Inside a DM Automation, you build your flow using modular steps. These are grouped into four categories:
Messages
Comments: only appears when a comment specific trigger is selected
Conversions
Logic
AI
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Below is a full explanation of every available step.
Messages
Send message
Sends a predefined message to the contact.
This is your standard DM message block and is used to:
Deliver recipes, discount codes, instructions
Send follow-ups
Provide support answers
Continue conversational flows
You can personalize text using variables like the username.
Use this when you simply want to send content without requiring a button click.
Like message
Instagram-only step:
This action is currently only supported for Instagram automations. Facebook triggers will skip this step.
Likes the last message sent by the contact.
This adds a small engagement signal and can:
Increase warmth in conversations
Make automated flows feel more natural
Acknowledge a user reply before continuing
It’s typically used in conversational or community-style flows.
Send a photo or video
Uploads and sends media directly inside the DM.
Use cases:
Send product images
Deliver visual instructions
Share event posters
Send a video explanation
Works on supported Meta platforms.
Share a post / reel
Instagram-only step:
This action is currently only supported for Instagram automations. Facebook triggers will skip this step.
Shares one of your recent Instagram posts or reels directly inside the DM conversation.
This sends the native Instagram content preview into the chat.
Common use cases:
“Here is the reel where I explain it”
“Watch the full tutorial here”
Sending a launch post directly in DMs
Send audio message
Record or upload an audio file and send it in the DM. This is a gamechanger for personalized DM automation flows.
This is extremely powerful for:
Creator-style engagement
Personalized voice funnels
High-converting story reply flows
You can:
Record directly inside the builder
Upload a pre-recorded file
Unlike comment replies, DM audio messages are not randomized - each step sends exactly the configured file.
Comments
(This category only appears when the trigger is “Someone comments on your post”)
When your DM Automation is triggered by a comment, you can take actions directly on that public comment before moving into the DM flow.
Send Comment answer
Replies publicly to the comment that triggered the automation.
Typical usage:
“Thanks! I’ve sent you a DM 👀”
“Check your inbox for the details ✨”
You can:
Add multiple text variants
Randomize them to keep replies organic
Also send out AI comment suggestions
This is usually the first step in comment-to-DM funnels.
Move Comment to done
Marks the triggering comment as “done” in your dashboard.
Use this when:
You don’t need manual handling
The automation fully covers the reply
You want to keep your inbox clean
Conversions
These steps are focused on engagement, tracking, and lead generation.
Ask a question
Sends a message with clickable buttons (postbacks).
This is one of the most important steps in DM Automations.
When the user clicks a button:
The flow continues along the selected branch
replient.ai registers a structured interaction
Example:
“Do you want the recipe?”
Yes, send it
No thanks
Important:
The flow continues only if the user clicks the provided buttons. Free text replies will not automatically trigger the next branch unless you configure logic accordingly.
Best used early in a flow to:
Unlock follow-ups
Segment users
Increase conversion rates
Important notice:
When you setup a comment to DM automation we strongly suggest you add this step at the very beginning of your automation. To be able to send multiple messages to a contact the contact needs to reply. Best way to do this is adding a "ask a quesiton"- module where the user interacts fast before providing the free giveaway / link.
Send Link
Sends a tracked link with a button.
Features:
Centralized link management
Click tracking
Can branch based on whether the link was clicked
Use cases:
Landing page opt-ins
Product pages
Booking links
Giveaway confirmation pages
Discount Links
Single Question Survey
Asks one or multiple questions and saves the answers.
Unlike simple “Ask a question,” this step is designed for:
Structured feedback collection
Micro-surveys
Qualification flows
Logic
Logic steps control timing, routing, and automation behavior.
Time delay
Waits for a specific amount of time before continuing the flow.
Use cases:
Follow-up after 2 days
Reminder after 3 days
Check-in after purchase
Example:
Send recipe → wait 2 days → “Did you try it yet?”
Delays help increase engagement without overwhelming users.
Trigger an automation
Starts another automation for this contact.
This allows:
Modular flow building
Advanced funnel chaining
Clean separation of campaign logic
Example:
After collecting email → trigger “Newsletter onboarding flow”
This is more advanced and typically used by power users.
Information: This step can only be added at the end of a flow (no modules can be added after this)
Wait for reply
Pauses the flow until the contact replies.
This is useful when:
You want real interaction before continuing
You sent media and want feedback first
You’re building conversational funnels
Once the user replies, the automation continues with the next configured step.
You can also configure a specific keyword that needs to be included for the automation to continue.
Move Conversation to done
Closes out the thread and moves it to “Done” in your inbox view.
Use this when:
The flow is fully completed
No further action is required
You want a clean inbox state
Often used at the end of support or campaign flows.
Check if follower
Instagram-only step:
This action is currently only supported for Instagram automations. Facebook triggers will skip this step.
Works only after user has sent at least 1 message to you. Consider adding "Ask a question" module before this.
You can branch:
If follows → deliver content
If not → ask them to follow first
This is commonly used in:
Giveaway funnels
Follow-gated content
Growth campaigns
This wil grow your followers extremly!
Collect email address
Waits until the user sends their email address directly in the DM chat and saves it.
Features:
Email validation
Retry if invalid
Structured storage
You can then:
Send the email to Zapier/Make via webhook
We will send the username together with the email via Webhook.
Important:
In many jurisdictions, you may need to implement double opt-in via your email provider.
Add Conversation Tag
Adds a tag to the conversation. The Tag will then be shown in the inbox view.
Use this for:
Lead categorization
Campaign tracking
Internal routing
Reporting
Example tags:
“Giveaway Lead”
“Product Interest”
“High Intent”
“Support”
This helps teams manage conversations more effectively.
AI-Modules
AI Agent auto-reply
Lets your AI Agent reply automatically with a DM to the last message.
Use cases:
Automated support responses
AI-driven conversational experiences
High-volume inbound DMs
Best used when:
You want dynamic replies
You don’t want rigid scripted flows
You trust your AI brand voice setup
This module includes the option to "Wait for all messages" which is turned on by default. This means if a customer is writing 2 separate DMs within a short timeframe the AI answer will wait for 5 minutes and only reply once for both messages.
For structured campaign funnels (giveaways, recipes, gated flows), Custom steps are usually recommended over AI replies for predictability.
The answers that are sent are the same that you can generate in your inbox view. Those are based on historic interaction and custom instructions you have added are also taken into consideration.