---
title: "Instagram DM automation for Shopify stores: a playbook"
description: "Instagram DM automation for Shopify stores: answer product questions, send discount codes, catch ad comments and sync emails to Klaviyo. Setup and templates."
url: https://replyrep.io/guides/instagram-dm-automation-for-shopify
updated: 2026-10-19
---

# Instagram DM automation for Shopify stores: the practical playbook

Instagram DM automation for a Shopify store sends product links, sizes, prices and discount codes by DM when people comment or message a keyword, including under your ads. ReplyRep works alongside Shopify rather than as a Shopify app: you paste your product links and codes into the DMs, and captured emails export as CSV or sync to Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot or Google Sheets.

## 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](https://replyrep.io/for/shopify-stores).

> **No Shopify app, by design** ReplyRep does not install into Shopify or read your catalog. You add the product URL or code to each automation yourself. That keeps setup short and means nothing in your store changes, but stock levels and prices in the DM only update when you edit them.

## How do you answer product questions automatically?

Use account-wide [Global Triggers](https://replyrep.io/features/global-keyword-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](https://replyrep.io/features/instagram-ai-auto-reply) answer in your voice from what you have taught them about your products and policies.

**Shipping question (Global Trigger)**
- Comment keyword: SHIPPING
- 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.

**Size question (Global Trigger)**
- Comment keyword: SIZE
- 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](https://replyrep.io/features/instagram-dm-follow-up) is on Lite and up.

**Campaign discount code**
- Comment keyword: CODE
- 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](https://replyrep.io/use-cases/discount-codes) and the [discount code templates](https://replyrep.io/templates/discount-code) 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](https://replyrep.io/features/instagram-ad-comment-automation) covers this.

**Ad comment, price question**
- Comment keyword: PRICE
- 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](https://replyrep.io/features/instagram-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.

**Restock waitlist with email**
- Comment keyword: RESTOCK
- 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](https://replyrep.io/guides/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.

Sources:
- [Meta: Private replies (Instagram Platform)](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/instagram-platform/private-replies)
- [Meta: Story Mention (Instagram Messaging)](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/instagram-messaging/features/story-mention)
- [Meta: Developer Policies (opt-in and spam)](https://developers.facebook.com/devpolicy/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Does ReplyRep have a Shopify app?

No. ReplyRep works alongside Shopify rather than inside it. You paste product links and discount codes into your DMs, and emails collected in Instagram export as CSV or sync to Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot or Google Sheets, where your store's email flows can use them.

### Can Instagram DM automation show live stock or prices from Shopify?

Not with ReplyRep, because it does not read your catalog. The DM says what you wrote. Update the message when a price changes or an item sells out, and link to the product page, which always shows current stock and price.

### Can I send a different discount code to each person?

ReplyRep sends the code you write into the DM, so everyone who triggers that automation gets the same code. Use a code that is unique to the campaign, with an end date and a usage limit set in Shopify, so you can track and control it.

### Does DM automation work on Instagram ad comments?

Yes. Meta's private replies work on comments on ad posts as well as organic posts and reels. Put a keyword in the ad copy and set Global Triggers for common questions, so people asking about price or shipping under the ad get an answer while they are still interested.

### How do I sync Instagram leads to Klaviyo?

Turn on email collection in the DM, then connect Klaviyo as the destination. Each email collected through Instagram is added there, where your welcome or restock flows can pick it up. You can also export the list as a CSV at any time.

Last updated 2026-10-19. Source: https://replyrep.io/guides/instagram-dm-automation-for-shopify