DM templates · Instagram
Turn salon DMs into booked appointments
Most salon DMs ask one of three things: how much, when are you free, and can you do this look. Reply with a price or a starting price, offer two or three real times, and ask one question back. The 14 replies below cover those three and the awkward ones too: deposits, patch tests, late arrivals and no-shows.
Updated 6 October 2026 · 14 templates
14 messages to copy
Tap a card to copy the message. Swap anything in braces, like {name}, for your own words before you send it.
Colour quote from photos
Great question! Colour is priced on length, thickness and your starting shade, so the fairest quote comes from photos. Could you send one of your hair now, in daylight, and one of the look you're after?
Ask for daylight. Indoor light and filters can make hair look lighter or warmer than it really is, and the quote follows the photo.
Price after the photos
Thanks for the photos! For your length and starting shade, this would be our full balayage, which is on the price list here: {link}. It takes about 3 hours, so I'd book a morning. Shall I find you one?
Quote how long it takes as well as the price. A three-hour appointment has to fit their day, not just their budget.
Price list for set services
Here's our full price list: {link}. Every cut includes a wash and blow-dry. Does anything catch your eye? I can check the next free slot for you.
Set-price services don't need a consultation. Send the list straight away, and save photo quotes for colour and extensions.
Offering times
I have two openings this week: {time} or {time}. Which one should I hold for you?
Name two or three real times instead of asking “when suits you?”. A choice usually gets an answer in one message.
Appointment confirmed
You're booked in, {name}: a cut and blow-dry on {time}. Need to change it? Message us here at least 24 hours before and we'll move it for you.
Put the cancellation window in the confirmation itself, where the client will actually read it.
Deposit for long appointments
For appointments over two hours, like colour and extensions, we take a deposit to hold the chair. It comes off your final bill. You can pay here: {link}, and your slot is confirmed once it's in.
Say why long services need a deposit. “It holds a three-hour chair” sounds fair; an unexplained fee sounds like you don't trust them.
Patch test for a first colour
Since it's your first colour with us, we'll need a quick patch test at least 48 hours before your appointment. It only takes a few minutes. Could you pop in on {time}?
Book the patch test and the colour in the same chat, so the colour slot isn't lost while you wait for an answer.
Big change, consultation first
Love this look! Going from dark to very light can take more than one visit, so I'd suggest a free 15-minute consultation first. We'll look at your hair together and plan it properly. Want me to book one?
Ask whether they've used home dye before. Old dye can change how hair lightens, and with it the plan and the price.
Fully booked, cancellation list
We're fully booked this week, I'm sorry! The first free slot is {time}. Want me to add you to our cancellation list as well? Send a mobile number and we'll text you if something opens up sooner.
A cancellation can come days later, past the 24 hours in which an automated DM is allowed, so a text is the reliable way to reach the list.
Client running late
Thanks for letting us know! If you're here by {time}, we can still do the full appointment. Any later and we may need to shorten it or move you, so the next client isn't kept waiting.
Say what happens at each point. “We'll see” leaves them rushing in without knowing whether it's worth it.
After a no-show
We missed you today, {name}, and I hope everything's okay. As the deposit held today's slot, it can't be refunded, but I'd be happy to find you a new appointment whenever suits.
Stay kind and stick to the policy they agreed to. If they haven't written in the last 24 hours, type this yourself in the app; an automated DM can't reach them.
Moving an appointment
Of course! I can move you to {time} instead. Shall I swap it over?
Offer a specific new time in the same reply. It saves them choosing again from scratch.
Booking the next visit
Before you go, shall I pencil in your next trim? Around {time} keeps the shape, and booking ahead is the easiest way to get the day you like.
Ask while the chat is open. A rebooking nudge weeks later counts as a promotion, which Meta's human agent tag doesn't cover.
Thanks after the appointment
Thank you for coming in today, {name}! If anything doesn't sit right once you've washed and styled it at home, message us within a week and we'll fix it, free of charge.
Send it by hand the same evening. If they last messaged when they booked, an automated DM is likely outside the 24-hour window.
Set it up in DMFast
Comment LOOK on a before-and-after Reel
Someone comments on your post
LOOKPublic reply under their comment
So glad you like it! Check your DMs ✨First DM (plain text)
Hi! This is an automatic message because you commented LOOK on our Reel. Would you like the price for this service and a link to book it? Reply YES and I'll send both.Yes pleaseBook this lookSee free timesBefore-and-after Reels are where people ask “how much for this?”. LOOK is short, ties to the post and is spelled the same everywhere, unlike COLOUR and COLOR. The first DM has to be plain text, so it asks for a YES; the price and the booking card come after it.
