DM Automations overview
Auto-reply to Instagram and Facebook comments (and inbound DMs) with keyword triggers, templates, tracked links, and optional Instagram retroactive backfill.
DM Automations watch Instagram and Facebook comments and optional inbound DMs for keywords (or any text if keywords are empty), then send a templated private message—plain message, link card, carousel, or coupon—optionally reply on the comment, and throttle sends so accounts stay healthy.
Manage them at Dashboard → Social → DM (DM Automations table). You can also attach the same rules from a link’s detail panel (DM sheet). Team defaults live under Dashboard → Settings → DM Automation.
What you'll do
- Connect Instagram / Facebook accounts (Meta)
- Create an automation: accounts, delivery scope, keywords, template, and link
- Optionally enable Send to earlier comments (retroactive backfill on selected Instagram or Facebook posts)
- Toggle, edit, schedule, or pause rules
Before you start
- Correct team selected
- Feature
dm_automationon the team (Individual/Team/Enterprise include it; Free may unlock via the DM Automation add-on) - Permission on module
dm_automations(view / create / edit / enable / delete as needed) - Integrations: Instagram Business/Creator and/or Facebook Page connected and active
- At least one tracked link when the CTA uses a Pointerly short URL (or a bundle for carousels)
Concepts
| Concept | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Trigger sources | Comments and/or Inbound DMs (defaults to comments on many create flows) |
| Trigger keywords | Case-insensitive “contains” match; empty = match any comment/DM (unique-per-recipient still applies) |
| Exclude keywords | Comments/DMs containing these are ignored |
| Stop keywords | Default stop / unsubscribe opt the recipient out |
| Template type | message, button (link card), carousel, or coupon (structured types need capable accounts) |
| Delivery scope | next_content (Only next post), all_future (All future posts), or selected_content (Specific posts) |
| Content types | Instagram: post, reel, story · Facebook: post, reel, story, video |
| Comment replies | Optional public replies when someone comments with a keyword |
| Unique / one-shot | Instagram & Facebook enforce one successful send path per recipient (per publication for comment triggers) |
| Hard cap / jitter | Per-account hourly send budget (default 500/hour) and random delay between sends |
| Previous Instagram comments | Optional retroactive backfill (~7 days, selected Instagram posts only) |
Retroactive DMs (short answer)
Yes — for Instagram only, when you opt in. Use delivery scope Specific posts, enable Send to previous Instagram comments, then save. Pointerly queues a one-time backfill of eligible comments from about the last 7 days (Meta’s private-reply window), up to about 100 comments per post, through the normal keyword + dispatch pipeline.
Without that checkbox, automations only react to new matching comments/DMs after the rule is active. There is no Facebook previous-comment backfill, and Only next post / All future posts do not scan old comments.
Full detail: Retroactive DMs and FAQ.
Create an automation
See the full walkthrough: Create a keyword DM automation.
- Go to Dashboard → Social → DM.
- Click New automation.
- Select Instagram account(s) and/or Facebook Page.
- Choose Apply automation to: Only next post · All future posts · Specific posts.
- Add Trigger keywords (or leave empty), template, and link/CTA.
- For Instagram + Specific posts: optionally check Send to previous Instagram comments.
- Save and confirm the row is active (or scheduled).
Manage existing automations
From the table:
- Toggle active / inactive (pause without deleting)
- Edit to reopen the form
- Delete when finished
- Open post when the UI offers a publication link
Scheduled activation (activate_at) keeps a rule paused with reason scheduled until cron flips it on (for example ~15 minutes before a scheduled post). Leaving a scheduled rule manually paused can miss the window.
Link detail pages may show DM active, DM scheduled, or disconnected-account warnings.
Tips
- Prefer a small keyword set and keep Send once per user / unique delivery on for fan safety.
- Structured templates fall back to message if the connected account cannot send them.
- Hard cap is shared per social account (not multiplied by number of rules on that account).
- Tune team defaults under Settings → DM Automation.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| No accounts to select | Social not connected / inactive | Connect Instagram/Facebook |
| DMs never send | Inactive rule, wrong keywords, cap, credits, or scope | Activate; check keywords/scope; raise hourly cap carefully |
| Backfill did nothing | Checkbox off, not Specific posts, not Instagram, or comments older than ~7 days | See Retroactive FAQ |
| “DM desactivado” / disconnected | Account token lost | Reconnect under Integrations → Meta / Instagram |
| Carousel unavailable | Account lacks carousel support | Use button/message, or reconnect a capable IG professional account |