How to Automate DMs for a Single Reel Only

To automate DMs for a single reel only, choose the "comments on a specific post" trigger, select that reel, and set its keyword. Nothing else on your account is affected: other reels, posts and stories keep behaving normally. Viralyze treats each of these as its own automation with its own keywords, DM, schedule and funnel, so you can run a tight campaign on one reel without touching anything else.

This guide covers when a single-reel automation is the right choice, how to set it up, and how to tie its start and end to the campaign.

When is a single-reel automation better than an any-post one?

When the offer belongs to that reel. A product demo, a workshop announcement, a limited bundle, a collaboration: these have a start and an end, and the DM should only go out from the content that explains them.

A home decor seller showing a specific wall shelf, for example, wants "SHELF" to send that shelf's checkout, not a general shop link. The any-post trigger would carry the keyword everywhere; a single-reel automation keeps it where it belongs.

How do you set it up?

1. Open Viralyze and create a new automation. 2. Choose "comments on a specific post". 3. Pick the reel from your recent posts. If it is not published yet, choose "start with your next post" and the automation attaches itself when the reel goes up. 4. Add keywords: "SHELF", "shelf price", "shelf link". 5. Write the DM and attach the product checkout. The page accepts UPI, cards and net banking with 0% platform fee. 6. Test with a sample comment, then set it Live.

The whole process takes about a minute and does not need a Facebook Page.

Can you schedule it to match the reel's launch?

Yes. The automation can start now, with your next post, or at a chosen date and time. For a reel going out at 7pm, schedule the automation for 7pm so the first comment gets a reply.

Its state is visible at all times: Scheduled before it starts, Live while running, Paused if you stop it, and Needs attention if the Instagram connection drops.

How do you stop it when the campaign ends?

Set an auto-pause when you create it. Options are after N days, after N DMs, or on a specific date. For the shelf, "pause after 150 DMs" makes sense if there are 150 units, and "pause on the 30th" makes sense if the launch price ends then.

When it pauses, late commenters get nothing, so consider editing the DM near the end to say "sold out, comment NOTIFY for the restock" with a lead magnet that collects an email.

Can the same reel have more than one keyword?

Yes. One single-reel automation can hold several keywords, each with its own reply. For the shelf reel: "SHELF" sends the checkout, "SIZE" sends a short PDF with dimensions, and "BULK" sends a booking page for a call about trade orders.

Each reply is tagged on the contact, so later you can filter the exported CSV to people who asked about bulk.

What should you look at after the reel has run?

The automation's own funnel: comments, matched, delivered, clicked, signed up. Because this automation is tied to one reel, those numbers describe that reel and nothing else, which makes it easy to judge whether the content or the offer did the work.

Replies arrive in the Inbox with the original comment attached, and you can answer within Instagram's 24-hour window from the app or from Instagram.

Frequently asked questions

**Can I copy a single-reel automation to another reel later?** Yes. Create a new automation on the next reel and reuse the same keywords and DM, or edit them for the new offer.

**Will a single-reel automation reply to comments made before I switched it on?** It can reply to comments from the last 7 days, within Instagram's one-reply-per-comment rule.

**Does pausing the reel automation affect my any-post keyword?** No. Each automation is independent, so pausing one leaves the others running.

Start a 7-day free trial of Viralyze, no card needed, and give your next launch reel its own keyword.