Welcome message

Why it matters for creators

The welcome message is the one piece of DM automation Instagram gives you in the app, free, with no tool attached. Turning it on takes about a minute and it is the correct first step for most accounts.

Its ceiling arrives quickly. The native version sends one fixed message to everyone, with no branching, no keyword matching and no link button, so it can greet people but it cannot deliver anything different depending on what they asked for. It also does not fire on comments or story replies, only on a first DM.

Where it genuinely shines is setting expectations. A welcome message that says when you actually reply — and points at the thing most people are about to ask for — reduces the inbox rather than just acknowledging it. Pair it with ice breakers and the empty-thread problem mostly disappears.