By business · Professional services

Instagram auto-replies for freelancers

A freelancer gets the same three messages on repeat: are you free, what do you charge, can you do it for less. Comment-to-DM asks about the project first and sends your process page once they reply. It cannot read your calendar, so you decide who gets the next slot.

Updated 6 October 2026

Start free See the set-ups

Comment words for freelancers

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

RATES: How you price work, whether by project, day or retainer, what a typical job costs and what moves the figure up or down.
AVAILABLE: When your next slot opens, how far ahead you book and the one-line brief that helps you decide whether a job fits.
BRIEF: Your blank project brief: goals, deadline, budget range, who approves the work and what has already been tried.
PROCESS: How a project runs from first call to delivery: the steps, the rounds of feedback included and what each stage needs from the client.
PORTFOLIO: Three case studies chosen for the type of client who is asking, each with the problem, your part and the result.
RETAINER: How monthly work with you functions: the hours or deliverables, how unused time is handled and the notice period for ending it.
PAYMENT: Your payment terms in plain words: deposit, invoice due date, accepted methods and what happens when an invoice runs late.

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.

Pricing questions from a what-a-project-costs post
Someone comments on your post
RATES
Public reply under their comment
Thanks, pricing details are in your DMs 💬
First DM (plain text)
Thanks for the comment. What are you hoping to get done, and when does it need to be finished? Reply and I'll send how I price projects and what a typical job costs.Yes pleaseHow I price projectsSee pricing
A price post draws people comparing several freelancers. The goal and deadline tell you whether the job is in your range before either of you spends time on a call, and the post stays honest because the card shows the real range.
Calendar enquiries from a next-month Story
Replied to your story
SLOTThanks for replying. Is this a one-off project or something ongoing, and roughly when would you like to start? Reply and I'll send what I have open and how to book a first call.My availability and how to startBook a call
A Story saying you have two places left in November brings replies from people who are ready to spend. One-off versus ongoing is the question that decides whether you quote a project or a retainer, and the card keeps the booking page one tap away.
Brief template from a scope-creep Reel
Someone comments on your post
BRIEF
Public reply under their comment
Template coming your way, check your DMs 📝
First DM (plain text)
Thanks for watching. Do you already have a rough brief, or only an idea so far? Reply and I'll send the template I ask every new client to fill in before we talk.Yes pleaseProject brief templateGet the template
A Reel about a project that grew beyond its brief draws other freelancers and clients who have lived it. The template shows how you work, and an answer to the question tells you whether a person is ready to hire or just researching.
Retainer details for ongoing-work messages
RETAINERThanks for asking about ongoing work. How many hours or deliverables a month do you have in mind, and what is the work? Reply and I'll send how a retainer works with me.Monthly work: how it runsSee the details
Add MONTHLY and ONGOING to the same auto-reply. Retainer enquiries are the most valuable you get, but only if the monthly scope is agreed early, so the reply asks for a volume before it mentions a price.

Freebies worth commenting for

A one-page project brief template with space for goals, deadline, budget and who signs off
A kick-off checklist of what a client should send before day one: logins, files, contacts and examples they like
A rate worksheet that starts from the income you want and works back through costs, tax set-aside and unbillable days
Ten questions to ask a new client before accepting a project, with the answers that should make you pause
A plain-words payment terms template to adapt, with a note to have a local professional check it
A scope-change form for the day a client asks for something that was not in the original brief
A client offboarding checklist: final files, passwords handed back, a thank-you and what to do about a testimonial
A guide to what a freelancer needs from you on a first call, written for clients who have never hired one

What people ask a freelancer in DMs

A freelancer works alone, so there is nobody else to answer. The same questions arrive while you are on a call, on a deadline or on holiday. Some have a fixed answer. Others are a test of your boundaries.

