Why an automation did not reply

Start at the top. These are ordered by how often they turn out to be the cause.

1. It is not live, or it is switched off

An automation needs both. A draft does nothing, and a live automation with its switch off is paused.

2. Another automation answered instead

Only one automation replies to any comment. If yours shows skipped, a more specific one won. See Only one automation replies.

3. The words did not match

• Exact mode requires the whole comment to be the keyword. Try Contains.
• An exclude keyword appeared somewhere in the comment.

4. It was the wrong post

The automation watches specific posts and the comment was on a different one.

5. You have run out of quota

Each plan includes a number of comment replies and messages per month. They are separate: running out of messages stops DMs while public replies keep working, and the other way round. See Usage and limits.

6. Instagram refused the message

The common reasons, and none of them can be lifted by upgrading:

• The 24 hour window closed. You can only DM someone within 24 hours of their last message to you.
• That comment already got its one DM. Instagram allows one per comment.
• The conversation was deleted on Instagram.

7. Your Instagram account is disconnected

If Instagram revoked access, everything stops and you will have been emailed. See Staying connected.

8. The person is blocked

Blocked contacts are skipped by automations. See Contacts.

Still stuck?

Try Troubleshooting, or open a ticket from Support.