Reply Manager is where you read comments on your Instagram posts and answer them. You can reply in public, send a private message when Instagram allows it, or mark a comment as reviewed if it needs no reply.
Here is the whole process: choose a post, find a comment, write your answer, add it to the queue, then press Send. Adding a reply to the queue does not send it yet. You stay in control of what goes out.
First, open Reply Manager
- Sign in to InstaDM. If you have not connected Instagram yet, choose Connect Instagram and follow the steps on screen. You need an Instagram Business or Creator account.
- Choose Reply Manager in the left menu. The page also has a direct address: instadm.aipatnam.com/replies.
- Look at the Instagram name near the bottom of the menu. Make sure it is the account you want to use, especially if you manage more than one account.
On a computer, you will see three areas: Posts on the left, Threads in the middle, and Reply Queue on the right. On a phone, tap a post to open its comments. Tap Reply Queue below the posts when you are ready to send.
Step 1: choose a post and read its comments
In Posts, tap the photo or reel you want to work on. The comments for that post appear in Threads. A comment may also show replies beneath it, so read the conversation before writing a new answer.
You can search posts by words in their captions. Search loaded posts only looks through posts already shown on this page. Scroll down to load older posts. The same idea applies to comments: more comments load as you scroll, so the number you first see may be smaller than the post’s full comment count.
Step 2: pick a comment filter
The buttons above the comments help you decide where to start. Their numbers count the comments loaded so far for the post you chose.
| Button | Use it when you want to see… |
|---|---|
| All | Every comment that has loaded, including ones already handled. |
| Needs attention | Comments that still need a decision or reply. A reply that failed to send can show here too. |
| Queued | Comments with an answer waiting to send, sending now, or waiting for you to check delivery. |
| Done | Comments with a sent reply or DM, or comments you marked reviewed. |
A comment in Queued has not necessarily been sent. If you are working through a post for the first time, start with Needs attention. Switch to All whenever you want to see the whole conversation. Choosing a different post takes you back to All.
Step 3: write a public reply or private DM
Under the comment, choose Public comment if everyone should see your answer. Choose Private DM if the answer is just for that person. Type your message, then press Add to queue. For example, if someone asks “Is this available?”, you could write “Yes, it is available. Send us a DM for the details.” as a public reply.
Your own comments are labelled Your account and have no reply controls. If Private DM is greyed out on someone else’s comment, a private reply may already have been sent or queued, an automation may be handling it, or the comment may be too old. Instagram allows one private reply to a comment within seven days. A reply can also become too old while it waits in the queue, so InstaDM checks again before sending.
If you see Automation handling, wait for that campaign to finish before adding a manual reply. Add to queue is disabled while the automation is processing the comment, even if you selected Public comment. Refresh the comments to see the latest status.
If someone already received a public reply, InstaDM asks you to confirm before adding another one. Read the conversation first to avoid repeating the same answer. You can switch between public and private while writing; each choice keeps its own draft for that comment.
Step 4: check the queue and send
- Open Reply Queue and choose Pending. Read your saved answers. Each item says Public reply or Private DM and shows the message you wrote.
- If you changed your mind, remove a Pending item with the × button. You can only remove it before sending starts.
- Choose Selected post to send only answers for the post you opened. Choose All posts if you want to send pending answers for the whole connected Instagram account.
- Press the Send pending button. Its number tells you how many answers are waiting in that choice. Wait for the progress message, then look at the queue again.
If InstaDM reaches a sending limit, the answers it could not send stay in Pending. You can return and send them later. The queue may show only the first group of items; use Load more to see the rest. The number on a queue tab is the total for the selected post or all-post view.
Step 5: check what happened
| Queue tab | What to do |
|---|---|
| Pending | Saved but not sent. Check the message and press Send when ready. |
| Sending | In progress. Give it time, then refresh the queue. |
| Sent | InstaDM recorded the reply as sent. |
| Failed | Read the reason. You can change the text, press Save and retry, then send again. |
| Verify | The result is unclear. Check the real comment or DM in Instagram before choosing what to do. |
For Verify, open Instagram first. If you can see the reply there, press It was sent. If you are sure it did not arrive, press It was not sent · retry, then send it again. Checking matters because trying again too soon could send the same message twice.
If you do not need to reply
Some comments only need a quick check. Maybe you answered in the Instagram app, or the comment does not need an answer. Press Mark reviewed under that comment. It moves into Done without sending a message or changing the comment on Instagram.
Pressed it by mistake? Choose Reopen. The comment can appear in Needs attention again if no reply or DM has been recorded. Mark reviewed is simply a reminder for you and your team that the comment has been handled.
Questions people ask
Does Add to queue send my reply?
No. It saves your reply in Pending. Open Reply Queue, check the message and press Send pending when you are ready.
Why is Private DM unavailable?
Your own comments have no reply controls. For someone else’s comment, a private reply may already be sent or queued, an automation may be handling it, or the comment may be older than seven days. Refresh and check the status labels before choosing another action.
Why is a comment in Done if I did not send a reply here?
Done also includes replies or DMs recorded from other InstaDM activity and comments you marked reviewed. Open the comment to read the conversation and its status labels.
What if the queue says Verify?
Check Instagram to see whether the message arrived. Choose It was sent if you can see it, or It was not sent · retry only if you are sure it is missing.
Ready to try it? Open Reply Manager, choose a post, and start with Needs attention.
Open Reply Manager →Sources
Written by the aipatnam team from Meta's developer documentation and what we see building tools for Indian creators. Platform rules change; we review these guides regularly. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.