They ask	Send automatically	Answer yourself when
What do you charge?	The RATES card, with a question about the project	They want a quote: you read the brief first
Are you free next month?	The AVAILABLE card	They need it sooner than your usual notice
Can you do a test piece first, for free?	Your policy on paid trials, written once	They are a large client or an old contact: use your judgement
Can you do it cheaper?	Nothing automatic	Always: you decide whether to drop scope or hold the price
Can you sign my NDA?	Nothing	Always, and have someone qualified read it
Can I pay you after the client pays me?	The PAYMENT card	Never, unless you agree it in writing yourself

Tip: Say what you do not do. A freelancer who lists ten services gets vague enquiries. A card that says what you take on, and what you will refer elsewhere, filters the replies for you.

Posts that bring in clients, and the word for each

A case-study carousel with the brief, the hours it took and what changed for the client, published with their permission, with PORTFOLIO for two similar projects.
A Reel on how a quote is built, with the price of a typical job on screen, and RATES for the full breakdown.
A short film of the part of a project that clients rarely see, with PROCESS for how a job runs.
A Story the day a slot opens, with AVAILABLE in the text.
A post about the red flags in a first message, with BRIEF for the template that avoids them.
A thread-style carousel on how invoices and deposits work, with PAYMENT for your terms.

Many freelancers see enquiries jump in January and September, when budgets reset and people return to work, and slump in the weeks around the end-of-year holidays and a quiet summer. Look at your own invoices for the months that fill up, put the matching words live before them and test each one by commenting from a second account.

From a comment to a first call

The first DM asks for the goal, the deadline or the type of work. The answer starts your fit check before you open a calendar.
The card opens your booking page, your brief form or an email address. DMFast does not sync diaries or hold dates for a client.
Hand out the brief template in return for an email. The CSV export gives you a list for the day you open new slots.
Use the single reminder for people who asked about rates and went quiet. Many are waiting for sign-off from a manager.
Reply yourself the same day to anyone who shares a budget and a date. Clients who do that are ready to decide.

A freelancer in India could use the DMFast store to take paid 1-on-1 discovery calls, give the brief template away for an email and sell a template pack as a digital product, with payments through Razorpay. The client project itself is invoiced your own way.

Things to check before you switch it on

Client confidentiality. Do not show a client's work, name or numbers without their written permission, and respect any NDA that limits what a portfolio can say.
Contracts and tax. Contract law, invoicing rules and tax on freelance income differ by country. Have a local professional check your terms template before you hand it out.
Testimonials. Quote a client only with their agreement, and never invent or edit one.
Results. Say what you did, not what the client will earn. Promising revenue or followers is a quick way to a dispute.
Accounts. Automation needs an Instagram Creator or Business account. A personal profile will not work, and switching is free.
Meta's limits. A comment can get one private reply, within 7 days. A message to someone can go out only within 24 hours of their last message, so chasing an unpaid invoice needs email.

Messages to copy

Questions people ask

Can the first DM include my pricing page link?

Not after a comment. Instagram allows only plain text in the first message to a commenter, so ask about the project and let DMFast send the card with your link once they reply. Someone who messages you first, or replies to a Story, gets the card straight away.

Will it quote a price for me?

No. It sends the message and the card you wrote, so a fixed range or a process page is fine, but a final price should come from you after reading the brief. AI replies on the Growth and Business plans stick to the business information you provide.

I work in two fields. Can I keep them apart?

Yes. Use different keywords for each, such as one word per service, and point each card at the right page. Keep the words distinct, since a keyword fires on the whole word wherever it appears. The Pro plan covers up to three accounts if you prefer separate profiles.

Can I message everyone who asked about rates last month?

Not through Instagram. Automated messages reach only people who wrote to you within 24 hours, and official tools do not allow mass DMs. Use the emails you collected with the brief template, and check your local rules on marketing messages.

Does it work for a Facebook Page as well?

Yes. Comments on Page posts and Messenger messages get the same keyword replies. Story replies and the follower gate exist only on Instagram. DMFast does not work with WhatsApp, Threads or a personal Instagram account.

Related businesses

Words to know

More businesses

Answer every RATES 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.

Start free