By business · Online shops and brands

Instagram auto-replies for handmade sellers

A maker's inbox fills while the hands are busy: “can you make one in green?”, “how much for two?”, “why is it that price?”. Comment-to-DM answers the fixed questions while you work at the bench. Below: words that fit craft sellers, four set-ups, freebies and the rules for selling things you make yourself.

Updated 6 October 2026

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Comment words for handmade and craft sellers

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

CUSTOM: How a made-to-order piece works: what you ask the buyer, the colours and sizes on offer, the lead time and the deposit.
PRICE: The price list for the piece in the post, with what the price includes and the cost of postage.
RESTOCK: A place on the list for the next batch, so you can email people when the kiln, loom or workbench has produced more.
MARKET: Your next craft fair dates and stall location, with a note on whether you take pre-orders to collect there.
PATTERN: A free beginner pattern, template or tutorial from your craft, sent to people who ask how it was made.
WHOLESALE: Terms for shops that want to stock your work: minimum order, lead time, and how to request a line sheet.
CARE: How to wash, hang or store the piece so it lasts, for the material the person bought or is thinking of buying.
STUDIO: Details of open studio days, workshops or visits, with how many places are left and how to book one.

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 order enquiries from a process Reel
Someone comments on your post
CUSTOM
Public reply under their comment
Thanks! Sent you the details 🧶
First DM (plain text)
Lovely to hear from you. What would you like made, and is there a date you need it for? Reply with both and I'll tell you if it's possible and how the process runs.Yes pleaseMade to order: how it worksSee the process
A Reel of a piece being shaped or stitched makes viewers want their own. Asking for the idea and the date at once tells you whether a wedding or birthday deadline is realistic before you spend time on a quote.
Price list when someone asks “how much?”
Someone comments on your post
PRICE
Public reply under their comment
Sending prices now, check your DMs
First DM (plain text)
Thanks for asking. Which piece are you thinking of, and where would it be posted to? Reply and I'll send the price with postage included for your address.Yes pleasePrices and postageSee prices
Handmade pieces often have no price in the caption, so the same question lands under every post. Asking where it ships lets you give a real total, which cuts the follow-up about postage.
Next craft fair from a Story
Replied to your story
MARKETGlad you want to come. Are you hoping to buy something in particular? Tell me and I'll check what I'm bringing, and send the stall details and times.Craft fair dates and stallSee the dates
Fairs are where a maker sells the most in a weekend. A Story reply is a local fan who wrote first, so the details can follow at once, and their answer shows which pieces to pack.
Wholesale enquiries from DMs
WHOLESALEThanks for your interest in stocking the range. What kind of shop do you run, and roughly how many pieces are you thinking of? Reply and I'll send the terms.Wholesale terms and line sheetView the terms
Shop owners write in the same inbox as buyers and are easy to miss. Giving them their own word sends the enquiry to the right page and tells you how big the order might be.

Freebies worth commenting for

A beginner pattern for your simplest item, such as a granny-square coaster or a basic tote, with a materials list
A one-page colour card showing every glaze, dye or thread shade you offer, with the names you use
A made-to-order checklist: what to decide before ordering, how long each step takes and when the deposit is due
A care card for each material you work in, printable to slip into parcels
A gift-buying guide by price, with the last posting date for each shipping option
A behind-the-scenes sheet of your process in six photos, for people curious why handmade costs more
A line sheet for shops: product photos, wholesale prices, minimum order and lead times
A craft fair calendar for the season with stall numbers and pre-order details

The questions a maker gets in DMs

Handmade buyers ask because every piece is slightly different. Many questions repeat though, and the repeating ones can be answered the moment they arrive.

They ask	Send automatically	Answer yourself when
Can you make it in another colour?	The CUSTOM page with the colours you offer	They want a shade or size you have never made
How much is it?	The PRICE list with postage for their country	They want several pieces and a bundle price
How long will it take?	Your lead time and the order steps	They need it by a date inside your normal lead time
Is it machine washable?	The CARE card for that material	They ask about a reaction or an allergy to a material
Do you ship abroad?	Your shipping regions and typical times	Customs forms or an unusual destination are involved
Can I sell your work in my shop?	The WHOLESALE terms	Always: a shop wants a conversation and samples

Tip: Put your real lead time in the first message, not “soon”. A buyer who knows it takes three weeks and still replies is worth far more than one who expected next week.

Posts that bring in comments from buyers

A time-lapse of one piece from raw material to finished, with CUSTOM in the caption for people who want one made for them.
A kiln, loom or press opening, with RESTOCK for the people waiting on that batch.
A flat-lay of what you are bringing to the fair, with MARKET for the date, place and pre-orders.
A short “how it is made” tutorial, with PATTERN for the free template.
A price-explained post that shows the hours behind one item, with PRICE for the full list.
A packing Reel showing how parcels are wrapped, with CARE for the guide tucked inside.

Handmade sales spike before Christmas, Mother's Day, and any local festival with a fair. Makers also have a hard limit on hours, so set the order cut-off in the card text and update it when the studio is full.

Taking orders without losing the personal touch

Someone comments CUSTOM and answers the question about their idea and date. You open the thread and already know the brief.
The card explains lead time, colours and deposit, so your first human message can be a quote rather than an explanation.
Move agreed orders to email or your own order form. Ask for an email in the follow-up so the order does not live only in a chat thread.
Close the books when you are full. Edit the first message to say your next opening, so nobody waits for a reply that is not coming.

Selling from India? The DMFast store can sell digital goods such as a pattern PDF or an online workshop, and take 1-on-1 bookings, with payments through Razorpay. The physical pieces sell from your own shop or marketplace page.

What to check when you sell what you make

Products for children, such as toys and soft items, often carry safety testing and labelling duties. The rules differ by country, so check them before you promise anything in a reply.
Cosmetics, candles, food and anything worn on skin usually have their own rules on ingredients, labels and liability. This page cannot say what applies where you live.
Do not describe a product as “organic”, “natural” or “hypoallergenic” unless you can back it up.
Using patterns, characters or fonts that belong to someone else in things you sell can bring copyright complaints. Say in the PATTERN message that the pattern is for personal use if that is what you mean.
Instagram lets an account send one private reply per comment, within 7 days, and caps those replies at 750 an hour. DMFast stays under 700.
Choose words that are not everyday speech. A word like LOVE fires on every compliment, while CUSTOM and WHOLESALE are unlikely to.

Messages to copy

Questions people ask

Can the first DM include my price list as a link?

Not when someone comments. Instagram allows no links or buttons in that first message, so it asks a short question, and the card with the price list follows once they answer. If they message you first or reply to a Story, the card can go straight out.

I make one-off pieces. Will it send people to something already sold?

It sends whatever link you set, and has no way of knowing a piece has sold. For one-offs, point the card to a page that you keep up to date, or change the message when a piece goes. A restock word for the next batch also helps.

Does it replace my marketplace shop?

No. It answers questions on Instagram and Facebook, and the card can link to your own site, a marketplace listing or an order form. DMFast does not connect to those platforms or take your orders for physical goods.

Can I use it for craft fair pre-orders?

Yes, as a way to collect them. A Story or comment word asks what the person wants and sends your pre-order details, and you can export collected emails as a CSV. Payment and holding stock stay in your own system.

Can it answer questions it was not set up for?

On the Growth and Business plans, AI replies are written only from the information you give them, at one credit per reply. Add your lead times, materials and shipping rules, and leave out anything you want to answer yourself.

Related businesses

Words to know

More businesses

Answer every CUSTOM 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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