Which Instagram interactions can start an automation?
Connecting Instagram gives you a dedicated agent, named Sage by default. Its flows use triggers built around how people actually reach a brand on Instagram, rather than the keyword triggers used on WhatsApp and web chat.
| Trigger | Runs when | Can target a specific item? | A typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| On DM Received | Someone sends you a direct message | No, but supports keyword matching | Answer sizing or delivery questions |
| On Post Comment | Someone comments on an image or carousel post | Yes: all posts or one post | DM the product link to people who comment on a launch post |
| On Reel Comment | Someone comments on a reel | Yes: all reels or one reel | Follow up on "price?" comments on one reel |
| On Story Reply | Someone replies to your story | Yes: all stories or one story | Continue the conversation from a story offer |
| On Story Mention | Someone mentions your account in their story | No | Thank a customer who posted their order |
| On Message Received | The scenario you describe applies | No | A fallback for anything else |
Instagram flows respond by sending a DM. Automations are listed under Pro on the pricing page, where Pro has a list price of $34 a month.
How do you build a comment-to-DM flow?
- Open the Sage agent, go to Flows and create a flow.
- Choose a trigger, such as On Reel Comment, and pick all reels or one reel. Recent items appear with a caption preview and engagement counts.
-
Describe what should happen in plain language. Insert variables such as
{customer_name},{instagram_username}and{comment_text}, and Fyncall fills in the real values when the flow runs. - Save it. Fyncall converts your description into structured steps, and the status moves from Pending to Converting to Structured.
- Check the generated steps in the flowchart view, then activate the flow.
Every run appears in the flow's Executions tab, with its current step and a link to the conversation. If a flow misbehaves, pause it instead of deleting it so you can still read its history.
What can the agent do once a customer is in the DMs?
This is the main difference between a support agent and a marketing autoresponder. Sage has the same store context as Fyncall's other agents, so a DM can move from "is this in stock?" to an order question without changing tools.
- Answer from your knowledge base: policies, FAQs and product guides.
- Search products and check stock from your synced Shopify catalogue.
- Look up order status and tracking.
- Escalate to a person, with your own rules for when that happens.
You decide which of these it may use through Guardrails, which also set blocked topics, banned words, required rules and tone for this agent alone. A casual tone can suit Instagram even if your email agent stays formal.
How long can you reply to an Instagram DM?
Fyncall's inbox applies a seven-day reply window, measured from the customer's last message. This is the rule to plan around, and it works differently from WhatsApp:
| Instagram DM | ||
|---|---|---|
| Reply window in Fyncall | 7 days from the customer's last message | 24 hours from the customer's last message |
| After it closes | The composer locks until the customer messages again | You can send a pre-approved template |
| Re-engagement option | None; there is no template fallback | Templates |
Because nothing reopens a closed Instagram conversation from your side, ask for the customer's email during any long-running issue. The messaging channels guide covers the details. The Generate AI Suggestion button stays available after a window closes, so you can still prepare a reply in advance.
Should you reply publicly or in a DM?
Comments and story interactions appear in the inbox alongside DMs, each marked as Replied Publicly or Sent DM once you respond. Your team can do either:
- Reply publicly for general answers other shoppers will also find useful, such as whether an item ships to a country.
- Send a DM for anything involving an order, an address or a complaint.
Comment automations go to DM, so a public reply is a decision your team makes in the inbox. That is a reasonable split: the AI handles the volume privately, and a person chooses what gets said under your post.
How does the handoff to your team work?
Instagram can have its own reply mode in AI Escalation settings: Auto-Reply, Draft & Review or Off. A sensible start is Draft & Review, with Auto-Reply used only for flows you have watched run.
After a team member takes over, commerce actions are available. Products go out as a swipeable carousel, variants as a numbered list the customer replies to, and an order confirmation can include a tappable checkout link. Checkout itself happens on the link, not inside Instagram.
What do you need before connecting?
- An Instagram professional account, either Business or Creator. Personal accounts are not supported.
- Admin access to that account.
- A connected Shopify store, so the agent has product and order data to work from.
- Policies and FAQs ready to upload, so the agent does not rely on product data alone.
You connect the account from the Integrations page in your Fyncall workspace.
When is a different tool the better choice?
Fyncall treats Instagram as a customer conversation channel. If your goal is high-volume comment-to-DM growth campaigns and you do not need a helpdesk, a dedicated Instagram marketing app in the Shopify App Store may fit better and could be simpler to run. Fyncall's docs do not describe follower growth or broadcast features, so do not choose it for those.
Fyncall suits stores where the same DM inbox has to deal with pre-sale questions, order problems and complaints, and where someone on the team needs to step in with full context.
Common questions
Can I run the same automation on WhatsApp?
Not as one flow. Each flow belongs to a single agent, so you create a matching one for WhatsApp, using keyword triggers there.
Does every comment get a DM?
Only if you build it that way. Target one post or reel when you want a narrow campaign, and test the flow on a real item before applying it to all of them.
Where do I learn how to set up AI on all my channels?
Start with the Shopify AI customer service guide, then see what each channel adds on the features page.