DM templates · Instagram
Turn Instagram DMs into booked calls and appointments
To take bookings in Instagram DMs, answer the question they asked, then send one link where they can pick a time. When the request starts as a comment such as BOOK, the first DM can't carry that link, so it asks a quick question and the calendar follows their answer, with an email for the invite collected on the way. These 13 templates also cover reschedules and no-shows.
Updated 6 October 2026 · 13 templates
13 messages to copy
Tap a card to copy the message. Swap anything in braces, like {name}, for your own words before you send it.
Reply to “are you free this week?”
Yes, I still have openings this week. The quickest way to grab one is here: {link} It only shows times I'm actually free, so whatever you pick is yours.
Answer the yes or no first. A live calendar beats typing out times, which go stale as soon as someone else books.
First DM after a BOOK comment
Hi, thanks for commenting BOOK! This is an automatic reply. I'd love to find you a time. Shall I send my calendar here? Reply YES.
A private reply can't hold a link or a button, so the calendar waits for their YES. Keep it this short.
Asking for the email for the invite
Great! What's the best email for the calendar invite? Send it here and the booking link comes straight back.
Say what the email is for. “For the calendar invite” explains itself, while a bare “what's your email?” sounds like a mailing list.
The calendar link
Here's my calendar: {link} Choose whatever suits you, and your confirmation will arrive by email as soon as you book.
Only promise an emailed confirmation if your booking tool really sends one.
What happens on the call
The call is 20 minutes on video. I'll ask what you're working on and where you're stuck, and you'll leave with a clear next step, whether or not we work together.
Length, format and “is this a sales pitch?” are what people want to know before they book. Swap in your real details.
Appointment: service and day
Happy to book you in! Which service would you like, and which day suits you best? I'll come back with the openings on that day.
Two questions in one message is the limit. Anything more, like allergies or a reference photo, can wait until the slot is agreed.
Confirming a booking made by hand
You're booked in for {time} 🗓️ If anything changes on my side, I'll tell you here. Need to move it? Just reply and we'll find another slot.
Repeat the date and time in full, not just “Thursday”. It's what they'll scroll back to look for.
Rescheduling
No problem at all, plans change. You can move the booking yourself here: {link} Or send me two times that work and I'll switch it for you.
Offering both suits people who'd rather not click through a calendar again.
Fully booked, with a waiting list
I'm fully booked until {time}, sorry! If you'd like first refusal on a cancellation, reply with your email and I'll write the moment a slot opens.
An automated DM can't reach them a week later, but an email can. Only ask for it if you'll really write.
Paid session
Booking and payment happen in one step here: {link} Once it's paid, the time is yours, and if you need to change it later, message me here.
Say what happens if they cancel, how much notice you need and whether they get money back, before they pay rather than after.
Reminder the day before, sent by hand
Hi {name}, a quick reminder that we're on for tomorrow at {time}. Here's the link to join: {link} If anything's changed, just reply here.
Unless they wrote to you in the last 24 hours, no automation can send this. Type it in the Instagram app, or let your booking tool send an email reminder.
After a no-show
Hi {name}, we had a call booked for {time} and I didn't see you, so I hope all's well. If you'd still like to talk, pick a new time here: {link}
Send it once and keep it warm. There's usually an ordinary reason, and a guilt trip makes rebooking less likely.
Checking the time zone
Quick check before you pick a time: which city are you in? I'll confirm the time in your zone so we don't miss each other.
Many booking pages convert times to the visitor's zone, but not all. One question saves a missed call across borders.
Set it up in DMFast
Comment BOOK, share an email, get the calendar
Someone comments on your post
BOOKPublic reply under their comment
Sent! The booking details are in your DMs 📅First DM (plain text)
Hey, glad you want to book! This DM is automatic, so here's how it works: reply YES, send me the email for your invite, and my calendar comes straight back. Ready?Yes pleasePick a time for your callChoose a timeNaming the email step up front means the second question doesn't come as a surprise. DMFast saves the address as a lead before the calendar card goes out, and if someone stops at that step, one reminder can follow inside the 24 hours.
Pick a post
Connect your Instagram account, then choose the post or Reel it runs on, or every post.
Set the word: BOOK
Anyone who comments BOOK gets a reply under their comment and a DM. Capitals don't matter.
Paste the message
Add the public reply and the first DM shown here. Once they answer, your link follows as a card.
Free plan, no card. Instagram professional accounts and Facebook Pages.
