Automatic Replies
Updated
Select Auto replies in the Social Inbox header to create rules for an Instagram account or Facebook Page. Automatic replies require Standard or Premium and Manager or Editor access.
A rule can match an incoming comment or DM, send a response, and update the conversation's tags or assignee.
Name
Account
When
Match
Keywords
Posts
Public comment reply
Building a Rule
Open Auto replies and select New rule.
- 1
Name the Rule and Choose an Account
Enter a name that identifies the rule's purpose, such as "Guide requests". Choose the connected Instagram account or Facebook Page. Each rule belongs to one account; create another rule for another account.
- 2
Choose a Trigger
Select Comment on a post, DM received, or First DM from a person. Use the first-DM trigger for a one-time welcome and DM received for rules that can respond again to later messages.
- 3
Set the Match
Choose Contains a keyword, Matches a keyword exactly, or Any message. Enter up to 20 keywords, with up to 80 characters each. Matching ignores case and trims surrounding spaces.
For example, an exact match for LINK matches "link". A contains match also matches "Please send the link". Any message matches every incoming message that meets the trigger and other rule conditions.
- 4
Choose the Posts
For a comment trigger, choose all posts or select specific posts. A rule can include up to 50 post IDs. Use specific posts when the keyword relates to one campaign or offer.
- 5
Choose the Actions and Save
For comments, enable a public reply, a private DM, or both, then enter the reply text. DM triggers send a DM reply. You can also apply tags and assign the conversation to a teammate.
Set the cooldown, safety limit, and disclosure options below the actions. Select Create rule, then check its enabled state in the rule list.
Limiting Repeated Replies
For DM triggers, set Per-person cooldown (hours) to control how soon the same rule can answer that person again. The default is 24 hours. You can set up to 168 hours, or use zero to disable the cooldown.
Set Rule safety limit (rolling 24 hours) to cap rule firings between 1 and 1,000. Once the rule reaches its limit, it stops firing until capacity becomes available in that rolling period.
Leave Disclose that DMs are automated enabled to add "This is an automated reply." to automated DMs. Check the full reply length, including this line.
What a Rule Will Not Do
Rules skip your account's own comments and do not process the same incoming message twice for the same rule. A first-DM rule is limited to the person's first message to that account; starting another conversation does not reset it.
Rules also respect cooldowns, delivery windows, and safety limits. Automated DM replies use the standard messaging window and cannot use extended human-agent access.
If the organization moves to a plan without automation, rules stop firing. Check their enabled state when automation becomes available again.
Watching It Run
- Open Auto replies and find the rule.
- Select its activity control.
- Open an entry to check the result of each action.
Activity can show completed, partially delivered, pending, skipped, or failed work. A public reply can succeed while a private DM is skipped, so check the action results before assuming both were delivered.
Maeve can pause a rule after five consecutive failed or partially failed executions. Read the pause reason and activity errors. Reconnect the account if its connection needs attention, or correct the rule if the error concerns its content. Then enable it again and check the next result.
Pausing and Deleting
Use the rule's switch to pause or enable it. Pausing keeps the rule and its activity for later use. Edit a rule and select Save rule to keep changes.
To remove a rule, select its delete action and confirm Delete rule. Deletion also removes its activity log and cannot be undone. Pause a rule if you may want to use it again.
Questions
Which networks support automatic replies?
Maeve supports automatic replies for connected Instagram accounts and Facebook Pages.
Which plan do I need for automatic replies?
Standard or Premium. The Social Inbox itself is available on every plan.
What can trigger a rule?
A comment on a post, an incoming DM, or a person's first DM to the connected account.
Are keywords case sensitive?
No. Matching ignores case and trims surrounding spaces. You can enter up to 20 keywords, each up to 80 characters.
What is the difference between contains and exactly?
Contains matches a keyword within longer text. Exactly requires the whole incoming text to match a keyword after normalization.
Can a rule send a public reply and a DM to the same comment?
Yes. Enable both actions on a comment rule and enter the text for each. Check the activity log because either action can fail or be skipped separately.
Why did the private DM get skipped?
Check the activity entry. A comment allows one private reply within seven days, so an already-used reply or an expired window can prevent another DM.
How do I stop a rule replying to the same person repeatedly?
Set Per-person cooldown for a DM rule. It defaults to 24 hours and allows up to 168 hours. Zero disables the cooldown.
Do I have to say the reply is automated?
Leave Disclose that DMs are automated enabled. It adds a short disclosure line to automated DMs.
Why has my rule paused itself?
Check the pause reason and activity log. Five consecutive failed or partially failed executions can pause a rule. Correct the reported problem before enabling it again.