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Instagram auto-replies for interior designers

Comment SOURCE under a room reveal and get every piece's link by DM: that's Instagram DM automation for an interior designer, and it works the same way for paint colours, e-design spots and fee questions. Each reveal brings a run of “where's the rug from?” comments, and the auto-reply answers them all, so your evenings go to clients rather than sourcing questions.

Updated 6 October 2026

Comment words for interior designers

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

SOURCE
Where everything in the room came from: furniture, rug, lighting, art and paint, with a link to each piece that's still on sale.
PAINT
The paint colours and finishes in the room, wall by wall, with a note on the light they were photographed in.
FEES
How you charge (a flat fee, hourly or per room), your minimum project size and what a typical project includes.
EDESIGN
Your online design service: what one room's package includes, the price, the turnaround and the next start date.
CONSULT
What happens at a first consultation or site visit, how long it takes, what it costs and how to book one.
RUG
The rug size guide for a living room, a bedroom and a dining table, with a sketch of each layout.
LIGHTING
A lighting checklist for each room: ambient, task and accent light, and where the switches should go.
STYLE
A short style quiz with a page on each result, so people can name what they like before they brief a designer.

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.

  • Source list from a room reveal Reel

    Someone comments on your post

    SOURCE

    Public reply under their comment

    Every source is in your DMs ✨

    First DM (plain text)

    Thank you for the kind words about this room. I've listed every piece, from the sofa to the bedside lamps, with where to buy each one. Would you like the list? Reply and I'll send it.Yes pleaseShop the living roomSee the sources

    Sourcing questions pile up under every reveal, and answering them one at a time can take an evening. Once they reply, a product carousel can show the main pieces with a button each. Turn on “Only send to followers” if growing the account matters more right now than reaching every commenter.

  • Paint colours from a morning-and-evening carousel

    Someone comments on your post

    PAINT

    Public reply under their comment

    The colours are in your DMs now

    First DM (plain text)

    Thanks for asking. The walls, ceiling and woodwork are three different colours, and I've noted the finish for each. Want the list? Reply here and it's yours.Yes pleasePaint colours for this roomGet the colours

    Paint questions often come from people decorating on their own who may never hire a designer, and that's fine: the list goes out without costing you any time. Add a line suggesting a sample pot on their own wall, since the same colour looks different in every room's light.

  • E-design spots from a Story

    Replied to your story

    EDESIGNThanks for replying. Which room are you thinking about? The page below shows what an e-design package includes, the price per room and when the next spots open.E-design: one room, start to finishSee e-design

    E-design suits people outside your area or below your full-service minimum. A Story announcing a few spots each month gets replies from exactly those people, and because they wrote first, the details arrive with the first message. Knowing the room gives your follow-up a place to start.

  • Fee guide for “how much do you charge?” messages

    FEESThanks for getting in touch. Is this one room or a whole home? It changes the cost a lot, so the guide below explains how I charge for each, along with my minimum project size.Design fees and what's includedSee the fee guide

    Add PRICE, COST and BUDGET as extra keywords. A clear fee guide filters out budgets that don't fit before anyone books a consultation, and the room-or-home answer gives your personal reply a starting point. Keep discounts and custom quotes for that reply.

Freebies worth commenting for

  • A rug size guide for living rooms, bedrooms and dining tables, with a sketch of each layout
  • A measuring guide for before you buy: rooms, windows, and the doorways a sofa has to fit through
  • Your ten most-used paint colours, with notes on how each looks in north- and south-facing rooms
  • A lighting checklist with ambient, task and accent light for every room
  • A curtain guide: how high and how wide to hang the pole so windows look bigger
  • A renter's list of upgrades that leave no holes in the walls
  • A before-you-hire checklist: budget, timeline and the questions to ask any designer
  • A room-by-room budget worksheet for a full renovation
  • A moodboard template with space for colours, fabrics and the pieces you're keeping
  • Three furniture layouts for the same small living room

What people ask an interior designer in DMs

Two groups write to a designer: followers who want to copy a room, and homeowners who might hire you. The first group asks where things are from; the second asks what you charge and whether you work where they live. Both can get an automatic first answer, just not the same one.

