Comment-to-DM automation turns public comments into private conversations. Someone comments "interested!" on your ad, and they instantly get a DM with a link, a discount code, or a product recommendation. The public comment stays visible (social proof), while the real conversion happens in the inbox.
This works because of a simple dynamic: people who comment on ads are already warm. Moving them to a DM within seconds — while they are still on their phone — captures intent that would otherwise fade. This guide covers three ways to set it up, from free to fully automated.
Method 1: Meta Business Suite (Free)
Meta offers a native comment-to-message feature built into Business Suite. It is basic but free.
How to set it up
- Open Meta Business Suite on desktop (this feature is not available on mobile)
- Go to Inbox in the left sidebar
- Click Automations at the top
- Select Custom Keywords
- Name your automation and select Facebook or Instagram
- Enter your keywords or phrases that should trigger the DM
- Write your auto-reply message
- Save and activate
When someone comments with one of your keywords, Meta sends your pre-written message as a DM.
What it can do
- Send a single DM when a keyword is detected in a comment
- Basic personalization (first name, last name)
- Works on both Facebook and Instagram
- Completely free, no third-party tool needed
What it cannot do
- No conversation flow — it sends one message, that is it. No buttons, no follow-ups, no branching logic.
- No public reply to the comment (only the DM is sent)
- Limited number of keywords per automation, and matching is literal — "price" will not match "pricing"
- No way to distinguish intent: "great price!" and "terrible price" both trigger on "price"
- No integration with CRM, email, or external tools
- No analytics on automation performance
- Must be configured separately for each page
- Desktop setup only
When it makes sense
If you get fewer than 20-30 comments per day and just need a basic "comment LINK to get the details" setup, the native tool handles it without any cost or external tool.
Method 2: ManyChat (Free tier / Pro from $15/month)
ManyChat is the most widely used comment-to-DM tool. It is built around a visual flow builder that lets you design multi-step DM conversations triggered by comments.
How to set it up
- Connect your Facebook Page and/or Instagram account to ManyChat
- Go to Automation > Flows and create a new flow
- Add a trigger: "User comments on your post" (Facebook) or "Instagram Post and Reel Comments" (Instagram)
- Choose the scope: a specific post, any post, or (Instagram) the next post you publish
- Set keyword triggers: include keywords (e.g., "LINK", "INFO"), exclude keywords, or trigger on any comment
- Add a public reply (optional): a visible response under the comment, e.g., "Check your DMs!"
- Build the DM flow: drag-and-drop message blocks, buttons, quick replies, conditional branches, lead capture fields
- Publish the automation
What it can do
- Public reply + DM combo: Post a visible comment reply AND send a DM from the same automation
- Visual flow builder: Design multi-step conversations with branching logic, buttons, images, videos, and lead capture
- Template variety: Multiple public reply variants to avoid looking robotic
- Integrations: Connect to CRM, Zapier, Google Sheets, email marketing tools
- Sequences: Follow-up messages over time (Pro plan)
- Works on ads: Supports organic posts, boosted posts, and Ads Manager campaigns on Facebook. Instagram supports organic and boosted posts; dark posts require a workaround via the Partner App trigger.
- Auto-like: Automatically like the triggering comment (Facebook and Instagram)
What it cannot do
- Comment triggers are keyword-only. ManyChat has AI intent recognition, but it works inside DM conversations — not on the comment trigger itself. The comment trigger matches substrings or fires on any comment. You cannot say "trigger when someone asks about pricing" in natural language at the comment level.
- Public replies are templates, not AI-generated. You write the reply text with variables like first name. The tool cannot generate a contextual response based on what the comment or post actually says.
- No full moderation. ManyChat can auto-hide comments that match certain conditions, but it does not offer AI-powered moderation, sentiment analysis, or nuanced moderation rules. You cannot set up rules like "hide comments that mention competitors" or "hide negativity unless the person is asking a genuine question." Spam filtering is limited to basic keyword or condition matching.
- Instagram fires once per user per post. If the same person comments again on the same post (even with the correct keyword), the automation does not re-trigger. This is an Instagram API limitation that affects all tools.
- Free plan is very limited: 1,000 contacts max, 4 automations, 3 keyword triggers, ManyChat branding on messages.
Pricing
ManyChat Free includes comment automation but with tight limits: 1,000 contacts, 4 automations, 3 keyword triggers, and ManyChat branding on messages. Pro starts at $15/month for 500 contacts and scales with your contact list — 2,500 contacts is $25/month, 10,000 is $65/month, 50,000 is $245/month. Annual billing saves roughly 25%. The AI add-on (for intent recognition inside DM flows, not comment triggers) costs an additional $29/month.
When it makes sense
If you want to build complex DM funnels with branching logic, lead qualification, and CRM integration — and you are comfortable building flows in a visual editor — ManyChat is the most mature option. It excels at "comment INFO to get a discount code" campaigns where the DM flow is pre-planned and keyword-triggered.
Method 3: AI-Powered Comment Automation (ReplyZen)
ReplyZen takes a different approach: instead of keyword triggers and pre-built flows, it uses AI to detect intent and generate both the public reply and the DM dynamically.
