By business · Food and drink
Instagram auto-replies for cloud kitchens
A cloud kitchen has no door to walk through, so Instagram is where people first meet the food. They ask whether you deliver to their area, whether there is a direct order link and why a box arrived late. Comment-to-DM sends the answers. Below: words, four set-ups, freebies and what to check.
Updated 6 October 2026
Comment words for cloud kitchens
Ask people to comment one word in your caption or video. Each word sends something different.
- ORDER
- Your direct ordering page, with the delivery fee and the minimum order, for people who would rather skip the delivery apps and their markup.
- AREA
- The areas or postcodes you deliver to, the usual delivery time in each and how the fee changes as the distance grows.
- BULK
- Large and office orders: the lead time, the minimum number of boxes, the menu for groups and how invoices work for a company.
- WEEKLY
- A weekly meal plan: the days, the dishes, the price per week and how someone pauses or changes it before the cut-off.
- BRANDS
- A list of the delivery brands you run from the same kitchen, with the cuisine of each, so people can find the one they ordered from.
- ISSUE
- Steps for a late, cold or missing item: what to send, such as the order number and a photo, and when a reply will come.
- HOURS
- Opening hours for each brand, the last order time and which days the kitchen is closed for cleaning or a holiday.
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.
Direct orders from a dish Reel
Someone comments on your post
ORDERPublic reply under their comment
The order link is in your DMs 🥡First DM (plain text)
Glad that dish got you hungry. Which area should it be delivered to? Reply with it and I'll send whether we reach you, the delivery fee and how to order direct.Yes pleaseOrder direct from the kitchenOrder nowDelivery-only means the first thing to settle is reach. The area check removes people you cannot serve before they fall in love with a menu, and a direct order saves the commission that apps charge on each sale.
Delivery radius questions in DMs
AREAGood to check first. What's your postcode or neighbourhood, and when would you like it delivered? Reply and I'll send where we deliver and how long it usually takes.Delivery areas and timesSee our areasA delivery map is the most-asked fact for a business with no address to visit. Their location tells you if it is in range, and the time they name tells you if the rider can reach them in a good state.
Office lunches from a team-lunch Story
Replied to your story
BULKThanks for asking. How many people are you ordering for, and what day do you need it? Reply and I'll send the group menu, the lead time and how invoicing works.Group orders and lead timesSee group menusA kitchen can plan for forty boxes, not forty boxes by tomorrow. The headcount and the day tell you whether you can do it, and a company usually wants an invoice, which is a conversation for you and not a template.
Weekly meal plan from a prep-day Reel
Someone comments on your post
WEEKLYPublic reply under their comment
The weekly plan is in your DMs 🍱First DM (plain text)
Great, the plan suits busy weeks. How many days a week would you like meals, and do you eat meat, or are you vegetarian? Reply and I'll send the options and how to start.Yes pleaseWeekly meal plansStart a planRepeat customers are what a delivery-only kitchen runs on. Days per week sets the price band and the diet answer decides which menu to send, and your reply then deals with changes or pauses.
Freebies worth commenting for
- A delivery map of the areas you reach, with the usual time to each
- A first direct-order discount, so a customer tries ordering from you and not from an app
- A group-order menu for offices, with the price per head and the notice you need
- A weekly meal plan sample, with the dishes, portions and calories if you calculate them accurately
- A guide to reheating each dish, so it tastes as it should after thirty minutes in a bag
- A list of the brands you run from the kitchen, with the best-seller from each
- A festival or match-night party platter menu with the ordering cut-off
- A one-page guide to ordering for a dinner party: portions per person and which dishes travel best
What customers ask a cloud kitchen in DMs
Without a shop, the DM becomes the counter. Some questions come before an order and some after, and the after ones are the hardest: a cold box, a missing side, a late rider. Automate the first group and keep the second for a person.
| Question | Send automatically | Handle personally when |
|---|---|---|
| Do you deliver to my area? | The AREA reply, with times and fees | The address is on the edge of your range |
| Is there a cheaper way than the app? | The ORDER page for direct ordering | They want a price you do not offer |
| Can you do lunch for twenty on Friday? | The BULK pack and lead time | The date is too soon or the order too big |
| Which brand is this? | The BRANDS list | They cannot find the brand they ordered from |
| My order came late and cold. | The ISSUE steps and how to send a photo | Always: a person reviews it and offers a remedy |
| Are you open on Sunday night? | The HOURS reply with the last order time | A holiday has changed the kitchen's day |
Tip: Never let an automatic reply argue about a complaint. Collect the order number and a photo, say who will respond and by when, and then answer in your own words.
