By business · Food and drink

Instagram auto-replies for bakeries

A bakery's inbox fills with the same few things: can you make a cake for Saturday, what flavours, is it nut free, do you have any loaves left? Comment-to-DM collects the date and the size first and sends the order steps. Below are the words bakers use, four set-ups, freebies and the rules to check.

Updated 6 October 2026

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Comment words for bakeries

Ask people to comment one word in your caption or video. Each word sends something different.

CAKE: How custom cakes work: the sizes and what each serves, the flavours, the notice you need, the deposit and how a collection or delivery is arranged.
PREORDER: Your pre-order list for the next bake or holiday boxes, with the closing date, the collection slots and what is limited.
WHOLESALE: How cafes and shops can stock your bread or pastries: the order minimum, the delivery days and the cut-off for next-morning orders.
CLASS: Your baking workshops: the dates, what is covered, how long they last, the price per person and what people take home.
VEGAN: Your vegan and egg-free bakes with the days they are made, plus a plain note about whether they share a kitchen with dairy and eggs.
TASTING: How a cake tasting works for a wedding or a big party: the box of samples, the cost and whether it counts toward the final order.
STARTER: A sourdough starter feeding schedule, and how to collect a jar of yours, for the people who keep asking how the loaves are made.
SOLDOUT: A note for people who missed out: when the next batch comes out, how to reserve for tomorrow and who gets first pick.

4 set-ups to try

Each one shows the conversation it creates. After a comment, the first DM is plain text, as Meta requires, and the link follows once they answer.

Custom cake requests from a decorating Reel
Someone comments on your post
CAKE
Public reply under their comment
Cake details are in your DMs 🎂
First DM (plain text)
Lovely to hear. What date do you need it for, and roughly how many people will it serve? Reply with those and I'll send our flavours, sizes and how ordering works.Yes pleaseCustom cakes: sizes and orderingSee how to order
A baker can only say yes once they know the date and the headcount. Those two answers show whether the diary has room and which size to quote, before anyone spends time talking about flavours.
Holiday box pre-orders from a Story
Replied to your story
PREORDERThanks for asking. Which day would you like to collect, and would you like the box for yourself or to give as a gift? Reply and I'll send what's inside and how to reserve one.Pre-order list and collection slotsReserve a box
Holiday boxes are limited by oven time, not demand. A collection day tells you how to space the slots, and the gift answer shows who needs a card or a ribbon added to the order.
Wholesale enquiries from shops and cafes
WHOLESALEThanks for getting in touch. What kind of place do you run, and which of our bakes are you thinking of stocking? Reply and I'll send the minimum order and the delivery days.Wholesale: terms and delivery daysSee the terms
A cafe that wants twenty croissants every morning is a different customer from a shop that wants a few loaves on Fridays. Their answer shows if your oven and your van can manage it, and you decide who to take on.
Workshop places from a class Reel
Someone comments on your post
CLASS
Public reply under their comment
The class dates are in your DMs 🥖
First DM (plain text)
Glad you want to join. Have you baked bread before, and would you come on your own or with a friend? Reply and I'll send the dates, the price and what's included.Yes pleaseBaking classes and datesChoose a class
Classes run at a fixed size, and many people book with a friend. Their experience shows if a beginner session fits, and the number of places gives you a first signal of how fast the date will fill.

Freebies worth commenting for

A cake size and servings chart, showing how many portions each tin size gives for a party or a wedding
A cake order checklist: date, servings, flavour, dietary needs, the message on top and collection details
A sourdough starter feeding schedule with the signs that it is ready to bake
A storage and freezing guide: how long each bake keeps and how to refresh bread in the oven
A guide to flavour pairings for celebration cakes, with the combinations you bake most
A pre-order calendar for the festive weeks, with the closing date for each box
A starter recipe for a loaf that beginners can make, with the common mistakes that stop it rising
A first-order discount for people who sign up with an email

What customers ask a bakery in DMs

Bakery messages are time-bound: a birthday on a certain Saturday, a loaf for tomorrow, a box before a holiday. A fast answer wins the order, and a vague one loses it to a shop that replied.

