--- title: "comment to DM automation: put your action link in every inbox" description: "Comment to DM automation for activists: set up ManyChat so every keyword comment gets your action link by DM, with scripts and keywords you can copy today." url: "https://creators.chilli.club/resources/comment-to-dm-automation" category: "spread the word" updated: "2026-09-30" reading_time: "4 min" --- # comment to DM automation: put your action link in every inbox > Someone comments a keyword, a tool sends them your action link by DM, instantly. It's the shortest bridge from scroll to action, and it takes about 20 minutes to set up. spread the word · 4 min read · updated 2026-09-30 "Link in bio" is a tiny obstacle course: leave the video, tap your profile, find the link, tap again. Every step loses people. Comment-to-DM skips all of it. Your follower types one word, and the link lands in their inbox before they've finished scrolling. ## what comment-to-DM automation is It's a tool connected to your Instagram account that watches your comments. When someone comments your keyword (say, ACTION), it: 1. sends them a DM with your chilli action link, right away, 2. posts a public reply under their comment, so everyone else sees it works. Your chilli action is the page they land on: your story plus a few **ways to help** they can finish in seconds. Never built one? Start with [how to create your first action on chilli, step by step](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/create-your-first-action.md). ## why it works so well - **DMs get opened.** Marketers commonly report 80–90% open rates for Instagram DMs, against roughly 20% for email. Treat that as an industry ballpark, not a promise, but the gap is real. - **zero friction.** No profile detour, no hunting for the link. - **comments are social proof.** A post with 2,000 "ACTION" comments tells every new viewer that people are moving. That's an urgency signal in itself (more in [the three urgency signals that get people to act now](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/urgency-signals.md)). > **example: [Abby Eckel](https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWPXB41vlv1/)** > > "Comment KANSAS" pulled in over 7,000 comments on two posts in a single week. Each one got the action link by DM. ## set it up with ManyChat Use a Meta-approved tool. ManyChat is the most common one and works with Instagram professional accounts (creator or business). Unofficial bots can put your account at risk, so skip them. 1. **Get your link.** On your chilli action page, tap **share this action**, then **copy link**. 2. **Connect Instagram to ManyChat.** Sign up, link your Instagram professional account and allow message access. 3. **Create an automation triggered by a comment.** Pick the specific post or reel, or set it to work on all posts. 4. **Set your keyword.** Add a few variations people will type anyway: ACTION, action, Action. 5. **Write the public reply.** Short, friendly, a few rotating versions so it doesn't look robotic. 6. **Write the DM.** Greet them by first name, say what the action does and how long it takes, add the link as a button. 7. **Test it from a second account.** Comment the keyword, check the reply, check the DM, tap the link. 8. **Go live and say it out loud.** The keyword goes in your caption, on screen in the reel, and in your voiceover. ## pick a keyword people can't get wrong Simple and specific wins. One word, easy to spell, no special characters. - **generic**: ACTION, LINK, YES, IN - **on-topic**: KRILL, WHALES, WATER, KANSAS On-topic keywords are more fun and make the comment section read like a crowd chanting. Generic ones are easier to reuse across posts. Pick one per post and stick to it. ## scripts you can steal **caption CTA** ```text Don't just scroll. Comment ACTION and I'll DM you the link: one pre-written email to [target], 30 seconds. ``` **caption CTA (personal)** ```text This one's personal. Comment ACTION and I'll send you exactly how to help. ``` **the DM** ```text Hey [first name]! Thanks for showing up 🔥 Here's the action: [link] It's a pre-written email to [target] asking them to [specific ask]. Takes about 30 seconds. Done? Send this to one friend who'd care. That's how we get loud. ``` **public replies (rotate these)** ```text Sent! Check your DMs 🫡 It's in your inbox. Go get them. Done, check your messages. Thank you for acting ❤️‍🔥 ``` > **pro tip** > > The DM is a mini call to action. Name the target and the specific ask, the same way you would in your action title. [the CTA formula: how to write an action title people can't ignore](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/cta-formula.md) has the formula. > **example: [Celina Chien x chilli](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUyYxUNjP6z/)** > > One keyword in the comments, one instant DM with the action page links. No detour through the bio. ## best practices - **deliver instantly.** A DM that arrives an hour later arrives after the feeling has gone. - **personalise.** Use their first name. It reads like you, not a vending machine. - **reply publicly.** It proves the automation works and nudges the next person to comment. - **one link per DM.** Send the action page, not your whole link tree. - **refresh the link.** New action, new link. Check old automations still point somewhere live. > **avoid this** > > - DM-baiting ("comment for a surprise") with no clear action behind it > - keywords that are long, hyphenated or easy to typo > - sending people to a page with nothing to do on it > - going live without testing from a second account > **key insight** > > Comment-to-DM turns a passive viewer into a participant in two taps. Pair it with a live moment and a named target, and your comment section becomes a queue of people waiting to act. ## one creator, then eight Celina Chien's krill campaign started with one creator and one community. It grew into eight creators, a combined reach of more than 5 million people and 3,224 actions aimed at retailers, certifiers and governments. > **real win · Celina Chien**: [How creators made krill impossible to ignore](https://creators.chilli.club/antarctic-krills.md) ## your next move Copy your action link, set up one ManyChat automation on your next reel, and test it from a second account tonight. Then check that your bio backs it up: [your link in bio is prime real estate. use it for action](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/link-in-bio-for-activists.md). ## see it in action - [How chilli helped ocean creators unite to make Antarctic krill impossible to ignore](https://creators.chilli.club/antarctic-krills.md): Your audience doesn’t have to act alone. See how chilli helped eight creators unite their communities and take 3K actions against the krill industry. - [How chilli helped Caroline Gleich turn Stratos into a national fight in just five weeks!](https://creators.chilli.club/stratos-data-centers-in-utah.md): Turn your audience into a force decision-makers can’t ignore. See how Caroline Gleich used chilli to mobilize 12K+ actions against a massive Utah data center. ## keep going - [share your action: captions, stories and reels that get people moving](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/share-your-action.md): You don't need a new audience. You need a shorter bridge between the post your followers already watch and the action they can take in 30 seconds. - [your link in bio is prime real estate. use it for action](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/link-in-bio-for-activists.md): Your bio link is the one thing on Instagram that never scrolls away. Point it at an action, keep it fresh, and give it a button people want to tap. - [the three urgency signals that get people to act now](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/urgency-signals.md): People act when there's a reason to do it today. Give them one: the word "now", a real deadline, or proof that thousands already did it. - [the CTA formula: how to write an action title people can't ignore](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/cta-formula.md): Action verb + named target + specific ask + urgency signal. If your title doesn't hit at least three of the four, rewrite it. ## along the path - previous guide: [share your action: captions, stories and reels that get people moving](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/share-your-action.md): You don't need a new audience. You need a shorter bridge between the post your followers already watch and the action they can take in 30 seconds. - next guide: [your link in bio is prime real estate. use it for action](https://creators.chilli.club/resources/link-in-bio-for-activists.md): Your bio link is the one thing on Instagram that never scrolls away. Point it at an action, keep it fresh, and give it a button people want to tap. ## next step Book a free call with the chilli team. We’ll shape your first action with you, from the story to the ways to help, and get it live: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ01g8S_PtdUlvXCTxD-pS1u4XmLdcBskzOKdjdrlPeX2aVrQ20e76YifYlNHXzow4KG4xIS0Vsl