Instagram and Messenger
How to set up an auto-reply on Instagram: step by step and 12 templates for Direct
Quick answer
To set up an auto-reply on Instagram, the account must be a professional account. In Meta Business Suite, Meta's free dashboard, open the Inbox, go to Automations and turn on Instant reply or Away message. The text goes out on its own in Direct when someone writes. The same screen works for Facebook Messenger.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent
Instant reply and away message templates for Instagram Direct and Facebook Messenger, and the path to turn them on in Meta's dashboard.
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See the 30 automatic message templates for customers, grouped by moment.
Summary in 7 facts
- Instant reply and away message templates for Instagram Direct and Facebook Messenger, and the path to turn them on in Meta's dashboard.
- To set up an auto-reply on Instagram, the account must be a professional account.
- In Meta Business Suite, Meta's free dashboard, open the Inbox, go to Automations and turn on Instant reply or Away message.
- The text goes out on its own in Direct when someone writes.
- Four tools, each for a different moment.
- Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
- Instant reply on Messenger First message from someone who writes to the Page.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 30 templates | See the 30 automatic message templates for customers, grouped by moment. |
| 1 hour | I've seen your message and will reply within [1 hour]. |
| 67 businesses | The CertuAI team measured the time customer messages arrive across 67 businesses that answer with CertuAI's AI: 12.7% arrived at night on a weekday and 15.8% on Saturday or Sunday. |
| 122,720 messages | CertuAI customer service data: 67 businesses of various kinds, 122,720 customer messages, from Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026, measured on Oct 9, 2026. |
| In CertuAI, the same AI that answers WhatsApp answers Instagram Direct and Messenger, on every paid plan. |
Types of auto-reply on Instagram and Messenger
Four tools, each for a different moment.
| Tool | When it goes out | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Instant reply | On each person's first message | Say you received it and how soon you will reply |
| Away message | Outside the hours you set | Say when the business is back |
| Frequently asked questions | When the person taps a suggested question | Price, delivery and hours |
| Saved replies | Only when you choose | What you type all day |
Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
Auto-reply for Instagram Direct: instant reply
Short, with a deadline
For any business.
Oi! Obrigado por chamar a [Empresa]. Já vi a sua mensagem e respondo em até [1 hora]. Se quiser adiantar, me conta o que você procura.
now ✓✓For people who came from a post
Stores and brands that sell through what they post.
Oi! Que bom que você gostou. Me diz qual produto ou publicação você viu, que eu te passo o valor e os detalhes.
now ✓✓With the reply time
When Direct is only answered during business hours.
Olá! A [Empresa] responde o Direct de segunda a sexta, das [9h] às [18h]. Deixe a sua pergunta aqui, que ela é respondida na ordem de chegada.
now ✓✓With the path to WhatsApp
When orders and quotes are closed on WhatsApp.
Oi! Por aqui a gente responde em até [prazo]. Para pedido ou orçamento com mais pressa, fale no nosso WhatsApp: [link].
now ✓✓
Away message on Instagram
Outside business hours
At night and overnight.
Oi! Agora estamos fechados e voltamos [amanhã], às [9h]. Sua mensagem fica aqui e será a primeira a ser respondida.
now ✓✓Weekend
When nobody checks Direct on Saturday and Sunday.
Olá! No fim de semana a gente não responde o Direct. Na segunda, a partir das [9h], sua mensagem é respondida. Bom descanso!
now ✓✓Event day or a very busy day
Fair, launch, promotion.
Oi! Hoje estamos em [evento] e as respostas vão demorar mais. Até as [20h] todo mundo é respondido. Obrigado pela paciência!
now ✓✓
CertuAI demo with a fictional clinic, on WhatsApp, at 12:39 a.m. The away message only says when the business is back; here the question got an answer right away.
Ready-made replies for the questions that come most often in Direct
How much is it?
The most common question in Direct.
O [produto] custa [valor], e o pagamento pode ser por [formas]. Quer que eu te mande as opções de [cor ou tamanho]?
now ✓✓Do you deliver?
A store that sells outside the city.
Entregamos em [cidades ou regiões], com prazo de [dias]. Me passa a sua cidade que eu calculo o frete.
now ✓✓How do I buy?
When the person wants to buy right there.
Para comprar, é só me dizer aqui o produto e o tamanho. Eu confirmo se tem, te passo o total e o jeito de pagar.
now ✓✓
Auto-reply on Messenger and the Facebook Page
Instant reply on Messenger
First message from someone who writes to the Page.
Olá! Você falou com a [Empresa] pelo Facebook. Recebemos a sua mensagem e respondemos em até [prazo]. Para adiantar, escreva o que você precisa.
now ✓✓Away message on Messenger
Outside business hours.
Olá! A [Empresa] está fora do horário de atendimento e volta [dia], às [hora]. Sua mensagem fica guardada e será respondida na volta.
now ✓✓
Three rules for the auto-reply in Direct
Direct is faster and more informal than WhatsApp.
