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LinktoDMdocs

DMs Arrive but the Auto-Reply Doesn't Send

Updated

Messages are landing in your Instagram inbox and the chat automation isn’t answering them. Unlike a comment automation, there’s no public reply to tell you whether the trigger fired at all — so work down these in order.

1. The keyword didn’t match

Section titled “1. The keyword didn’t match”

By far the most common cause, and the least obvious, because the message looks like it should have matched.

  • Check the exact keyword. Open the automation and read the trigger field. book and Book are the same to LinktoDM, but book and boook are not.
  • Check “Trigger keyword within a sentence as well”. With this unchecked, the message must be the keyword and nothing else — so “hey can I book?” won’t match book. It’s on by default; if someone turned it off, this is your answer. See how loosely they match.
  • Watch for emoji and punctuation. People send book!! and book 🙌, which the in-sentence setting handles and strict matching does not.
  • Add the variants. Commas separate them: book, booking, appointment.
The gear beside the trigger field. These two settings decide almost every case on this page.

If you want the automation to answer everything regardless, switch Any word on in the same settings popover — that’s what it’s for.

2. The automation isn’t published

Section titled “2. The automation isn’t published”

A chat automation that was edited and left open is still a draft. Reopen it and confirm it’s published, and that its toggle is on in the Automations list.

If you have several chat automations, check whether an earlier one with Any word enabled is catching every message before the specific one gets a look. Two automations answering the same inbox is the usual cause of “the wrong reply goes out”.

3. Another app owns the thread

Section titled “3. Another app owns the thread”

Instagram gives messaging control to one app at a time. If ManyChat or a similar tool is still connected, it holds your conversations and LinktoDM sits in standby — comment automations may keep working while inbox replies silently don’t.

Remove the other app from both Meta Business Suite and Instagram: Another app is controlling your conversations.

4. Message access is switched off

Section titled “4. Message access is switched off”

If Instagram’s Allow access to messages switch is off, no tool can read your inbox — so nothing fires and nothing errors visibly. Fix DM access disabled.

5. The conversation is older than 24 hours

Section titled “5. The conversation is older than 24 hours”

Instagram allows replies for 24 hours after the person’s last message. A script that stalled waiting for an answer, or a message you’re only now getting to, may be outside the window — the automation isn’t broken, the door is.

6. Permissions expired

Section titled “6. Permissions expired”

If nothing above applies, refresh permissions and reconnect: Instagram automation not working.