They askSend automaticallyAnswer yourself when
Where is the sofa from?SOURCE, with a link to each pieceIt was made to order or is no longer sold
What's the wall colour?PAINT, wall by wallThey want help choosing for their own room: that's a colour consultation
How much do you charge?FEES, with your minimum project sizeThey share a budget and ask what it would cover
Do you work in my city?Your service area, and EDESIGN for anywhere elseIt's a large project just outside your usual area
How long would a kitchen take?A page on how your timelines work, with no promised datesAlways, since lead times and builders vary
Can I use my own builder?How you work with contractorsThey've already hired someone and want you to step in

Tip: If you earn commission on the SOURCE links, say so in the message or on the card. Advertising regulators in the US and the UK expect affiliate links to be labelled clearly, wherever you share them.

Posts that bring in design enquiries

  • A slow pan across a finished room, with SOURCE for the list. Open on the piece people will ask about, not the doorway.
  • The same room photographed at 9am and 6pm, with PAINT, to show how the colour shifts through the day.
  • Before-and-after floor plans of a small living room, with RUG for the guide behind the new layout.
  • How a project runs, from the first visit to installation day, with CONSULT.
  • A client's room finished on an e-design plan, posted with their permission, with EDESIGN.
  • A quiz sticker in Stories (“Japandi or mid-century?”) followed by STYLE for the full quiz.

The year has its rush points: people want rooms finished before family visits at the end of the year, and new homeowners get in touch in spring and summer. Made-to-order furniture can take months to arrive, so post your cut-off date for holiday projects early and add it to the FEES card.

From DM to signed project

  1. FEES or CONSULT sends the guide, and the card links to the page where people book a consultation, paid or free.
  2. Before the visit, ask for photos, rough measurements and a budget range through your own form, so the first meeting starts with facts.
  3. Send the proposal and contract by email. A full project takes weeks to decide on, and email keeps every version in one place.
  4. When the project is finished, invite the client to tag you if they post the room. A story-mention auto-reply can thank them with a short note and a link to leave a review.

Designing from India? The DMFast store can take paid bookings for online colour consultations, sell templates as digital products and give away the rug guide for an email, with payments through Razorpay and no DMFast fee on sales.

Before you post a client's home

  • Get written permission for every photo, and agree on what stays out of shot: house numbers, the view from the windows, family photos and anything valuable.
  • If a photographer shot the project, they usually own the copyright. Check that your licence covers Instagram, and credit them as agreed.
  • Keep trade pricing private. Link to retail prices on the source list, or say a piece came through the trade.
  • Some keywords double as compliments. “Love the rug” would set off RUG on a reveal, and “the lighting in this shot” would set off LIGHTING, so attach those two to their own guide posts only. Anyone typing SOURCE or PAINT wants the answer.
  • Meta allows one private reply per comment, within 7 days, and comments made during an Instagram Live can only get one while the Live is on. On a reveal that takes off, Instagram stops at 750 private replies an hour; DMFast stays under 700 and queues the rest, which still go out within those 7 days.

Messages to copy

Questions people ask

Can the DM show the products themselves, not just a link?

Yes, after the first message. The first reply to a commenter has to be plain text, so it asks them to reply. Once they do, DMFast can send a product carousel of up to 10 cards, each with a photo, a name, a price and its own button.

Should I only send sources to people who follow me?

It's an option on Instagram. With “Only send to followers” on, DMFast checks whether the person follows you and, if not, asks them to follow and tap a button before the list arrives. It can grow the account, but some commenters won't bother, so you might keep it for the rooms people ask about most.

Can it answer questions about a client's project?

Keep those personal. Keyword replies send the same message to everyone, and AI replies on the Growth and Business plans only use the business information you write, so they know your fees and process, not a particular client's kitchen. Project questions belong in email, alongside the drawings and quotes.

I mostly design kitchens and bathrooms. Does this still fit?

Yes, with different words. Swap SOURCE and PAINT for TILES or LAYOUT, and send a cost-range guide alongside your fee guide, since people planning a kitchen usually want to know the total budget, not only your fee.

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Words to know

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Answer every SOURCE 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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