Follow to DM FAQ: Everything you need to know 📖

Since we launched the new Follow to DM trigger, we’ve received a lot of questions. So we gathered the most frequently asked ones and their answers in a single post!

If you’re eligible to use this feature, you will see the “Say hi to new followers” (Follow to DM) template on the Home tab. If you are not eligible or already have it set up, this will not be shown.

• Option 1 - On web (desktop):

If you’re eligible to use this feature, you will see the “Say hi to new followers” template on the Home tab. If you are not eligible or already have it set up, this will not be shown.

1. Go to Automations → Basic.
2. Open “Say hi to new followers: first impressions are everything”.

Customize the setup:

• Adjust the timing via After 5 minutes or 10 minutes.
• Create your Opening DM (with a button so they opt into a conversation).
• Tweak your message and optionally add the link
• (Optional) Add a follow-up message

Alternative entry point: Settings → Instagram → Say hi to new followers →  Set Up (new) or Select Existing (edit).

• Option 2 - On the app:

You can set up “Say hi to new followers” (Follow to DM) right in the Manychat mobile app (iOS or Android).

• Go to Automation → Basic → New followers

If you're encountering an error that says “You can't log in with this Instagram account. Try using a Facebook account that you know is connected to this Instagram account”, please follow the steps below:

• In Manychat, go to Settings → Channels → Instagram → Say hi to new followers → Set up → Update Permissions
•  When the page opens and only shows the Instagram login, copy the full URL from your browser’s address bar.
• Paste the URL into a text editor.
• In that URL, replace every occurrence of “IG” with “FB”, except the part that says “config”.
  •  For example:
    • default_business_login_option=IG → default_business_login_option=FB
    • Do not change config → leave it as is.
  • Copy the edited URL back into your browser’s address bar and press Enter. •
  • This should open the Facebook login page instead. Log in using your Facebook credentials (the same that manage your connected Page and Instagram account) and complete the authorization process.

If the error you’re seeing is different, please open a support ticket so we can take a closer look and assist you further.

This feature is still in Beta and not available to everyone. Access to this feature depends on two things: your Instagram connection method and eligibility granted by Meta.

The easiest way to check is by trying to set it up:

1. If your Instagram needs to be reconnected using the latest method, you'll be prompted automatically – just follow the steps.
2. Once connected, you'll see right away whether you're eligible or not.

The Follow to DM Quick Automation beta is available for both Free and PRO accounts. However, if you enable any PRO-only options while on the Free plan, you’ll need to upgrade to PRO to activate the automation. Free users can send an Opening DM and one follow-up message containing a link.

Since this feature is still in beta on Meta’s end, things might change as they continue testing. At the moment, Meta has set some limitations that are preventing certain Instagram accounts from accessing it, and it looks like your account is one of the ineligible ones for now.

Since Meta controls this, we aren’t able to pinpoint exactly what causes the restriction or say if or when it will be lifted in the future. Please rest assured that this limitation isn’t caused by your actions in Manychat and doesn’t mean something is broken. It’s just part of the current beta process.

Yes, there are a couple of important requirements to keep in mind.

First, your Instagram account must be connected through the new Unified Instagram onboarding flow. This trigger is only available for accounts using that connection method.

Second, this feature is still in beta on Meta’s end. Because of that, it is being gradually rolled out and may only be available to a limited number of Instagram accounts at the moment. If the trigger is not available on your account, this is expected behavior under Meta’s current beta process. It is not caused by any action within Manychat and does not mean that anything is broken on your side. Since this is controlled entirely by Meta, there is nothing additional you need to configure in Manychat. Availability depends solely on Meta’s rollout and eligibility criteria.

Using this trigger shouldn’t flag your account on its own - Manychat is an official Meta Business Partner and uses Meta-approved Instagram automations.

That said, Meta can still flag accounts if their automated systems detect spammy behavior, even when you’re using an approved tool.

To reduce risk, keep these in mind:

• Avoid “too many automated messages too quickly.”
• Keep your welcome DM helpful and not overly aggressive or spam-like.
• Remember Meta limits Follow to DM: it triggers only once per follower, and Meta allows only one Follow to DM message per user per week.

Also, once your first DM sends, the person needs to reply or click a button (not a URL button) to opt in and open a 24-hour messaging window for any additional messages.

• If the follower is already a contact. If someone has messaged the Instagram account before - via an automation (like Comment to DM) or a manual DM - they become a contact.

Existing contacts don’t receive FTDM messages by design to avoid awkward or confusing experiences. For example, if someone engages with a comment to DM automation, and then follows the creator, receiving both automations would feel strange.

All the information is in this HC article.

• Meta 1 per week limitations: Meta allows only one Follow to DM message per user per week. If a person follows multiple accounts using this feature, they’ll receive a message only from the first account they followed. This rule helps keep the experience safe and free from spam.

Have fun using this feature and post in the community what prompts you use to connect with your new followers!