How to Send Instagram Commenters to DMs

By the end of this tutorial, you will have a working flow that:

• starts when someone comments on your post or reel
• can optionally send a public comment reply as well
• sends the first DM automatically
• moves the user into a real DM interaction
• continues to next steps where you can deliver details, qualify the user, send media, or guide them to the next action

Step 1: Create a New Flow

Go to Flows menu, Click Create New Flow to open the Flow Builder with a blank automation canvas, where you can design every aspect of your automation — from messages and actions to advanced conditions — tailored entirely to your business needs and objectives.

Give your flow a clear name 

Step 2: Choose a Trigger

Click the Trigger node in the flow canvas to open its Properties panel

Step 3: Add a comment trigger

Inside the Trigger Properties panel select User comments on a Post or Reel

This tells Elpidan to listen for comments as the entry point of the flow.

If you want, you can also add more trigger conditions to the same flow.

For example, you may also add:

• User sends a Direct Message
• User replies to a Story

This can be useful when you want one flow to start from more than one entry point.

Step 4: Define the keyword rule

After selecting the comment trigger, define the keyword or keywords that should activate the flow.

Example:

• Keyword: INFO

That means the flow starts when the user comments with that keyword.

Choose the keyword carefully.

Best practices:

• use one simple word
• use the exact same word in your caption or call to action
• avoid long phrases for first campaigns
• avoid similar keywords across multiple active flows unless you understand the trigger logic clearly

If your post says Comment INFO to get the guide, then your trigger keyword should also be INFO.

Step 5: Choose the matching style

When defining the keyword, decide how strict the match should be.

Exact match

Use Exact match when you want strict control.

Example:

• Keyword: INFO
• Comment: INFO -> trigger runs
• Comment: I want INFO -> trigger does not run

Contains match

Use Contains match when users may comment with natural language.

Example:

• Keyword: INFO
• Comment: Can you send INFO? -> trigger runs

Step 6: Optional public reply under the comment

If you want Elpidan to reply publicly under the user's comment and also send a DM, you can enable the public comment reply option in the Trigger settings.

This uses a random canned message from the category you choose.

Use this when you want to:

• acknowledge the comment publicly
• keep the comment section active
• make the reply feel more natural through variation

Step 7: Choose the next node

You have now configured the Trigger, and it is time to define what should happen next in the flow.

To continue the flow:

1. Move your mouse over the handler of the node, button, or Quick Reply where you want the flow to continue
2. Slightly move the mouse until the hand icon (👆) appears
3. Click the hand icon to open the node picker
4. Select the node type you want to add

These are the main node types you can choose here:

Instagram Node

Use this node to send content directly to users.

Using this node, you can send text messages, images, videos, audios, galleries, buttons, and Quick Replies.

It defines what the user sees when an automation responds.

Condition Node

The Condition Node allows you to make decisions inside a flow.

It checks whether one or more conditions are true or not and then routes the user to the appropriate path.

It is used whenever you need logic-based decisions inside an automation.

Unlike the Instagram Node, which sends content, the Condition Node controls logic.

Action Node

The Action Node is used to modify user data inside a flow.

It does not send messages or ask questions.

Instead, it updates the contact state by adding or removing tags, setting fields, updating values, or clearing fields.

User Input Node

The User Input Node is used to ask a question and save the user's response into a field.

It waits for the user to reply, stores the answer, and then allows the flow to continue.

This is useful when you want to collect data such as name, email, phone number, or other typed answers.

The most commonly used node here is the Instagram Node.

But when the Trigger is set to User comments on a Post or Reel or User comments on a Live, this node is affected by Meta limitations.

Understanding this limitation is very important because it exists to prevent unwanted or excessive messaging at the beginning of the conversation.

In the guide below, this limitation is explained in detail.

It also includes examples and common scenarios for the most practical ways to start a conversation with the user.

• How Comment-to-DM Flows Work Under Meta Limits.md

Here, I will show you the simplest example so that after completing the flow, we can continue to publish and test it.

Step 8: Add the first Instagram Node

1. Select Instagram Node from the node picker
2. Click the new Instagram Node to open its properties
3. In the properties panel, select Message block
4. Add a short message
   Good example:
   Thanks for your comment. Tap the button below and I will send you the details.
5. Then add one button
6. • Send the details
6. Move your mouse over the handler of the button and open the node picker again
7. Select Instagram Node again
8. In the next Instagram Node, add the rest of your explanation as text, images, or other content

This is the simplest working structure:

1. Trigger starts from the comment
2. The First DM is sent
3. The user taps the button
4. The next Instagram Node sends the real content

Step 9: Publish the flow

When your trigger and nodes are ready, click Publish.

Until the flow is published, the automation will not run for real users.

Publishing changes the flow from draft mode to active mode.

Step 10: Test the full path

Before using the campaign publicly, test the whole flow with a real Instagram account.

Use this test checklist:

1. Comment the exact keyword on a post or reel
2. If you enabled public replies, confirm the public comment reply also works as expected
3. Confirm the First DM arrives
4. Depending on the path or paths you built, test all possible user journeys
5. Confirm the correct branch, message, or link appears

Do not skip testing.

Most comment-to-DM problems come from trigger mismatch, unclear first-node design, or untested paths.

Common mistakes to avoid

• using a keyword in the caption that does not match the trigger keyword
• forgetting to publish the flow
• sending a long First DM with no interaction option
• assuming the first node behaves like a normal unrestricted DM step
• using unclear button text such as Click here instead of a real action label
• not testing with a real comment on the real post or reel

Final recommendation

If you are building comment-to-DM automation for the first time, do not start with a complex multi-branch flow.

Start with this:

1. one keyword
2. one trigger
3. one short First DM
4. one button
5. one clear second step

Once that works, add branching, qualification, tagging, and more advanced logic.