What are Instagram private replies?
An Instagram private reply is a direct message a business sends to someone in response to their comment on a post, reel or ad. It is Meta's official way to answer a comment in the DMs, and it reaches the person even if they have never messaged the business before.
Also called: private reply, Instagram Private Replies API, reply to a comment in DM.
By Santhul Joseph, AI EngineerUpdated
How private replies work
Normally a business can only message someone on Instagram after that person has written first. A private reply is the exception: the comment itself counts as the starting point, so the business can send a DM tied to that comment.
The message lands in the person's inbox, or in their message requests if they don't follow you, and shows which comment it answers.
Meta's limits
- Private replies go through Meta's official messaging API, on a professional Instagram account.
- The reply has to be sent within a limited time after the comment, which Meta has set at 7 days.
- Meta limits how many private replies one comment can get, and a longer conversation continues once the person writes back.
- These rules change now and then, so check Meta's current documentation before you build a campaign around them.
Private replies in SimplyBoost
SimplyBoost sends every comment-to-DM as an Instagram private reply, so the DM arrives even if the person never messaged you. You can add a public reply under the comment and a tappable link button with a label of up to 20 characters.
When the person answers, the AI agent takes it from there and replies from your own knowledge.
Questions people ask
Does the person have to follow me to get a private reply?
No. Anyone who comments can get one. If they don't follow you, it may show up in their message requests rather than their main inbox.
Is a private reply the same as a normal DM?
It arrives in the same inbox, but it starts from a comment instead of from a message the person sent. That is why Meta treats it differently and puts limits on it.
Can I use private replies without software?
You can reply to a comment by DM by hand in the Instagram app. Software uses the same feature through Meta's API, so it can answer hundreds of comments in seconds.