How to Automate Instagram with AppSorteos Automation (Complete Guide)

What you will learn:

• What DM automation is and why it transforms the way you manage Instagram
• How to create your AppSorteos account and find the DM Automation tool
• How to connect one or several Instagram accounts to the same dashboard
• The difference between using a template and building a flow from scratch
• What a trigger is and which ones are available in AppSorteos
• How to set up the message each person will receive
• How to use the Contacts section to capture and manage leads

Reading time: 15 minutes  |  First automation live: 10 minutes

How many unanswered comments do you have on your last Reel? How many DMs waiting since yesterday? Every single one of those messages is a person who showed interest in what you do — and who you’ll probably forget to reply to tomorrow.

Instagram automation is not a trick for big brands, nor does it require any tech knowledge. With AppSorteos you can set up your first flow in less than ten minutes, no code needed, without losing control of your account. In this guide I’ll show you how to do it from the very beginning.

Let’s go!

What Is DM Automation on Instagram?

It’s a system that replies on your behalf — instantly and in a personalized way — every time someone interacts with your content in a specific way.

Instead of manually checking every comment or message, you define a rule of the type “if someone comments THIS, send them THAT”. The tool takes care of the rest, 24 hours a day, for every person who participates.

AppSorteos connects this automation through the official Meta API, which means it operates within the boundaries established by Instagram. No external bots, no risk to your account.

Key fact: Accounts that reply within the first 5 minutes after a comment are up to 9 times more likely to convert that contact into a lead or customer. Automation makes it possible to always reply within that first minute, regardless of the time or the number of comments.

Tip: Want to know your current engagement before you start? Measure your interaction rate with the free AppSorteos engagement calculator →

If you want to see the full picture of what you can automate, visit our DM Automation page →

What You Need Before You Start

There is only one technical requirement: your Instagram account must be a Business or Creator account. Personal accounts do not have access to Meta’s messaging API, which is what AppSorteos uses to operate safely.

If you still have a personal account, we explain how to convert your Instagram profile to a Business account — it takes less than two minutes and is completely free.

Everything else we’ll set up together in the steps that follow.

Tip: If you manage several brands or client accounts, AppSorteos lets you link multiple Instagram accounts from the same dashboard. No need to log in and out of different profiles.

Follow these steps to create your first Instagram automation

Step 1 — Create Your AppSorteos Account

Go to AppSorteos and create your account. The process is quick: name, email, and password. No credit card required.

Once inside the dashboard, you’ll see the main navigation at the top. Find the Automation section and click to enter.

You’re in! This is the DM Automation home screen, where your active flows will accumulate and, soon, the metrics for each one. For now, the dashboard invites you to create your first automation.

Step 2 — Connect Your Instagram Account

From the DM Automation dashboard, click the button to connect your Instagram account. The system redirects you to Meta’s authorization flow, where you link your Instagram Business profile through your Facebook page.

Once completed, your account is connected and ready to operate.

Important: Make sure you have admin permissions on the Facebook page linked to your Instagram. If you don’t, the linking process won’t complete correctly. The page owner must authorize the connection.

Have multiple accounts? You can repeat this process to link as many Instagram profiles as you need — ideal if you manage clients or different brands. Each account becomes available in the same dashboard, with no need to log out.

Step 3 — Choose How You Want to Start

Once your account is connected, AppSorteos presents the creation screen. You have two paths — neither is wrong, it just depends on your experience and how clear your strategy is.

Option A: Use a Template (recommended for beginners)

AppSorteos includes pre-built templates for the most common use cases: delivering a resource via DM when someone comments, capturing an email before giving the content, automatically replying to all your DMs, and more.

Each template already has the trigger and actions configured. You just need to customize it with your message, your link, and the posts you want to activate. In less than five minutes you have something working.

Tip: If this is your first automation, start with the template. It lets you see how the tool works in practice before designing more complex flows. You can edit absolutely everything — the template is just the starting point.

