What to send when someone replies to your Story

Tap a card to copy the message. Swap anything in braces, like {name}, for your own words before you send it.

• Reply to an emoji reaction

  Copy

  Ha, thank you! Glad that one made you smile. What would you like to see in my Stories next week?

  Emoji reactions pile up after a popular Story and are easy to leave hanging. One question back turns a tap into a conversation; three questions turn it into homework.

• “Where's this from?”

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  Good eye! It's from our new range, and this is the exact one from the Story: {link} It comes in two other colours too, if that shade isn't quite you.

  Link the product page, not your shop's home page. Someone asking where it's from wants the one thing they saw, not a search.

• The link, after a reply with the word

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  Here's the link from today's Story: {link} You're getting this automatic message because you replied LINK. Any questions about it? Send them here and I'll answer myself.

  Name the word they sent, so the message still makes sense to someone who replied in passing and forgot. Saying it's automatic also covers Meta's rule for automated chats.

• Thanks for a vote by reply

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  Vote counted, thank you! It's close so far. I'll post the result in my Stories on {time}.

  Poll stickers keep votes on the Story, where no auto-reply can see them. Asking people to reply A or B brings every vote into your DMs, where each one can be answered.

• Price question on a product Story

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  That one's ₹1,499, and delivery is free. Every size and colour is on this page: {link} Tell me your size and I'll check it's in stock.

  Give the number in the first line. A reply that only says “check the link” feels like a dodge to someone who asked a simple question.

• “When can I buy it?” on a sneak peek

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  Not long now: it goes on sale on {time}. Want a heads-up? Send me your email and I'll write to you the moment it's live.

  If the launch is more than a day off, an automated DM can't reach them on the day, because their 24 hours will have run out. An email can, so ask for one.

• Asking when you'll be live

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  I'm going live on {time}! Tap the countdown sticker on my Story and Instagram will remind you when it hits zero, so you don't have to keep checking.

  An automated DM reminder days later isn't allowed once their 24 hours are up. The countdown sticker's reminder has no such limit and reaches everyone who tapped it.

• “What's the song?”

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  It's right there in the Story: the song's title and artist run along the top, just under my username.

  That only works for music added from Instagram's own library. If the track came from somewhere else, name it yourself in the reply.

• The offer has already ended

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  Thanks for replying! That code expired at midnight, I'm afraid. Here's what's on this week instead: {link}

  A Story stays up for 24 hours, so an offer that ends at midnight can still be on screen the next morning. Delete or replace the Story when the offer closes.

• When someone shares something personal

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  Thank you for trusting me with this. I've read every word, and I want to answer it properly rather than in a rush, so I'll write back tonight.

  Answer these yourself. A cheerful automatic reply with a shop link, sent to someone who has just opened up, is the worst thing a catch-all can do.

• Reply to criticism

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  Thanks for telling me directly instead of scrolling past. I can see why it came across that way. What would have made it more useful for you?

  Reply privately and calmly, and don't reshare their message to make a point. Someone who takes the trouble to write usually wants to be heard more than to win.

• Automatic hand-off to a person

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  Good question, and one I'd rather answer myself than leave to an automatic reply. I'll get back to you here by {time}.

  A good catch-all for Stories that draw questions you can't predict: it admits it's automatic and promises a time. Keep the promise, or change the time.

• A brand pitch in your Story replies

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  Thanks for getting in touch! I keep all brand conversations in one place so nothing slips through: could you send the details by email? The address is on my profile.

  Story replies are quick and casual, and deals need a paper trail. Email keeps the terms, dates and fees where you can find them later.

1. 1A reply to your Story reaches your DMs as a message from that person. Through Meta's API, which every automation tool uses, you then have 24 hours from their latest message to answer.
2. 2Because they wrote first, your answer can include links and buttons from the start. The plain-text-first rule applies only to private replies to comments.
3. 3If someone who doesn't follow you replies and you haven't chatted before, the conversation starts in your Requests folder rather than the main inbox. You can still answer it.
4. 4After the 24 hours, Meta's human agent tag lets a real person reply through the API for up to 7 days, for support only, never for promotions.
5. 5Automatic replies must make clear that they're automated, under Meta's policy for automated chats.
6. 6Views and Story likes aren't messages, so no official tool can DM the people who only watched or liked a Story.

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