Short version: almost nobody can do this, and the reason is Instagram, not the tools.
Automating comments during an Instagram Live needs a permission called live_comments. Instagram grants it through Advanced Access, an application process most apps never clear, so the great majority of automation tools cannot read your live chat at all. dmrabbit does not hold it either. Any tool promising live comment automation is worth one question before you pay: do you hold live_comments Advanced Access?
Here is what the problem actually is, what the workarounds are worth, and what you can automate today.
Why live comments are a genuinely hard problem
A Reel collects comments over hours. A live collects them in a continuous scroll, sometimes dozens a minute, from people who expect an answer while the moment is still happening. You cannot host, watch chat and answer at once. By the time you scroll back to a comment from ten minutes ago, whatever made that person type it has passed.
So the demand is real. The supply is the problem.
Why the tools cannot help
Instagram's API separates permissions by surface. Reading and replying to comments on posts and Reels is a standard permission that approved apps get. Reading comments on a live broadcast is a separate one, and Instagram issues it sparingly.
The practical result is that live chat is invisible to most automation tools. Not slow, not rate-limited: invisible. There is nothing to build on, and no configuration that works around it.
Be careful with tools that claim otherwise. If a tool has not been granted access to your live comments, the only ways to see that chat are ones that put your account at risk, and a suspended account costs more than the feature is worth.
What actually works during a live
The workaround that experienced hosts use does not touch live comments at all. It moves the action to a surface that is automatable.
Point the live at a post. Say it on camera: "comment PRICE on the pinned Reel and it comes straight to your DMs." The Reel comment is a normal comment, so a keyword automation catches it instantly, and the viewer gets the DM within seconds while they are still watching. You get the automation, they get the answer, and nobody needs a permission Instagram will not grant.
Use story replies. Post a story before and during the stream. Replies to a story are a supported trigger, so "reply GUIDE to this story" works the same way as a comment keyword.
Let DMs do the work. Tell viewers to DM you a word. A DM keyword trigger answers them immediately, and because the person messaged you first, a follow gate on that path can check follow status straight away.
None of these is a compromise on speed. They are the same instant automation, aimed at a surface that is actually open.
Setting the redirect up properly
Pin the post before you go live. Nobody hunts for a Reel mid-stream.
Pick one keyword and say it several times. Viewers join late. Someone arriving twenty minutes in has not heard the first mention.
Keep it short and easy to type. People are typing on a phone while watching.
Write the DM before the stream. The reply should be ready the moment the first comment lands.
Add a follow gate if growth is the point. Live viewers are already warm, so asking for the follow before the resource unlocks converts well.
What this looks like for real
A live product drop. You show the product on camera and send everyone to comment PRICE on the pinned post. Forty people comment in two minutes and all forty get pricing and a link automatically, while you keep talking.
A Q and A. The same three questions come up every time. Point them at a keyword and the answer arrives without you repeating yourself.
A launch or masterclass. Interest peaks mid-teaching, which is exactly when you cannot stop to send links. A keyword on the pinned post catches it at the peak.
The honest summary
Instagram live comment automation is mostly a marketing phrase. The permission behind it is rare, dmrabbit does not have it, and most tools claiming it do not either. What works is redirecting live viewers to a post comment, a story reply or a DM, all of which automate instantly and none of which need special access.
If live comment access ever opens up, it is one setting away for tools already built on the official API. Until then, redirect and get on with it.
FAQ
Can Instagram live comments be automated? Only by apps holding live_comments Advanced Access, which Instagram grants sparingly. Most tools, dmrabbit included, do not have it.
Does dmrabbit automate live comments? No. It automates comments on posts and Reels, story replies, story mentions and DMs.
What should I do during a live instead? Send viewers to comment a keyword on a pinned post, reply to a story, or DM you a word. All three trigger automation immediately.
Are tools that promise live comment automation lying? Not necessarily, some may hold the access. Ask them directly whether they have live_comments Advanced Access, and be wary of any tool that wants your Instagram password.
Can an automated DM include a PDF or video? Not with dmrabbit. Automated messages carry text and links, so deliver files by linking to them.
Automate the comments you can: start free with dmrabbit, no card required.