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DM automation
Live comment triggers
A Live comment automation sends a private reply DM to anyone who comments your keyword while you are broadcasting on Instagram Live. It uses the same DM sequence as a comment automation, but there is no post to pick, because a Live is not a post, and replies go out only while you are live.
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Before you start
- An Instagram Business or Creator account connected to the workspace.
- A paid plan. The During a Live trigger is included on Influencer ($9.99/month or $79/year) and Creator; the free Starter plan does not have it.
- A keyword you will say out loud on the broadcast, so people know what to type.
Step 1: Create the automation with the During a Live trigger
Open /automations/new, name it, and pick During a Live as the trigger type. There is no post target to choose: where the post picker would be, the builder shows a note about when the automation runs. It also has two step pills instead of three, Trigger and Actions, because this trigger has no follow-up step.
Step 2: Set keywords, or take every comment
Keywords and match modes behave exactly as they do for comments: Contains keyword, Exact match, or Trigger on any comment, which on this trigger means every comment made during the Live, whatever it says.
Contains keyword is almost always the right mode. Comments on a Live come in fast and in every spelling, so a keyword inside "link please!!" should still count.
Step 3: Write the DM sequence
The builder's second step is the same DM sequence a comment automation has: the optional opening message with a button, the optional follow gate, and the DM that always sends with up to three link buttons. Any of them can carry quick replies too.
Step 4: Save it before you go live
Save, and leave the automation active. There is nothing to attach in the composer. It answers matching comments on any Live you run while it is active, and it does not go back for comments made before it was saved.
Why replies only go out while you are live
Instagram does not allow a private reply to a Live comment after the broadcast ends. So the automation replies only while you are live, and a comment that reaches ReelDrop late, after the Live has finished, is skipped rather than answered.
In practice, say the keyword on camera early and again during the broadcast, and read it out the way it should be typed.
One reply per person per Live
Each person gets one reply per Live, however many times they comment the keyword. A Live runs for four hours at most, so a person is counted as answered for six hours after their reply. A Live on another day starts fresh, and they can be answered again.
What this trigger does not have
Three things that a comment automation offers are left out here.
- Public reply. This trigger sends the private DM only, so the public reply card is not shown.
- Timed follow-up. A follow-up would go out after the broadcast has ended, and Instagram refuses it, so there is no Follow-up step.
- Retrigger. It replays past comments, and Instagram does not allow a private reply to a Live comment once the broadcast is over.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to pick a post or a specific Live?
No. A Live is not a post, so there is no picker. The automation answers matching comments on any Live you run while it is active.
What happens to a comment that arrives after the Live ends?
It gets no reply. Instagram does not allow a private reply to a Live comment after the broadcast ends, so the automation skips it.
Can one automation handle both comments on posts and comments during a Live?
No. A trigger type is one type. Clone the automation and switch the copy to the other trigger, which is faster than rebuilding the DM sequence twice.
Do Live comment automations count against the plan limit?
Yes. Every active automation counts, whatever its trigger. Influencer at $9.99/month and Creator have no cap on active automations, and the Live trigger is not available on Starter.
Related
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