Instagram Auto Reply That Answers the Customer’s Question
An Instagram auto reply answers a direct message the moment it arrives. With AeroChat, that reply answers the actual question. It uses your knowledge base for policies and FAQs, and checks live details such as stock in Shopify, a price list in Google Sheets or open slots in Google Calendar before it replies.
What happens today
Most Instagram accounts that use an auto reply send a line like “Thanks for your message, we’ll get back to you soon.” The customer still waits for the answer, and many leave before it comes.
The questions are mostly the same ones: the price, whether a size is in stock, the opening hours, how long delivery takes. Someone on the team types the same answers every day, often from their own phone.
How it runs on Instagram
- A customer sends a DM, replies to your story or answers a DM you sent after their comment.
- AeroChat reads the question in whatever language the customer writes in.
- It answers from your knowledge base: your website pages, FAQs and policies.
- For details that change, it reads your systems first, such as stock and price in Shopify, or a row in your Google Sheets price list.
- If the customer wants to go ahead, it books a slot in Google Calendar or sends a payment link, depending on what you set up.
- It writes the question and the customer’s Instagram username to a Google Sheet or to HubSpot, so you can see what people ask most.
- If the question is outside what it knows, or the customer asks for a person, it hands the conversation to your team in the inbox or on the mobile app.
The recipe
Copy this into AeroChat
When someone sends us an Instagram message, answer their question directly. Do not reply with only a greeting. Then follow these steps.
- If they ask about price or stock, look up the product in our Google Sheet “Price list” (example) and give the price and whether it is in stock.
- If they ask about opening hours, delivery times or returns, answer from our knowledge base.
- If they want to book, offer the next three open slots in our Google Calendar and book the one they choose.
- Add a row to the Google Sheet “Instagram questions” (example) with their username, the date and a one-line summary of the question.
- If you cannot answer from our knowledge base or our sheet, say a team member will reply and hand the conversation to our team.
Keep each reply to two or three sentences. Reply in the customer’s language.
Change the sheet names to the ones you use. If your stock lives in Shopify, name Shopify instead and keep the steps.
Connect the systems behind it
- Google Sheets. AeroChat reads prices and stock from your sheet and logs each question as a new row.
- Google Calendar. AeroChat checks open slots and books the appointment when the customer picks one.
- HubSpot. AeroChat finds or creates the contact and adds a note of what they asked.
- Square. AeroChat checks item availability for shops that sell through Square.
Shopify is built in, so product, stock and order answers come straight from your store once it is connected.
Using a different system? If it has a public API, it connects to AeroChat the same way: describe what you want, paste in its key, and it runs.
Can’t find your tool? Message us in the chat on this page and we’ll tell you how it connects.
Meta’s rules on Instagram
A business can only message someone on Instagram after they message first. Automated replies can go out within 24 hours of the customer’s last message, and every new message from them restarts that window. Replies typed by your team have a separate window of 7 days, for questions that need a person to check something. If the DM came from a click-to-Instagram-Direct ad, you can reply for up to 7 days from the customer’s first message. Messaging works with Instagram professional accounts.
Also on WhatsApp, TikTok and web chat
The same auto reply workflow runs on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, TikTok (direct messages and TikTok Shop buyer chat), Telegram, the chat on your website and email, with the same connections behind it. See WhatsApp auto-replies that answer the question.
Who uses it
Businesses that get the same questions in their DMs every day use it, including fashion stores, beauty stores, hair and beauty salons, spas and restaurants and caterers.
Read more: Instagram AI chatbot for business.
Questions
How do I set up an auto reply on Instagram?
Connect your Instagram professional account to AeroChat, add your website or FAQs as the knowledge base, and describe what the reply should do in your own words. AeroChat then replies to every DM with an answer.
Can the auto reply check stock or prices?
Yes. AeroChat reads stock and prices from Shopify, a Google Sheet or another system you connect, before it replies. The customer gets the current answer instead of a link to your website.
How long do I have to reply to an Instagram DM?
Automated replies can go out within 24 hours of the customer’s last message. Your team has 7 days to reply by hand. An instant reply keeps you well inside both.
Which AeroChat plan do I need?
Workflows via Skills are on every plan, Free included. Starter includes 500 AI responses and 3 seats, Growth 2,000 and 10 seats with payment links and broadcasts, and Advanced 5,000 and 25 seats.
Answer your next Instagram DM with the actual answer
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On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.
Related: Instagram welcome messages and Instagram after hours replies.