Option B: Build from Scratch

If you already have your strategy clear and want total control over every detail of the flow, you can build the automation from scratch by choosing the trigger, actions, and the order of steps manually.

This option is ideal for more personalized flows: multi-step sequences, combinations of chained actions, or use cases that don’t fit exactly into any template.

Step 4 — Triggers: What Activates Your Automation

A trigger is the starting signal. It’s the event that tells AppSorteos “someone just did something — start the flow”. Without a trigger, there is no automation.

AppSorteos offers four types of triggers:

Comment on a Post or Reel — The most commonly used. It activates when someone comments on one of your posts, either with any comment or only with a specific keyword you define. For example: you publish a Reel and write in the caption “Comment PRICE and I’ll send you the info”. Every person who comments that word automatically receives your message.

DM Received — Activates when someone sends you a direct message. You can configure it to reply to any incoming DM or only to those containing a specific keyword. Useful for automating responses to frequently asked questions or for triggering flows from your inbox.

Story Reply — Activates when someone replies to one of your Stories. It’s a very intentional interaction — the person chose to stop scrolling, took action, and wrote to you — so the reply rate to the automatic DM is usually very high.

Story Mention — Activates when someone mentions you in their own Story. Ideal for brands that generate user-generated content (UGC) and want to automatically respond to every mention.

Key fact: The “comment with keyword” trigger creates a mechanic that benefits content reach: more comments in the first hours signal to Instagram’s algorithm that the post is relevant, which can amplify its organic distribution.

Each trigger type has its own detailed tutorial in the DM Automation tutorials section. This article gives you the full overview; later you can dive deeper into the one that best fits your strategy.

Step 5 — Configure the Action: What Happens to the Person

Once the trigger is defined, you configure what happens when it fires. In AppSorteos, actions are the steps that make up the flow.

First: Define Which Post It Applies To

Choose whether the automation activates on:

• A specific post, Reel, or Story. The most common. Select the content directly from your account’s gallery or paste the URL.
• Any post, Reel, or Story. The flow activates on all your present and future content.

Second: Define the Trigger Filter

The Comment on post/Reel, Received DM, and Story Reply triggers allow you to filter which messages activate the flow. In all three cases you can choose between:

• One or several specific keywords. Only messages containing that word activate the flow.
• Any message (no filter). Any interaction activates the flow, regardless of what it says.

The Story Reply trigger has an additional option: you can filter by emoji reactions. For example, you can configure the flow to activate only when someone reacts with to your Story, in addition to or instead of a keyword.

Tip on keywords: There is no technical limit on the number of keywords, but between 1 and 5 work best. With too many, the trigger can fire from messages with no real intent. Choose specific words related to what you’ll deliver: GUIDE, PRICE, LINK, INFO, RESOURCE.

Additional tip: To expand the reach of the posts where you’ll activate your automations and capture more comments, use the AppSorteos hashtag generator → to find the most relevant tags for your niche.

Third: Add Actions

Actions are what happens after the trigger. You can chain several in sequence:

• Reply to comment: Posts a public reply on the same comment, visible to everyone. Increases interaction and reinforces the post’s reach.
• Send DM: Sends a private direct message to the person. Can include text, buttons with links, images, or audio. It’s the core of most flows.
• Play Promotion: Sends a DM with a direct button for the person to participate in an active promotion — a Scratch & Win, a Prize Wheel, or a Slot Machine. Ideal for connecting your automation with an ongoing marketing campaign.
• Ask for email: Requests the person’s email address via DM before delivering the content. If the email format is invalid, the system retries automatically.
• Ask to follow: Asks the person to follow you before receiving the resource. Includes a confirmation button and a configurable wait time.

You can combine these actions in the order you need.

A typical flow might be: someone comments a keyword → receives a public reply on the comment → receives a private DM with the resource link.

Or a more complex version: someone comments SCRATCH → AppSorteos asks for their email → once validated, it sends a DM with the button to join the promotion → the user discovers their prize instantly.

Checklist before activating your first flow:

1. The trigger is linked to the correct post
2. The keyword is specific and written in the post caption
3. The DM message is clear and delivers the resource in the first message
4. If you include a link, you’ve verified it works correctly
5. You’ve tested the flow from a secondary account before publishing
6. The flow is set to “active” status

Step 6 — The Contacts Section: Your Instagram Lead Database

Every person who interacts with any of your flows is automatically recorded in the Contacts section. You don’t need to do anything extra: the system captures data in real time.
For each contact you’ll see:

• Their name and Instagram username (@handle)
• Their email, if you configured the email request action in the flow
• Their status (Subscribed, by default)
• The date of first contact, i.e., when they first interacted with one of your automations

Filter by automation

At the top you have a filter that lets you view only the contacts coming from a specific flow. If you have several active at the same time, this lets you know exactly how many leads each one generated and who they are.

Export the entire database

The Export all button downloads the complete list in CSV format. You can use it directly in your email marketing tool, in Meta Ads to create custom audiences, or in any CRM.

If you also need to analyze the comments on your posts, our Instagram comment export tool → lets you download them all in seconds to identify the keywords your audience uses most.

Key fact: Unlike your Instagram followers, which are owned by the platform, the contacts exported from AppSorteos are yours. If Instagram changes its algorithm or your reach drops, that database still belongs to you and you can keep communicating with those people through other channels.

Tip: Check the Contacts section regularly and export the database on a routine basis. Over time you build a segmented list of people who have already shown interest in your content — exactly the most valuable type of audience for any campaign.

Use Cases: What This Tool Can Do for You

DM automation isn’t exclusive to large accounts or complex strategies. It works just as well for an entrepreneur with 500 followers as for an established brand. These are the most common uses among AppSorteos users:

Lead magnet from Reels: capture subscribers without forms

A nutritionist publishes a Reel with three habits to reduce sugar without going hungry. In the caption she writes: “Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you my free 7-day plan”.

• Keyword: GUIDE
• Actions: Reply to a comment, ask for an email address, send a DM with a link
• You publish: An educational Reel with the keyword in the caption and the promise of the free resource.
• The lead comments: Writes GUIDE in the comment. The automation detects the keyword instantly.
• AppSorteos sends: First asks for the email. Once validated, delivers the download link via DM.
• Result: Email subscribers captured directly from Instagram, without a landing page or external form.
• Tip: Works very well in health, personal finance, and digital marketing, where the audience values educational content.

→ See full use case

Automated customer service: always reply, even outside business hours

A clothing store receives the same DMs every day: “Do you have size M?”, “Do you ship nationwide?”, “How long does it take?”. With a Received DM flow configured, every inquiry gets a reply in seconds.

• Keywords: SHIPPING, SIZES, PRICE
• Action: Send an automatic DM
• You configure: A Received DM flow with the most common questions and the exact answer for each one.
• The customer writes: Sends a DM with one of the configured keywords, at any time of day.
• AppSorteos replies: Sends the exact information plus a button with the link to the catalog, in less than a second.
• Result: Response time reduced to zero. The team stops manually answering the same questions a hundred times a week.
• Tip: Also activate the “any message (no filter)” trigger outside business hours so no DM goes unanswered.

→ See full use case

Direct sales: convert interest into purchase at the right moment

A natural cosmetics brand publishes a Reel showing the results of their facial serum after 30 days of use. In the caption: “Comment SERUM and I’ll send you the link with this week’s special price”.

• Keyword: SERUM
• You publish: A results Reel with the keyword in the caption and an exclusive offer for those who comment.
• The lead comments: Sends a DM with one of the configured keywords, at any time of day.
• AppSorteos sends: Product photo, price, exclusive discount code, and a button with a direct link to the store.
• Result: The customer receives all the info needed to buy without leaving the DM, at the peak of purchase intent.
• Tip: Create an exclusive discount code for each Reel. This way you can measure which content generates the most sales.

→ See full use case

Instant promotion: deliver a prize at the moment they want it most

A shoe store publishes a post announcing a special promo. In the caption: “Comment SCRATCH and we’ll send you the link to scratch your card and win a discount instantly”. No waiting, no forms: the prize is revealed in seconds.

• Keyword: SCRATCH
• Action: Send DM with link to the promotion
• You create and publish: Set up the promotion in AppSorteos and publish the post with the keyword in the caption.
• The user comments: Writes SCRATCH. AppSorteos detects the comment and activates the flow immediately.
• AppSorteos delivers: Sends the personalized link via DM. The user scratches their card and discovers their prize instantly.
• Everything is integrated into AppSorteos: you create the promotion, set up automation, and manage contacts all from the same dashboard, without needing to connect external tools.
• Benefit: The experience is instant and gamified: the user receives their prize in seconds, generating far more excitement than a static coupon.
• Tip: Set up the promotion before publishing the post. You can fully customize a Scratch & Win, a Prize Wheel, or a Slot Machine, or start from a template in minutes.

→ See full use case

Follower growth: the “follow me to receive” mechanic

A travel photographer publishes a carousel with their best shots from Japan. In the caption: “Comment JAPAN and I’ll send you my guide to secret locations, for followers only”.

• Keyword: JAPAN
• You configure: A flow with follow verification: if they follow you, they receive the guide; if not, they receive an invitation to follow first.
• The lead comments: Writes JAPAN. AppSorteos automatically checks whether that person already follows you or not.
• AppSorteos replies: Followers receive the guide instantly. The rest receive: “Follow me and I’ll send it to you automatically”.
• Result: Valuable content acts as a concrete incentive to follow the account, with much higher quality follows than a generic giveaway.
• Tip: Choose a resource that only has value for your ideal audience. That way new followers are already pre-qualified.

→ See full use case

Giveaway with email capture: get followers and leads at the same time

A content creator publishes a Reel announcing a giveaway. In the caption: “Comment GIVEAWAY to enter”. Before confirming participation, AppSorteos asks for the email via DM. The giveaway is held among the post’s comments using the AppSorteos giveaway tool →

• Keyword: GIVEAWAY
• Actions: Ask for email | Send confirmation DM
• You publish: The giveaway Reel with the rules, the prize, and the keyword to enter in the caption.
• The user comments: Writes GIVEAWAY. AppSorteos sends them a DM asking for their email to confirm participation.
• Participation confirmed: Once the email is shared, they receive a confirmation DM. The giveaway is drawn from the post’s comments in AppSorteos.
• It’s all integrated into AppSorteos: the automation feature captures the email address, and the giveaway tool selects the winner from the comments on the post—all within the app.
• Benefit: In addition to growing followers, you end the giveaway with a list of verified emails: participants with real intent, not bots or inactive accounts.
• Tip: Set up backup winners when running the giveaway and verify that the winner shared their email before announcing publicly. If they didn’t, it automatically goes to the first backup.

→ See full use case

Event and webinar registration: fill your events without manual management

A personal finance academy announces a free webinar on how to build an investment portfolio from scratch. In the Reel: “Comment WEBINAR and we’ll send you the free registration link. Spots are limited”.

• Keyword: WEBINAR
• You publish: The event announcement with the date, topic, and keyword to register. Reinforce the scarcity of spots.
• The lead comments: Writes WEBINAR while the interest is fresh, right after seeing the announcement.
• AppSorteos sends: Registration link, date, time, and reminder that spots are limited. All in a single DM.
• Result: From the comment to confirmed registration in less than two minutes, with no manual involvement from the team.
• Tip: Also configure a second reminder DM 24 hours before the event. You can do this with a chained sequence flow.