Two lines
Direct is read with a thumb, between one post and the next. Long text goes unread.
A deadline you meet
"I'll reply in 1 hour" and then replying the next day is worse than promising nothing.
Price gets answered in Direct
Someone who asked the price wants the price. Sending the person somewhere else before answering makes them give up.
See how it looks in your industry
Each industry gets different questions on WhatsApp. Pick yours to see how CertuAI's AI serves that kind of customer.
How to turn on the Instagram auto-reply, step by step
The path is the Meta Business Suite one. Meta changes menu names from time to time: if you cannot find it, look for Automations inside the Inbox.
Use a professional account
In the Instagram app, under Settings, switch the account to professional. A personal account does not have the business tools.
Open Meta Business Suite
It is Meta's free dashboard for Instagram and Facebook. Log in with the account that manages the Page and check that Instagram is connected.
Go to Inbox and Automations
Click Create automation, in the top right corner. That is where Instant reply, Away message and Frequently asked questions are.
Choose, write and turn it on
Paste the text, mark Instagram, Messenger or both, set the away hours and save. Test by writing from another account. Note: if you turn on Meta Business Agent, Meta's own AI, it pauses all of these automations.
The limit of the Instagram auto-reply
The instant reply sends the same text to everyone. Someone who asked “do you have it in size 38?” gets “thanks for reaching out” and keeps waiting. It buys time, but it does not answer.
Another limit: these tools answer Direct messages. A comment on a post is a different conversation, and someone who comments “how much?” and gets no answer there usually does not send a message.
If Instagram is one of your entry points, it is worth reading is AI on Instagram and Messenger worth it? and the short answer in does the agent answer on Instagram and Direct?. The templates for WhatsApp are in the WhatsApp welcome message and in the business hours message, and the general list is in auto-replies for customers.
When the Instagram auto-reply gets in the way
Four cases where it is better to turn it off or change the text.
- Reply to a reaction or an emoji: the person sent a heart and got three lines of text. Keep the instant reply very short.
- A deadline nobody meets: if Direct is only checked at night, do not promise an hour.
- A profile that rarely gets customer messages: when the people writing are suppliers or other business profiles, the automatic greeting only adds noise.
- Away message on all day: forgetting the away message on makes customers think the business closed.
What time customers write: CertuAI data, measured on WhatsApp
The CertuAI team measured the time customer messages arrive across 67 businesses that answer with CertuAI's AI: 12.7% arrived at night on a weekday and 15.8% on Saturday or Sunday. Those are the hours when the away message speaks for the business.
The measurement is from WhatsApp. The number for Instagram Direct has not been measured yet, and it may be different.
| What was measured | Result |
|---|---|
| Messages that arrived at night on a weekday, 6pm to midnight | 12,7% |
| Messages that arrived on Saturday or Sunday | 15,8% |
| Customer messages that arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 32,5% |
| Conversations whose first message arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 34,6% |
Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
Source: CertuAI WhatsApp Customer Service Index, Q3 2026. CertuAI customer service data: 67 businesses of various kinds, 122,720 customer messages, from Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026, measured on Oct 9, 2026. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., in each account's time zone. Test accounts, test contacts and imported history are left out. Redone every quarter.
Frequently asked questions
How do you set up an auto-reply on Instagram?
With a professional account, open Meta Business Suite, go to the Inbox, then Automations, and turn on Instant reply or Away message with your text.
Do you need a professional account to have an auto-reply on Instagram?
Yes. Business tools, like instant reply, away message and saved replies, do not appear on a personal account. The switch is free and done in Settings.
How do you set up an auto-reply on Facebook Messenger?
In the same place: Meta Business Suite, Inbox, Automations. When you create the instant reply or the away message, mark Messenger as the channel.
What is the difference between an instant reply and an away message?
The instant reply goes out on each person's first message, at any hour. The away message goes out only outside the hours you set.
Does the Instagram auto-reply answer comments?
The tools on this page answer Direct messages, not comments on posts. Comments have to be answered on the post itself.
Can an AI answer Instagram Direct?
Yes. In CertuAI, the same AI that answers WhatsApp answers Instagram Direct and Messenger, on every paid plan. It answers messages; comments do not become conversations.
The same AI from WhatsApp answers Direct and Messenger
In CertuAI, the AI that answers your WhatsApp also answers Instagram Direct and Messenger, with what you taught the Brain and at any hour, on every paid plan. It answers messages: a comment on a post does not become a conversation.
From US$ 75 per month.
Create my agentOi! Obrigado por chamar a [Empresa]. Já vi a sua mensagem e respondo em até [1 hora]. Se quiser adiantar, me conta o que você procura.now ✓✓
This is the first message on this page, sent by the AI in your tone, with nobody at the counter.
In short
To set up an auto-reply on Instagram, the account must be a professional account. In Meta Business Suite, Meta's free dashboard, open the Inbox, go to Automations and turn on Instant reply or Away message. The text goes out on its own in Direct when someone writes. The same screen works for Facebook Messenger.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent