Instagram Story Reply Automation for Product Questions
Instagram story reply automation answers the messages people send when they reply to your stories. AeroChat answers product questions with the current price and stock from Shopify or your Google Sheet, sends the link to buy, and logs story mentions from customers to a Google Sheet so your team can thank them and reshare.
What happens today
A story about a new product gets replies like “price?”, “is this in M?” and “still available?”. They arrive in the DMs mixed with everything else, and by the time someone answers, the story has expired and the customer has moved on.
When customers mention your account in their own stories, the mention sits in the inbox too. Nobody thanks them, and the content that could be reshared is lost after 24 hours.
How it runs on Instagram
- A customer replies to your story. The reply arrives in your Instagram DMs.
- AeroChat reads the question. If it cannot tell which product they mean, it asks.
- It checks the product in Shopify or your Google Sheet and replies with the price, the sizes or colours in stock and the link to buy.
- If the item is sold out, it says so and offers a similar item that is in stock.
- When a customer mentions your account in their story, AeroChat thanks them in the DM and adds a row to a Google Sheet with their username and the date, for your team to review and reshare.
- If the customer wants to order in the chat, it takes the details and sends a payment link.
- If 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 replies to one of our Instagram stories, follow these steps.
- If they ask about a product, ask which item they mean if it is not clear from their message.
- Look up the product in our store and reply with the price, the sizes in stock and the product link.
- If it is out of stock, say so and suggest up to two similar items that are in stock.
- If they mention us in their own story, reply: “Thank you for sharing us in your story!” and add a row to the Google Sheet “Story mentions” (example) with their username and today’s date.
- If they ask for something we cannot answer, hand the conversation to our team.
Keep replies short, two or three lines. Reply in the customer’s language.
Change the sheet name and the thank-you line to your own. If your catalogue is in a Google Sheet, name the sheet instead of the store and keep the steps.
Connect the systems behind it
- Google Sheets. AeroChat reads your catalogue if you keep it in a sheet, and logs story mentions for your team.
- Klaviyo. AeroChat adds customers who ask for restock updates to a list, with their consent.
- HubSpot. AeroChat records the contact and the product they asked about.
Shopify and Airwallex payment links are built in. Payment links come with the Growth plan and above.
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 story reply is a message from the customer, so it opens the 24-hour window for automated replies. Each new message from the customer restarts it. Replies typed by your team have a separate 7-day window. Comments on stories can also get one private reply each, within 7 days of the comment. Messaging works with Instagram professional accounts.
Also on WhatsApp, TikTok and web chat
The same product question 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 store behind it. See WhatsApp stock and availability questions.
Who uses it
Stores that launch products on stories use it, including fashion stores answering stock questions and beauty stores recommending products.
Read more: Instagram automated story replies for product questions.
Questions
Can I automate replies to Instagram stories?
Yes. Story replies arrive as DMs, and AeroChat answers them like any other message, with the price and stock from your store.
Can AeroChat respond to story mentions?
Yes. When a customer mentions your account in their story, AeroChat can thank them in the DM and log the mention to a Google Sheet so your team can decide what to reshare.
How long do I have to reply to a story reply?
Automated replies can go out within 24 hours of the customer’s message. Your team has 7 days to reply by hand.
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 Advanced 5,000 and 25 seats.
Answer every story reply while the story is still up
Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store
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Related: comment to DM automation and Instagram Live comment replies.