DM Pulse Documentation
Everything you need to set up automated Instagram DMs — keyword rules, post comment triggers, story reply automations, and analytics.
Overview
DM Pulse is an Instagram automation tool built entirely on Meta's official Messaging API. It lets you create keyword-based rules that automatically send DMs when someone messages you, comments on your post, or replies to your story.
All replies are sent through your connected Instagram Business or Creator account — no third-party bots, no scraping, zero risk of account suspension.
DM Pulse works only with Instagram Business or Creator accounts connected to a Facebook Page. Personal accounts are not supported by the Instagram Messaging API.
Quick Start
Get your first automated reply running in under 5 minutes:
price), choose a match type, and write your reply message.Connect Instagram
DM Pulse uses Meta's OAuth 2.0 flow. When you click "Login with Instagram", you are redirected to Instagram's official authorization page. DM Pulse never sees or stores your password.
Required Permissions
- instagram_business_manage_messages — Send DMs via the Messaging API
- instagram_manage_comments — Read comments on your posts to trigger comment rules
- pages_messaging — Required by Meta for business messaging features
If you decline any permission during the OAuth flow, the affected channel will not work. You can reconnect at any time from Settings → Reconnect Instagram.
Disconnecting
To remove DM Pulse's access, go to Settings → Danger Zone → Disconnect Account. You can also revoke access directly from Instagram's "Authorized Apps" page in your account settings.
DM Keyword Reply
⚡ DM ChannelThe DM channel triggers when someone sends a direct message to your account that contains one of your keyword rules. DM Pulse replies to that person automatically within ~2 seconds.
How it works
When your account receives a DM, Instagram sends a webhook event to DM Pulse. DM Pulse checks the message text against all your active DM rules. If a match is found, the configured reply is sent immediately.
Creating a DM Rule
If multiple rules match the same message, the rule with the highest priority (lowest order number) fires. Only one reply is sent per message.
Post Comment → DM
💬 Post DM ChannelThe Post Comment channel watches for keyword comments on your Instagram posts. When someone comments a matching keyword, DM Pulse sends them a DM automatically — even if you're offline.
Use cases
- Post "Comment LINK to get the download" → auto-DM with the link
- Post "Comment PRICE for our rates" → auto-DM with pricing info
- Comment giveaway entries → auto-DM confirmation to each participant
Setting up a Post Comment Rule
From the dashboard, go to Post DM Channel → Add Rule. You can attach the rule to:
- All posts — The rule applies to every post on your account
- Specific post — Choose a post by URL or from your recent posts grid
The reply message can include {{username}} which is replaced with the commenter's Instagram handle.
Instagram limits how many DMs a business account can send per day. This limit varies by account level. Check your plan's messages/day limit in the Pricing section.
Story Reply → DM
📖 Story ChannelThe Story Reply channel listens for replies to your Instagram stories. When a viewer replies with a keyword, DM Pulse sends them an instant DM.
Example CTAs for stories
- "Reply INFO to this story to get the full details in your DM"
- "Reply YES to join the waitlist — we'll DM you the link"
- "Reply DISCOUNT to get your exclusive code"
Limitations
Story reply rules only fire while the story is live (within 24 hours of posting). After the story expires, the rule becomes inactive automatically. You can re-attach or archive it from the dashboard.
Instagram only sends story reply webhooks if the story is from a Business or Creator account. Personal account stories do not trigger this webhook.
Keyword Matching
Each rule has a keyword and a match type. All matching is case-insensitive by default.
| Match Type | Behaviour | Example keyword | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact | Message text must be exactly the keyword (trimmed) | price |
"price" ✓ "what's the price" ✗ |
| Contains | Keyword appears anywhere in the message | price |
"what's the price?" ✓ "pricing?" ✓ |
| Starts With | Message begins with the keyword | info |
"info please" ✓ "get info" ✗ |
Use Exact matching for single-word story CTAs ("Reply YES") to avoid accidental triggers. Use Contains for natural-language queries like "price" or "link".
Managing Rules
Priority ordering
Rules are evaluated top-to-bottom. If a message matches multiple rules, only the highest-priority (topmost) rule fires. Drag and drop rules in the dashboard to reorder them.
Enable / Disable
Toggle the switch next to any rule to enable or disable it without deleting it. Disabled rules are shown greyed out and are skipped during matching.
Rule limits by plan
- Lite (₹49/mo) — 2 DM rules, no Post/Story rules
- Starter (₹99/mo) — 5 DM rules, 1 Post rule, 1 Story rule
- Growth (₹199/mo) — 15 rules across all channels
- Pro / Business — Unlimited rules
Analytics Dashboard
The Analytics tab gives you a live view of your automation performance.
Metrics available
- Total DMs sent — Lifetime count across all channels
- DMs today / this week — Rolling daily and weekly counts
- Per-rule breakdown — Which rules are firing most often
- Channel split — DM vs Post DM vs Story DM proportions
- Top keywords — Keyword phrases that triggered the most replies
- Response time — Average latency between incoming message and reply sent
Analytics data is updated in real-time. There is no export feature yet — it's on the roadmap for Q3 2025.
Plan Limits
DM Pulse enforces per-day message limits based on your plan. When the daily limit is reached, rules are paused until midnight (IST) and resume automatically.
| Plan | DM Rules | Messages/day | Post Rules | Story Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 1 | 10 | — | — |
| Lite | 2 | 40 | — | — |
| Starter | 5 | 150 | 1 | 1 |
| Growth | 15 | 500 | 5 | 3 |
| Pro | Unlimited | 2 000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Business | Unlimited | 10 000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
FAQ
Will using DM Pulse get my account banned?
No. DM Pulse uses only Instagram's official Messaging API — the same API Meta provides to approved business partners. There is no scraping, no unofficial automation, and no violation of Instagram's Terms of Service.
How fast does DM Pulse reply?
Replies are typically sent within 1–2 seconds of receiving the webhook from Instagram. Instagram itself may add a small delay (~0.5s) before delivering the webhook.
Can I use DM Pulse with a personal Instagram account?
No. Instagram's Messaging API only works with Business and Creator accounts. You can switch your account type for free in Instagram's account settings (Settings → Account → Switch to Professional Account).
What happens when I reach my daily message limit?
Automation pauses for the rest of that day and resumes automatically at midnight IST. You'll see a warning banner in your dashboard when you're within 20% of the daily limit.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?
Yes — upgrades take effect immediately. Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing period. If your new plan has fewer rules than you currently have active, excess rules are auto-disabled (not deleted).
Still have questions?
Email us at support@dmpulse.in — we typically reply within a few hours on business days.