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AI agent for Instagram

Every post that performs brings in messages. If nobody answers them within minutes, that interest cools off. The agent handles all of them, including the ones that come in through comments.

North team · Updated October 7, 2026 · 3 min read

What you can do on Instagram

Instagram generates the interest; the agent turns it into a conversation and takes it to the next step.

Direct messagesReplies to every messageQuestions about price, dates or availability, with the same knowledge base it uses on WhatsApp.
CommentsReplies to comments privatelycomment → private replySomeone who comments "BOOK" on a reel gets a direct message with the next step.
StoriesHandles replies and mentionsStory replies arrive as messages. People who mention you get a thank-you and a request for permission to share.
Ice breakersSuggested questions when the chat opensice breakers · up to 4"Do you have space this weekend?" or "How much is a night?", selectable with one tap.
Quick repliesOne-tap optionsButtons inside the conversation to choose a date, room type or channel.
QualifySpots who wants to buyTells apart someone asking out of curiosity from someone who already has a date and a group size, and offers that person a booking.
Move to WhatsAppTakes the sale to the payment channelwa.me/52…?text=Reserva%20R-2291A link with the message already written. The conversation continues on WhatsApp with the booking number.
MeasureWhich post brought each saleEach keyword is assigned to a post. That shows which reel generated inquiries and which one generated sales.

How it works under the hood

From comment to private message

Instagram sends a webhook for every comment on a professional account's posts. The agent classifies the intent and, when appropriate, replies privately using the comment's identifier. Only one message can be sent per comment, within 7 days; if the person replies, the conversation stays open for 24 hours (Meta documentation).

Private reply to a commentJSON
POST /{ig-user-id}/messages
{
  "recipient": { "comment_id": "17912345678901234" },
  "message": { "text": "Hi! We have two suites open for the weekend. How many people would it be for?" }
}

Recommendation. Also reply publicly with a short line, such as "We sent you a DM". Others see that you respond, and the information isn't repeated all over the feed.

Keyword or intent

A rule-based automation replies only if the comment has the exact word. An agent recognizes the same question written in other ways and skips comments with no purchase intent.

Four comments, two approachestext
comment                      rule "PRICE"     agent
"PRICE"                      replies          replies
"how much is a night?"       no reply         replies
"info pls"                   no reply         replies
"what a beautiful place"     no reply         doesn't write: no purchase intent

Recommendation. Use a keyword on each post to measure, and let the agent handle people who phrase it differently.

Instagram's windows

You can write freely during the 24 hours after the person's last message. A team member can reply up to 7 days later with the human agent tag, which can't be used for automated messages.

Recommendation. If the sale needs reminders days later, ask for the WhatsApp number or email within the conversation.

Case analysis

Gold's Gym Costa Rica: booking classes with one word

Gold's Gym · Costa Rica, 2021

Younger members wanted to book classes on Instagram, and the community manager answered every message by hand. It is an earlier example of rule-based automation, still without generative AI, but it shows the way.

What they did, step by step

  1. It posted content with real members to spark conversation.
  2. It promoted in stories and in the feed that classes could be booked by message.
  3. It added a button that led straight to the chat.
  4. A keyword, "citas" (appointments), opened the booking flow.
  5. It integrated the calendar so people could book without leaving Instagram, and confirmed by email.
9xmore bookings through Instagram
40%of all bookings started coming through Instagram
−99%in response time

The mechanism

  1. Story or postwith a call to message
  2. Keyword "citas"in the DM
  3. Manychat flowrules and tags
  4. Calendlybooking without leaving Instagram
  5. Confirmationby email

Why it worked. It brought booking to the channel its audience already used and reduced it to a single word.

Analysis of a public case. North Marketing did not take part in this work. The figures are the ones published by the vendor (Manychat); the agency was TBS Marketing.

Sources: Manychat

Frequently asked questions

Does it work with any Instagram account?

It needs a professional account, business or creator. Personal accounts don't have access to the messaging API.

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