How to Set Up Auto-Reply on Messenger and Instagram
Meta gives every business page free automatic replies. Here is what they do, where to find them, and when a chatbot makes more sense.
Before you start
- A Facebook page for your business.
- For Instagram, a professional (business or creator) account linked to that page, so both inboxes are managed in one place.
Meta's free automatic replies
In Meta Business Suite, the inbox has an automations area. Menu names change from time to time, so look for these:
- Instant reply: a first message sent to everyone who writes to you.
- Away message: sent when you are marked as away or outside your hours.
- Frequently asked questions: a few questions customers can tap, each with a fixed answer.
What they can't do
- They don't read what the customer actually typed.
- Fixed answers can't cover "is it available in black?" or "do you deliver to Alexandria?".
- A customer who types instead of tapping a question still waits for a person.
When a chatbot is worth it
If your posts or ads bring in more messages than your team can answer, or most messages ask about specific products, sizes or prices, an AI chatbot can answer them in the customer's own words, and pass orders and complaints to your team.
Common questions.
Yes. The instant reply, away message and frequently asked questions are free tools in Meta's inbox.
Yes, if your Instagram is a professional account linked to your Facebook page.
It goes further: it reads each message and answers it. Many businesses keep a short instant reply as well.
More Messages Than Your Team Can Answer?
Tell us what people ask on your page, and we tell you what a chatbot could handle.