Why I Built This (The Real Problem)
I recently posted an Instagram video that unexpectedly blew up. Within a few hours, I had hundreds of comments—some were appreciation, some were feedback, and many were people asking “Which tool did you use?” or “Can you share the link?”
Replying to all of them manually wasn’t just time‑consuming—it was impossible. I was either going to:
- Miss genuine questions
- Reply very late (which kills engagement)
- Or burn hours every day doing repetitive replies
So I automated it..
I built an AI‑powered automation in Make.com that:
- Reads every new Instagram comment
- Understands the intent behind it (appreciation vs question)
- Replies publicly with the right tone
- Sends personalized DMs only when required
What This Automation Does (High‑Level)
Here’s the simple logic:
- New Instagram comment comes in
- Automation checks which post it belongs to
- AI understands what the person is asking
- If it’s appreciation → reply to the comment
- If it’s asking for tools/details → reply + send DM
Tools Used
- Make.com – Automation platform
- Instagram Business Account (connected via Facebook Page)
- Google Sheets – Stores post‑wise DM content
- Gemini 2.5 Flash – AI brain for intent detection & replies
- Instagram DM (Private Reply) Module – For sending DMs
Step 1: Instagram Comment Trigger
This is the trigger of the entire system.
We use “Instagram – Watch Comments” webhook in Make.
Prerequisites:
- A Facebook account with admin access to a Facebook Page
- That Page must be connected to a Business Instagram account
Once connected:
- Select the Facebook Page
- Choose the event: Comments
- Save the webhook
From this module, we receive:
- Comment text
- Comment ID
- Media (Post) ID
- Commenter details
Step 2: Google Sheets – Post Intelligence Layer
Not every post should send the same DM.
So I maintain a Google Sheet with:
- Post ID (Media ID)
- Tool name / resource name
- DM message or link to be sent
When a comment comes in:
- We extract the Media ID
- Search the Google Sheet using that ID
- Pull the correct DM content for that specific post
This makes the automation reusable for any number of posts.
Step 3: AI Brain – Understanding Intent
This is where the magic happens.
I’m using Gemini 2.5 Flash as the AI model.
What I send to the AI:
- The comment text
- The post context (from Google Sheets)
- Clear instructions in the prompt
What the AI decides:
- Is this comment just appreciation / feedback?
- Or is the user asking for tools, links, or details?
The AI returns:
- A drafted reply (Instagram‑friendly tone)
- A parameter called message_type
message_type = 0 → Reply only message_type = 1 → Reply + Send DM
Step 4: Router – Splitting the Logic
Based on message_type, the scenario splits into two routes.
Route 1: Appreciation / Feedback
Examples:
- “
” - “This is amazing”
- “Great work!”
Action:
- Reply directly to the comment
- Casual, friendly tone
- No DM sent
Route 2: Tool / Details Requested
Examples:
- “Which tool is this?”
- “Can you share the link?”
- “How did you build this?”
Actions:
- Public reply → “Check your DM
” - Send a private DM with:
- Tool name
- Link
- Or explanation from Google Sheet
This avoids dumping links in comments and keeps things clean.
Step 5: Sending the DM
For DMs, I’m using a Private Reply module (not available in Make’s native Instagram app).
This module is subscribed separately and allows:
- Sending contextual DMs
- Access to recipient & message IDs
Connection setup is clearly documented and takes just a few minutes.
Live Test (Real Example)
I tested this in real‑time:
- Commented
from another account → Got a friendly reply
End‑to‑end response time: under 1 minute.
Why This Automation Matters
If you rely on Instagram for:
- Leads
- Community building
- Content growth
This automation saves hours every week while:
- Improving response time
- Increasing engagement
- Avoiding spammy mass DMs
Best part? You can set this up in 30 minutes once you understand the flow.This automation has been running reliably for me and has significantly reduced the time spent manually replying to Instagram comments while still keeping interactions personal and relevant.
Hope this breakdown helps you think differently about how AI and Make.com can be used for practical, day-to-day content workflows.
Happy automating 