Question	Automatic reply	Answer yourself when
Can you make a cake for Saturday?	The CAKE guide, including the notice you need	The date is inside your normal notice and you have space
Do you have any sourdough left?	A SOLDOUT note with the next bake time	You can check the shelf and a loaf is being held
Is the chocolate cake nut free?	Your allergen and dietary page	Always: confirm what is in the bake and how it is made
Do you do vegan birthday cakes?	The VEGAN list and the notice for them	They need a design that is not on your list
Can I stock your bread in my shop?	The WHOLESALE terms	Always: you choose who to supply
Do you offer tastings for a wedding?	The TASTING page and what it costs	The wedding is a big date and needs a call

Tip: Ask for the date first on every cake enquiry. A date that is already full saves you from describing flavours to someone you cannot serve.

Posts that earn comments from the oven

A Reel of a loaf being scored just before it goes into the oven, with PREORDER for next week's bake.
A cake being piped or covered, ending on the finished cake in a box, with CAKE for the order steps.
A cross-section of croissants, the layers showing, with a reply word for the next morning's list.
A tray of the last loaves at closing time, with SOLDOUT so people hear when the next batch is ready.
A day at the wholesale drop, with the van loaded, and WHOLESALE for other businesses.
A class table with flour on every surface, and CLASS for the next dates.

Bakeries run on seasons: Valentine's Day, Easter, Eid, Diwali and the weeks before Christmas, depending on your customers. The pre-order list should go live before the first Reel about it, since people reply the moment they see a finished box. Change the first message when a date sells out.

From a comment to a booked bake

The comment starts a DM that asks for the date and the size, or the collection day for a box.
The card opens your order page, price list or class dates. DMFast does not take payment for cakes or check your diary, so the page you link to does, and unusual dates are your call.
Use email capture on the sizing chart or the pre-order calendar. Export the emails as a CSV and send the next holiday list to them directly.
After a deadline closes, update the first message so a late commenter hears about the next slot instead.

Selling from India? The DMFast store can sell a baking guide or recipe pack as a digital product, give a free chart in exchange for an email, and take paid or free 1-on-1 bookings, for example a cake consultation. Payments go through Razorpay, with no DMFast fee on sales. Cakes and loaves themselves are ordered through your own channels.

Rules and risks for bakeries

Allergens. Food rules usually name the main allergens, such as nuts, gluten, milk and eggs, and they differ by country. Check what you must label, and keep a current chart.
Home bakers. Many places allow a small home kitchen to sell certain foods but limit what and how, and require registration or a licence. Check the rules where you live before you take orders.
Prices and deposits. A custom cake is made for one person, so say what happens to the deposit if they cancel. Write it on the order page.
Cake photos. A picture of a customer's cake is their moment too. Ask first, and leave out names and addresses on the box.
Wording. “Gluten free” is a claim that may be regulated. Do not use it unless your kitchen and your recipes can back it up.
Limits. One private reply per comment, sent within 7 days, and no more than 750 an hour on an account. DMFast stays under 700 and queues the rest.

Messages to copy

Questions people ask

Can it take a cake order and a deposit on Instagram?

Not directly. DMFast does not take payment for cakes or check your diary. The card opens your order form or booking page, and the first message asks for the date and the headcount. In India, the DMFast store can take a paid booking for a consultation.

Will it tell someone a cake is nut free?

It should not. Send your allergen chart and ask what the person needs to avoid, and a baker should answer personally, since you know your kitchen. AI replies use only what you write, so leave out any claim about a specific bake.

Our bread sells out by ten. Can it say what is left?

Not live, because it cannot see your shelf. Use the SOLDOUT reply to say when the next bake comes out and how to pre-order for tomorrow. Update the message by hand on days with a special, and use a Story to show what is left.

Does it work if I bake from home?

Yes, with an Instagram Business or Creator account. You can run the same words and replies from a home kitchen, and your pre-order limits make the day manageable. Check the local rules for selling food from a home kitchen first.

Can I send my holiday pre-order list to past customers?

Not by DM. Automated messages reach only people who wrote to you in the last 24 hours, and mass DMs are not possible with official tools. Email the list you collected, and post a Story with a reply word for people on Instagram.

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Words to know

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Answer every CAKE comment in seconds

Pick a post and the word. DMFast replies under each comment, sends the DM and follows with your link once they answer, day and night. It can collect emails on the way. Free plan, no card.

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