By business · Health

Instagram auto-replies for opticians

An optician's day runs between a test room and a frame wall, and the messages pile up: is my pair ready, can you fit a child, how much for new lenses. Comment-to-DM handles those practical questions. It never reads a prescription or judges a symptom, and the page shows what to leave to a person.

Updated 6 October 2026

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Comment words for opticians

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

EYETEST: How an eye test works in your practice: how long it takes, what to bring, the fee or whether it is free and the next free appointment time.
FRAMES: This season's frames grouped by face shape, size or budget, with which ones you can try on in store and the brands you hold.
CONTACTS: How a contact lens fitting works: the trial, the aftercare checks, how to order refills and the difference between daily and monthly lenses.
KIDS: Your children's page: the frames that survive playgrounds, how long a child's eye test takes and what to do to help a nervous four-year-old.
REPAIR: What you can fix while someone waits, such as a loose screw, a nose pad or a bent arm, and what needs to go away or be replaced.
READY: How collection works: where you contact people when glasses are ready, the opening hours, how long you hold an order and what to bring.
SUNGLASSES: Your prescription sunglasses range: which frames suit which prescriptions, tint options and how long the order takes.

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.

Frame appointments from a try-on Reel
Someone comments on your post
FRAMES
Public reply under their comment
Frame details are in your DMs 👓
First DM (plain text)
Thanks for the comment. Do you wear glasses every day, or mainly for screens and driving? And roughly what budget did you have in mind? Reply and I'll send the frames we'd show you and how to book a fitting.Yes pleaseFrames to try in storeSee the frames
Frame choice depends on how often they are worn, so the daily-or-occasional question steers the shortlist. A budget is easier to give in a DM than at the counter, and staff can set aside a few pairs before the visit.
Eye-test bookings for “do you have a slot?” messages
EYETESTThanks for asking. When did you last have your eyes tested, and do you have any problem with your vision at the moment? Reply and I'll send how to book. If your sight has suddenly changed, please phone us or an eye casualty service today.Book an eye testSee times
The second question sends a sudden change in sight to the phone and not the booking page. The first tells the front desk whether this is a routine recall or a first visit, which affects the length of the slot.
Parents' enquiries from a children's glasses post
Someone comments on your post
KIDS
Public reply under their comment
Sent to your DMs, thanks for commenting
First DM (plain text)
Thanks for the comment. How old is your child, and have they had an eye test before? Reply and I'll send how a children's test works and which frames we recommend for active kids.Yes pleaseEye tests and glasses for childrenRead the guide
Parents of young children want to know what the test involves before they take a day off. The age answer decides whether the card talks about picture charts or school reading, and staff learn whom to expect.
Collection hours when someone asks if glasses are ready
Replied to your story
READYThanks for the message. Do you collect on weekdays or at weekends, and which number did you leave when you ordered? Reply and I'll send our hours and how collection works. A member of the team will check your order and write back.Collecting your glassesSee hours and details
DMFast cannot see an order, so this reply promises only hours and a human follow-up. Asking for the number they ordered under lets the team find the order quickly and keeps full names and prescription details out of the thread.

Freebies worth commenting for

A guide to getting ready for an eye test: what to bring, a list of medicines and what the optician will ask about work and screens
A face-shape and frame-size guide for choosing glasses, with how to tell a good fit from a pair that slips
A first-week-in-glasses sheet for new wearers on what is normal to notice and when to call back
A contact lens care routine, general information only, with the numbers to call if an eye is red or sore
A children's glasses checklist for parents: fit, materials and how often to check, with a school letter template
A guide to reading the numbers on a prescription, explained in general terms without interpreting anyone's own
A care sheet for glasses: cleaning, storage, and what a lens cloth should and should not do
A short guide to choosing prescription sunglasses for driving or cycling, with what to ask in store

What people message an optician about

Most messages concern appointments, frames and collection. A few concern a symptom, and those must not wait on an automation. Sort them by what the person is really asking.

They ask	Send automatically	Answer yourself when
Can I book an eye test?	The EYETEST card, with how to book	They want a particular optometrist or a home visit
How much are new lenses?	A guide to what affects the price, in general	They need the quote for a specific prescription
Is my order ready?	READY, with hours and how you contact people	Always, to check the order
Can you fix my arm that snapped?	The REPAIR card	A frame is valuable, unusual or under guarantee
I see flashes and a dark curtain.	Nothing: tell them to contact an emergency eye service now	Always, at once
Is this prescription right for me?	Nothing automatic: they should call or visit	Always

No clinical advice, and no prescriptions in DMs

Keep automatic replies to practice facts: hours, how a test works, how to order and where to collect. Do not let one interpret a prescription, say what a symptom means or judge whether a pair is right. A customer may send a photo of their prescription. Ask them to bring it in, rather than reading it over DM.

Tip: If you use AI replies on the Growth or Business plan, tell it that sudden changes in vision, pain, flashes or an injury to the eye always get the phone number and the emergency eye-care route, and a note that the team will follow up. Test with a handful of worrying messages.

Posts that earn comments in an optical shop

A Reel trying five frames on one person, with FRAMES for the shortlist.
A close-up of a repair being made at the bench, with REPAIR.
A child choosing a pair, with the parent's consent, and KIDS for the guide.
Walking through a contact lens fitting appointment with a colleague, with CONTACTS.
A new sunglasses display, with SUNGLASSES in the caption for the lens options.
A Story showing the test room and what the first five minutes involve, with EYETEST.

Optical shops often get a rush in September, when school restarts, and before summer holidays when people want sunglasses. Many also see a burst in January as unused insurance or benefits come up. Check your own appointment book first, then switch the matching words on a few weeks early.

Regulation and claims to check

Who may sell what. Rules on who can fit contact lenses, who may dispense and whether an in-date prescription is needed differ by country. Check yours before a reply mentions ordering without a test.
Claims about lenses. Be careful with promises about eye strain, screen light or slowing a child's short sight. Describe what a lens is, not what it will do for a person, and check your regulator's guidance.
Prices. Say “from” only if people really pay that, and state what the price includes: the frame, the lenses, any coatings.
Photos of people. Get consent before showing a customer or a child wearing a pair.
Health data. A prescription and an eye history are health information. Keep them in your clinic system and out of Instagram threads.
Meta's rules. One private reply per comment within 7 days, and messages only within 24 hours of someone's last message, so recall reminders belong in your own system.

Messages to copy

Questions people ask

Can it tell a customer whether their glasses are ready?

No. It cannot see your orders or your workshop. It can send your collection hours and a message that the team will check, so someone on staff still replies with the real answer. Ask for a phone number, not a full name and prescription.

Can it book an eye test?

Not by itself. DMFast sends the message and a card with your booking page or phone number, and your own diary confirms the slot. It does not connect to practice software or see appointments. In India, the store can take free or paid 1-on-1 calls, but tests happen in the practice.

Should an AI reply ever talk about someone's vision problem?

No. AI replies on the Growth and Business plans answer only from the information you give them, so give them hours, how a test works and your frames. Tell them to hand any symptom to the phone line or an eye casualty service and say a person will reply.

Can I message people when their eye test is due again?

Not through Instagram. Automated messages reach only people who wrote to you in the last 24 hours, and official tools cannot send mass DMs. Use your own recall system or the email list from a lead magnet for reminders.

Will the word FRAMES fire on every comment?

It fires when a comment contains it as a word, on the post you attach it to, so a comment about someone's “photo frames” under a frames Reel would also trigger it. Each person is answered once a day per auto-reply, and link or promo-spam comments are skipped.

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Answer every FRAMES 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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