplyRep's Email Collector asks for the email inside the DM, before or after the link, on Lite and up. Collected emails and phone numbers export as CSV or sync to Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot or Google Sheets. From there your normal flows take over: a welcome series in Klaviyo, a restock alert, a post-purchase sequence. Always make clear what people are signing up for when you ask, since Meta's policies and email laws both expect a real opt-in.
DM
The linen set is back on the 14th and last time it sold out in a day. Reply with your email and you'll get the link the moment it's live.
Follow up
You're on the list. We'll email you on the 14th, nothing else in between.
Answer your next product question automatically
Start free with 2,000 DMs a month. Setup takes about four minutes.
How do you know which sales came from Instagram DMs?
- UTM-tagged product links in every DM (utm_source=instagram, utm_medium=dm, utm_campaign=your-campaign). Your store and analytics reports can then separate DM traffic from bio traffic.
- A unique code per campaign. Count its uses in your Shopify discount reports.
- Email attribution in Klaviyo or Mailchimp for people who joined through the DM and bought later.
The full method, with formulas, is in how to measure Instagram DM conversions.
Which posts should a store automate first?
Start where the questions already are. Open your last month of posts and sort by comments. The posts with the most "price?", "link?" and "do you ship to..." comments are where automation pays off first, because the demand is already proven and you are only removing the wait.
- Best-selling product posts. Add LINK with the product URL, even to older posts that still get comments. Meta allows a private reply within 7 days of each comment, so new comments on old posts still qualify.
- Ads currently running. Paid reach produces comments every hour the ad is live.
- Upcoming launches. Set the keyword before the post goes up so the first commenters, often your most loyal customers, are not the ones left waiting.
- Restock and sale announcements. These pull the most comments in the shortest time, which is when slow manual replies cost the most.
What should a store set up first?
- 1
Connect Instagram
Log in with Instagram through the official API. ReplyRep never asks for your password.
- 2
Set three Global Triggers
SHIPPING, SIZE and PRICE (or your three most common questions).
- 3
Add LINK to your next product post
With the product URL and UTM tags in the DM.
- 4
Add a story mention thank-you
A code for customers who tag you. Meta notifies the account when a public account, or a private account that follows you, mentions you in a story.
- 5
Turn on email capture for drops
Send the emails to Klaviyo or your email tool.