How to set it up
- Go to Automations in your team dashboard
- Click Create automation (or start from a pre-built template)
- Describe when to trigger in natural language — for example: "Trigger when someone expresses interest in purchasing, trying, or learning more about the product. Include comments like 'How do I buy this?', 'Where can I get one?', 'I want this!' Do NOT trigger for general compliments like 'Nice!' unless they also express buying intent."
- Enable Reply to comment (public) and/or Send direct message (DM) — or both
- Write AI instructions for each action describing what the response should include
- Choose a DM mode: single message or opening + follow-up (consent flow)
- Optionally add a button with a fixed link or an AI-generated dynamic link
- Assign to agents and activate
What it can do
- Natural language triggers: Describe the situation you want to detect, not a keyword list. The AI evaluates every comment against your description and handles misspellings, slang, and varied phrasing without you anticipating every variant.
- AI-generated public replies: The reply under the comment is generated by AI based on the post content, the comment, and your instructions — not a static template. Each reply is different and contextually relevant.
- Public reply + DM combo: Post a visible reply AND send a DM from the same automation, just like ManyChat.
- Two DM modes:
- Single message: One DM with optional button (fixed URL or AI-generated based on context)
- Opening + follow-up (consent flow): A two-step sequence where the first message invites the commenter to tap a button, and the follow-up delivers the link or content. This shows Meta a genuine back-and-forth conversation and stays compliant with promotional content policies.
- Dynamic buttons: The AI can choose the button label and URL based on the comment context. If someone asks about a specific product, the button links to that product page — not a generic landing page.
- Conversation guard: Skip the DM if the commenter already has an existing message thread with your page. Prevents spamming returning customers with the same welcome offer.
- Stacking: Multiple automations can match the same comment. Their instructions are combined and the AI generates one coherent response incorporating all relevant guidance.
- Works alongside moderation: Since ReplyZen handles moderation too, you can moderate comments AND run DM automations from the same platform. A spam comment gets hidden; a buying-intent comment gets a reply and a DM.
What it cannot do
- No visual flow builder. You cannot design multi-step branching conversations with conditional logic the way ManyChat does. The DM flow is either a single message or a two-step consent flow — not a 10-step funnel with qualification branches.
- No sequences. You cannot send follow-up messages days later. The automation fires once.
- No CRM/Zapier integration for DM flows. The DM is self-contained — it does not push data to external tools automatically.
- Meta platforms only. Facebook and Instagram. No WhatsApp, SMS, or email channels.
When it makes sense
If your primary goal is converting ad comments into DMs with personalized, context-aware responses — and you do not need a 10-step branching funnel — this approach means less setup time and more relevant responses. The natural language triggers are particularly useful when you cannot predict every keyword variant your commenters will use, which is common on ads reaching broad audiences.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Scenario | Best fit |
|---|---|
| Under 30 comments/day, just need "comment X to get a DM" | Meta Business Suite (free) |
| Complex DM funnels with branching, lead qualification, CRM integration | ManyChat Pro |
| High-volume ad comments needing AI triggers + moderation + DMs in one tool | ReplyZen |
| Simple keyword campaigns ("comment LINK for 20% off") | ManyChat Free |
| Comments in multiple languages, varied phrasing, broad audiences | ReplyZen (NL triggers handle variations) |
| Need to run DM automation AND hide spam/negativity from the same comments | ReplyZen (moderation built in) |
The tools are not mutually exclusive. Some teams use ManyChat for planned keyword campaigns (product launches, giveaways) and ReplyZen for always-on comment management and opportunistic DM automation on ad comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I get banned for auto-DMing commenters?
Not if you follow Meta's rules. The first DM sent in response to a comment must be tagged as a "Comment Reply" — both ManyChat and ReplyZen handle this automatically. The DM should be relevant to what the person commented about. Sending unsolicited promotional messages to people who did not comment or interact is what gets accounts restricted.
Does comment-to-DM work on Instagram ads?
Yes, with caveats. ManyChat supports organic posts, boosted posts, and (with a workaround) Ads Manager dark posts on Instagram. ReplyZen supports ads through its agent-per-page model. Meta's native tool has limited ad comment automation. On Instagram specifically, the automation only triggers on a user's first comment per post — a platform-level API limitation that affects all tools.
Can I send a DM without posting a public reply?
Yes. All three methods let you send a DM without a visible public reply. However, a public reply like "Check your DMs!" serves two purposes: it tells the commenter to look for your message, and it signals to other viewers that commenting leads to a response (which drives more comments).
How fast does the DM get sent?
Meta's native tool and ManyChat typically send within seconds of the comment. ReplyZen's timing depends on your agent's response timing setting — "ASAP" sends quickly, while "Natural" adds human-like delays to avoid looking automated.
What is the consent flow and why does it matter?
Meta monitors DM patterns. If your page sends a high volume of identical-looking promotional DMs, it can get flagged. The consent flow (opening message then user taps button then follow-up with link) creates a genuine back-and-forth that looks like a real conversation to Meta's systems. ManyChat achieves this through its flow builder with buttons. ReplyZen has a dedicated "opening + follow-up" DM mode built for this purpose.