Posts that make people hungry and nearby
- A close shot of a box being sealed at the pass, with ORDER for the direct link.
- A map graphic of the areas you cover, with AREA for the times and fees to each.
- A pan across a long run of identical boxes on a Friday morning, with BULK for office lunches.
- A Reel of the kitchen on Sunday prep day, with WEEKLY for the meal plan.
- A behind-the-scenes post on how a second brand runs from the same kitchen, with BRANDS for the list.
- A late-night Story as the last orders go out, with HOURS for each brand's times.
Delivery demand spikes on rainy evenings, match nights, payday weekends and festivals, and falls when people travel. Weeks before a big date, post the word for the group menu. Because the words belong to posts, check that each reply names the right brand if several share one Instagram account.
Moving customers from apps to your own page
- The comment starts a DM that asks for the area or the headcount. That answer decides whether to send the order link or the group menu.
- The card opens your own ordering page. DMFast does not connect to delivery apps, riders or a point of sale, so the order, the payment and the dispatch happen where they do today.
- Capture emails with a first-order discount, export them as a CSV and use them for the menu changes and the weekend offers you run.
- Put your direct link in the link-in-bio page, with tracked links, so you can see which post sent people to it.
Based in India? The DMFast store can sell a recipe pack or a meal-planning guide as a digital product, give a free guide for an email and take paid or free 1-on-1 bookings, such as a menu consultation for a company. Payments go through Razorpay, and DMFast takes no fee on sales. Meal orders stay on your ordering page.
Rules and risks for a delivery-only business
- Licences. Food businesses usually need registration or a licence, and many places expect the number to appear on packaging, menus or listings. The rules differ by country and city, so check the ones that apply to you.
- Several brands, one kitchen. Some places expect that the real operator is named, so check how your area treats virtual brands before you post a menu that suggests a separate restaurant.
- Allergens. Delivery customers cannot ask the person at the counter, so the allergen guide matters more. Keep it current, and never let a template claim a dish is free of anything.
- Delivery times. State what you actually meet, and say that traffic and weather can change it.
- Reviews. Do not ask for only positive ones and do not offer a reward for a rating, since many platforms and consumer rules prohibit it.
- Limits. One private reply per comment, within 7 days, up to 750 an hour per account, and DMFast keeps under 700.
Messages to copy
Questions people ask
Does it connect to Swiggy, Zomato or other delivery apps?
No. DMFast has no integration with delivery apps, riders or a point of sale. It sends your messages and links, and the card can open your own ordering page. Orders and payments stay wherever you take them now.
Can it check if an address is in my delivery area?
It cannot look an address up. The first message asks for a postcode or neighbourhood, the card shows your areas and times, and you confirm edge cases by hand. AI replies use only the area information you write, so keep that list complete.
Should it answer complaints about a late order?
Only to collect the details. Send the steps, ask for an order number and a photo, and say when a person will reply. Then answer yourself, because refunds and apologies need a decision. AI replies should not offer a remedy that you have not approved.
I run three brands on one Instagram account. How do I separate them?
Give each brand its own words, such as the brand name, and its own first message and card. Or run each brand from its own Instagram account, which the Pro plan covers up to three accounts and Business up to ten.
Does it work with a Facebook Page for my kitchen?
Yes. Comments on your Page's posts and Messenger messages can get the same keyword replies. Story replies and “Only send to followers” are Instagram-only, so the BULK Story set-up applies to Instagram.
Related businesses
Words to know
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Answer every ORDER 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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