The Quick Automations feature in Manychat enables you to automate Instagram comment replies and streamline various interactions, like enhancing follower engagement, collecting email addresses, sending follow-up offers, and more. This powerful tool helps you save time while building stronger connections with your audience.
Quick Automations are designed to complement, not replace, the current tools available on Manychat. It offers a simpler alternative that integrates seamlessly with other established features like the Basic Builder and Flow Builder. This setup streamlines the automation creation process, making it especially useful for those new to DM automation, while providing experienced creators with powerful tools to enhance their strategies.
Setting up automated comment replies via Quick Automations
To set up automated comment replies with the new builder, navigate to Home > All сhannels, and then click the Auto-DM links from comments card in the Start here section:
Next, follow a simple step-by-step process to set up an automation. Let's break down each building block:
When someone comments on...
You can choose whether this trigger should work with a specific post or reel, or all posts or reel:
💡 As you customize the settings, a real-time preview shows exactly how they will appear on Instagram.
And this reply has...
Then, specify words that comments must contain to trigger the automation, or set the trigger to activate with any comment:
⚠️ If you have multiple active Instagram comment reply triggers in your account, keep the automation order in mind.
They will get an Opening DM...
The next step is to set up a private direct message called an Opening DM. Your contacts will receive it after they engage with the chosen post or reel.
The Opening DM is similar to saying, 'Hey! Can you talk right now?' before making a call. When the recepients tap the button in the opening DM, they are opting into the conversation with you, confirming, 'Yes, I'm free to chat.' This allows you to send additional messages to them in the next 24 hours.
⚠️ Note: The Opening DM is optional. You can freely enable or disable it by turning the toggle next to it off and on, depending on whether you want to use this feature in your automation.
A DM with the link
If the Opening DM is enabled, once your contacts tap the button in it, a follow-up message will be sent automatically. You can customize this message here by adding a link and a button:
If the Opening DM is disabled, then this message will be the very first one contacts receive in their Instagram DMs after engaging with the chosen post or reel.
Other things to automate
In this last section, you can decide if you'd like to do anything else with your automation.
Reply under the post so people feel seen and special: You can create three custom messages that will be shuffled by Manychat for dynamic engagement. This feature allows you to craft personalized responses that keep your interactions varied and engaging.
Follow up to re-engage and build trust: Set up a follow-up message to re-engage users who didn’t click the link. This helps maintain the conversation and increases the chances of converting interest into action.
Automatically ask for a follow to build your audience: Manychat will check if the user already follows your Instagram page. If they don't, an additional message will prompt them to follow you first before receiving the link. This encourages audience growth while ensuring that only engaged users receive your content.
Ask for emails in DMs to keep in touch beyond social: This option sends an additional message either after the Opening DM (if enabled) or as the first message in the automation (if the Opening DM is disabled), prompting users to share their email addresses. This feature allows you to effortlessly grow your subscriber list and engage with your audience beyond Instagram.
When all these features are enabled the order is as follows:
- Opening DM
- Email collection
- Follow request
- Main message with the link
- Follow-up reminder
Please review the screenshot below to see how these messages are arranged in the automation flow when all these features are enabled:
Go live
Once your setup is complete, click Go Live in the top-right corner to activate the automation:
💡 For more information on comment reply automation for collaborative and boosted posts, check out the article Instagram Post and Reel Comments Trigger.