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Automations
An automation is a trigger and what happens next — a keyword, a comment, a button tap, and the reply that follows. Create picks the channel; a template gives you a working one to change, so you never start from a blank canvas.
On this screen
In the order the tour shows them.
Start here
An automation is a trigger and what happens next — a keyword, a comment, a button tap, and the reply that follows. Create picks the channel; a template gives you a working one to change, so you never start from a blank canvas.
Find one fast
Once you have a few, search by name or by what they reply to. The list is every channel's automations together, so one search covers all of them.
Sort by what matters
Newest first while you are building; most triggered once things are running. The sort is how you find the automation that is doing the work — and the one that nobody is triggering.
Change many at once
Select several and pause, activate or delete them together. Handy when a campaign ends and five automations need switching off in one go rather than five clicks each.
On an automation card
Shown the first time this is on screen.
One automation
The trigger, what it does, how many times it has fired and how many leads it made. Open it to edit; the counts are live, so a card with zero triggers is telling you something about its keyword.
On or off, instantly
The switch pauses an automation without deleting it. Paused keeps everything — the trigger, the steps, the counts — so switching a seasonal one back on is one click, not a rebuild.
Ideas you'll meet
The same explanations the ⓘ marks give in the app.
- private reply
- A one-time DM sent in answer to a public comment. Meta allows one per comment, and only within seven days of it — after that, replying publicly is the only option left. Read the guide →
- the 24-hour window
- You can reply freely for 24 hours after the person's last message. Your own messages don't extend it — the clock only restarts when they write again. Read the guide →
Guides
The longer reads behind this screen.
- What Instagram DM automation is actually allowed to doThe Instagram rules that decide whether your automation works: professional accounts, what comment replies can do, and where the official API stops.2 min · platform rules checked 2026-08-27
- WhatsApp's 24-hour window, explained properlyWhy your WhatsApp message won't send, what the 24-hour window actually measures, and the only three ways to reopen a conversation once it closes.3 min · platform rules checked 2026-08-27
Common questions
Can I automate DMs on a personal Instagram account?
No. Instagram only exposes messaging to apps for Business and Creator accounts. Switching is free and takes about a minute in Settings.
Can I send Instagram DMs to my followers automatically?
No. There is no supported way to message people who have not interacted with you. Tools that offer it are automating the app rather than using the API, and the risk lands on your account.
Is Instagram DM automation against the rules?
Not when it runs on the official Meta Graph API and replies to people who contacted you. What breaks the rules is unsolicited outreach and tools that sign in as you.
Can an automation reply to comments and send a DM?
Yes. A comment can trigger a public reply, a DM, or both, because the person interacted with you first.
Does replying to a customer reset the 24-hour window?
No. The window is measured from the customer's last message to you. Your own replies do not extend it, which is why a conversation that feels active can still be closed.
What happens if I try to send a free-form message after 24 hours?
The WhatsApp Cloud API refuses it. Outside the window the only message type accepted is a template that Meta has already approved.
Can I pay to bypass the 24-hour window?
No. It is enforced by the API, not by policy, and there is no paid tier that removes it. Templates are the supported way to reach someone outside the window.
Does Telegram have a 24-hour window?
No. A Telegram bot can message anyone who has previously started it, at any time, with no window and no template approval.