Pick a post
Connect your Instagram account, then choose the post or Reel it runs on, or every post.
Set the word: LOOK
Anyone who comments LOOK 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 comment on your Reel or post can get one private reply, sent within 7 days of the comment. Nothing more can go out until the client answers.
- Automated messages are allowed only within 24 hours of the client's last message. Reminders for an appointment next week need a text, an email or a message typed by hand.
- Meta's human agent tag gives a person up to 7 days after the client's last message to answer a question by hand. Rebooking offers and promotions don't qualify.
- People who only liked or saved a Reel can't be messaged through Meta's API. They need to comment, reply to a Story or send you a DM first.
- An automatic reply has to make clear it's automated, under Meta's policy for automated chats.
Sources
What to ask before you book each service
The right questions before booking prevent surprises in the chair. What you need to know depends on the service.
| Service | Ask before booking | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cut | Current length and the length they want | Tells you whether it's a trim or a restyle, which take different times. |
| Colour | A photo of their hair now, one of the look they want, and any home dye they've used | Old dye changes how hair lightens, and the price. |
| Colour correction | A consultation in person | Corrections are hard to price from photos alone. |
| Extensions | Hair type and the method they're after | Some methods need a consultation and a colour match first. |
| Nails | A photo of the design and whether there's an old set to remove | Removal and detailed art both add time. |
| Lash or brow tint | Whether they've had a patch test with you | Many salons require one before tinting. |
Deposits, lateness and no-shows
The policies behind the most awkward DMs are easiest to enforce when the client saw them before booking. Put them in the confirmation message, not only on a policy page.
- Deposit: which services need one, how much it is, and whether it comes off the bill.
- Cancellation window: how much notice you need, such as 24 or 48 hours, and what happens to the deposit inside it.
- Lateness: how many minutes you can absorb before shortening or moving the appointment.
- No-shows: whether the deposit is kept, and whether they can still rebook.
Tip: Write the policy once and paste the same words into every confirmation. When three stylists explain it three different ways, disputes follow.
What to automate, and what a stylist should answer
Fixed answers can go out automatically: the price list, opening hours, the booking link and a request for photos. Quotes from photos, colour corrections, complaints and anything about an allergy or a reaction need a stylist.
In DMFast, a comment keyword like LOOK on a Reel starts the conversation, and DM keywords such as PRICES or HOURS answer those questions on the spot. Keywords match whole words, so add both PRICE and PRICES if clients type either. AI replies, on the Growth and Business plans, answer only from the business info you write down, such as prices and parking.
If you answer by hand, Instagram's saved replies let you store your price list and policies and insert them with a shortcut. And if your booking software is one Instagram supports, a Book button on your profile lets clients who already know what they want skip the DMs.
What to measure
Count how many DM conversations end in a booking each week, and notice where the rest stop. If people go quiet after the price, lead with the starting price and how long the appointment takes. If they stop at “send photos”, ask for less: one daylight photo of their hair now beats a list of angles.
Put a tracked link on the booking card and compare the taps with the bookings that came in. Lots of taps and few bookings points to the booking page, not the DM, as the place people give up.
Questions people ask
How should a salon answer “how much?” in Instagram DMs?
For set-price services, send the price or your price list straight away. For colour and extensions, give a starting price and ask for photos, since length, thickness and current colour change the work. Never reply “DM for price” to someone who is already in your DMs.
Can I send appointment reminders by Instagram DM automatically?
Only if the client messaged you within the last 24 hours, which rules out most appointments booked ahead. Booking software that sends text or email reminders is the dependable route, or you can type a reminder yourself in the app.
Is it okay to ask for a deposit in a DM?
Yes, as long as you say which services need one and what happens to it if they cancel. Send the payment link from your booking or payment system, and treat the slot as held only once the deposit is in.
What comment keyword works for a salon Reel?
A short word tied to the post that everyone spells the same way, such as LOOK, BOOK or CUT. Avoid COLOUR, which many people write as COLOR, and words people type anyway, like LOVE or WOW.
Should AI replies answer salon questions?
For facts you write down, such as prices, hours, parking and policies, they can save a lot of typing. In DMFast, AI replies answer only from the business info you provide, one credit per reply. Keep photo quotes, allergy questions and complaints with a person.
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