→ See full use case

Instagram Tools That Power Your Strategy

DM automation works best when combined with the rest of the AppSorteos ecosystem. These tools directly complement what you learned in this guide:

Instagram Giveaways →
Organize giveaways among the comments on your posts and choose the winner at random. The most effective way to generate a spike in comments before activating your automations, and to reward the participants you captured with your flows.

Engagement Calculator →
Measure the real interaction rate of any Instagram profile. Use it to compare your metrics before and after activating your automation flows and verify the impact on the algorithm.

Export Instagram Comments →
Download all comments from any post in CSV format. Ideal for analyzing which words your audience uses most before choosing your keywords, or for managing giveaway participants.

Hashtag Generator →
Find the most relevant tags for each post. Expand the organic reach of the posts where you’ll activate your automation flows to attract more comments.

Common Mistakes When Starting Out

• Connecting a personal Instagram account — The tool requires a Business or Creator account. If you connect a personal one, the flow won’t work. Convert your account before starting.

• Activating the flow without testing it — Always test from a secondary account before your real audience starts commenting. Verify that the DM arrives, the link works, and the buttons look good on mobile.

• Not mentioning the keyword in the caption — If you don’t tell your audience what to comment, they won’t do it. The call to action must be in the caption: “Comment [WORD] and I’ll send it to you”.

• Creating the flow and never checking Contacts — The Contacts section is where the real value of the tool accumulates. Checking it regularly and exporting the database is part of the strategy, not an optional step.

• Using keywords that are too generic — A keyword like “yes” or “hello” can be triggered by comments with no intent related to your offer. Use specific terms related to what you’ll deliver.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can DM Automation negatively affect my Instagram account?

No. AppSorteos operates exclusively through the official Meta Business API, the channel authorized by Instagram for this type of automation. It does not simulate human behavior or use external methods that put your account at risk.

Can I connect more than one Instagram account?

Yes. You can link multiple Instagram accounts from the same AppSorteos dashboard. Ideal for agencies or for those managing several brands.

Does the automation work if I close the browser?

Yes. Once activated, the flow operates in the cloud continuously. You don’t need to have AppSorteos open for DMs to be sent.

Can I have several flows active at the same time?

Yes. You can create as many flows as you need — each with its own trigger, keywords, and message — and have them all active simultaneously.

What happens if the same person comments the keyword twice?

By default, the automation sends the DM only once per user per post, to avoid spam. If the same person comments the keyword more than once on the same post, they won’t receive the message a second time.

Can I include files in the automatic DM?

You can include links to any type of file hosted in the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.). For PDF documents or templates, the most practical option is to share the download link.

Does the Contacts section save all the person’s data?

It saves the data available through the Meta API: Instagram username, date of interaction, and the flow they interacted with. If you configured the “ask for email” action, the email is also recorded.

How many keywords can I use per flow?

There is no technical limit, but the recommendation is between 1 and 5 words per flow. With too many, the trigger becomes imprecise and may fire from comments with no real intent.

Can I edit a flow that is already active?

Yes. You can pause the flow, edit it, and reactivate it at any time. Changes do not affect interactions that have already occurred.

Your Turn!

You now have the complete map. All that’s left is to go into AppSorteos, connect your Instagram account, and activate your first flow. In less than ten minutes you can have an automation running. Let’s go!

Next Steps: Go Deeper Into Each Automation

Once you have the general logic clear, choose the automation that best fits your goal:

• How to send an automatic DM when someone comments on your Post or Reel → — The specific tutorial for the most popular flow: comment with keyword + automatic DM.
• How to automatically reply to all your incoming DMs → — Set up automatic replies for your direct message inbox.
• How to send an automatic DM when someone replies to your Story → — Take advantage of one of Instagram’s most intentional interactions.
• Get emails from Instagram automatically → — Learn how to capture email addresses from your followers directly from Instagram, without external forms.
• The trick to giving exclusive content only to people who follow you → — Set up follow verification and deliver your resources only to your real community.