Rules to know
- A BOOK comment can get one private reply, within 7 days of the comment. The calendar link and the email question wait until the person answers it.
- Messages sent through Meta's API, as every booking automation is, must go out within 24 hours of the person's last message. A reminder the day before an appointment usually falls outside that.
- For up to 7 days after their last message, a person on your team can still answer by hand using Meta's human agent tag. It's meant for real support, not promotion.
- Automated chats must say they're automated at the start, and again when a person hands the chat back to the automation.
- If they don't follow you, your private reply lands in their message requests, which is worth mentioning in your public reply.
Sources
Answer first, then send one link
Most booking questions arrive as a DM: “anything free Saturday?”, “how much is a consultation?”. Answer that in the first line, then give one place to book. A list of times typed into a chat is out of date the moment someone else takes one.
| They wrote | Your first reply | Then |
|---|---|---|
| BOOK in a comment | A plain-text DM asking if they want the calendar | The email question, then the calendar card |
| BOOK in a DM | The calendar link straight away | Questions answered inside the 24 hours |
| “Are you free Friday?” | Yes or no for Friday, plus the link | A confirmation once they've picked |
| “How much is it?” | The price first, then the link | Help choosing a service if they ask |
| “Can you fit me in today?” | An honest answer, typed by you | The next opening if today is full |
Tip: Set BOOK up twice in DMFast, as a comment keyword and as a DM keyword. People who message the word skip the YES step, because their DM has already opened the chat.
Collecting the email without losing people
The email does two jobs: it's where the invite goes, and it's how you can still reach someone once the 24 hours are up. Ask for it in one short line, straight after their YES, and say what it's for.
In DMFast, “Ask for their email first” puts that question between the YES and the calendar card. Anything that isn't an address gets a request to try again, throwaway inboxes are turned away, and someone who gave you their email in an earlier conversation isn't asked twice. Every address is saved under Emails, ready to download.
Tip: If your booking page asks for an email anyway, leave the DM step out. Two email requests within a minute make people wonder whether the first one worked.
Where the calendar link should point
Any booking page that works on a phone will do: a scheduling tool, your salon or clinic software, or a page on your own site. Test it from inside Instagram, since tapping the card's button opens the page in Instagram's own browser.
In India, DMFast's store can host the booking itself: a 1-on-1 call, free or paid through Razorpay, that people book from your link-in-bio page or straight from the card in the DM. DMFast takes no fee on the sale.
Reminders, reschedules and no-shows
The 24-hour rule shapes everything after the booking. A reminder the day before can only go out automatically if the person wrote to you in the previous 24 hours, which is rare, so lean on your booking tool's email reminders or send the DM yourself from the app.
DMFast's own reminder covers an earlier moment: someone who said yes but stopped before sharing their email. It goes out once, after a delay you choose, and only while the window is open. Scheduled DMs follow the same rule and are skipped if the window has closed by the time they're due.
What to measure
Track the drop at each step: comments, replies to the first DM, emails, bookings and calls that actually happened. The biggest gap shows which message to rewrite. If many people reply but few share an email, run the flow without the email step for a week and compare the bookings.
Questions people ask
Should the booking link go in my bio or in DMs?
Both. The bio link serves people who already know they want to book. The DM serves people who are curious and need one question answered first, and it's where you can collect an email on the way.
Can DMFast send appointment reminders?
Not days ahead. Anything automated must go within 24 hours of the person's last message, so DMFast's reminder is for people who stop partway through a flow. For the appointment itself, use your booking tool's email reminders or a DM you type yourself.
What if someone wants a time that isn't on my calendar?
Answer by hand. An automation can only offer what the calendar shows, and someone asking for an exception is often keen to book. Replies typed in the Instagram app itself aren't bound by the 24-hour limit that applies to messages sent through Meta's API.
Which keyword works best for bookings?
A short word that clearly means booking, such as BOOK, written in capitals in the caption. Use the same word on every post so regulars remember it, and set it as a DM keyword as well as a comment one.
Do people need to follow me to book?
No, and for bookings it's usually better not to require it. A follow gate adds a step between a keen client and your calendar. If they don't follow you, the first DM arrives in their message requests, so mention that in the public reply.
Related templates
Set-ups by business
More DM templates
Send these messages automatically
DMFast replies under the comment, sends the first DM in seconds and your link once they answer, day and night. Free plan, no card.
Start free