Back to Docs
Automation

DM Trigger Workflow

Automate your direct message inbox. Reply to keywords, guide users through multi-step flows, collect leads, and deliver offers — all without typing a single message manually.

8 min read

DM Trigger Workflow

What is a DM Trigger?

A DM Trigger listens to your inbox. When a user sends a message that matches a keyword (or sends any message at all), Flowre fires your automation immediately. Unlike comment triggers — which are public — DM automations happen entirely in private conversations.

Works on Instagram, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger. Telegram also supports button-based flows with rich formatting.

How to create a DM Trigger workflow

1

Open Workflows → New Workflow

Go to the Workflows section in the sidebar. Click “+ New Workflow” and give it a name (e.g. “Price Inquiry DM Flow”).

2

Select your channel

Choose Instagram, Telegram, or Facebook Messenger. The available node types depend on the channel.

3

Add Trigger node → DM / Message Received

Click “+” and select Trigger → Message Received. In the settings, choose: Any message (fires for every new DM), Keyword match (only fires when DM contains specific words), or Story reply (fires when someone replies to your story, Instagram only).

4

Add a Send Message node

Click “+” after the trigger and add a “Send Message” node. Type your reply. You can use {{first_name}} to personalize the greeting.

5

Add buttons (optional)

In the message editor, click “+ Add Button” to give users options. Quick Reply buttons let users tap to continue the flow (Instagram & Facebook: max 13 buttons). Inline Keyboard provides richer buttons (Telegram only). URL buttons open a link.

6

Chain more steps

After each button or message, add more nodes: another message, a delay, a condition (if/else), or an AI agent node. Build as deep a funnel as you need.

7

Add a Delay node (recommended)

Between messages, add a Delay node (e.g. 2–5 seconds) to make the conversation feel natural. Without a delay, multiple messages appear almost instantly.

8

Save & Activate

Click “Save & Activate”. The flow is now live. Send a test message from another account to verify it works end-to-end.

Node types reference

Trigger

Starts the flow. Keyword, any message, or story reply.

Send Message

Sends text, image, or video to the user.

Buttons

Quick reply options that branch the flow.

Delay

Wait N seconds/minutes before the next step.

Condition

If/else branching based on user input or attributes.

AI Agent

Hands off to AI for free-form conversation.

Platform differences

FeatureInstagramFacebookTelegram
Keyword trigger
Any message trigger
Story reply trigger
Quick Reply buttons✓ (max 13)✓ (max 13)
Inline keyboard buttons
Image/video messages
Delay between messages
Tips for higher conversion:
  • Keep the first message short and friendly — one sentence max.
  • Always offer a clear next step with a button rather than open-ended text.
  • Use the AI Agent node as the last step for complex or unexpected questions.

Instagram limits automated DM sending. If a user has not interacted with your account before (cold DM), Meta may restrict delivery. Flows triggered by user actions (comments, story replies, inbound DMs) have higher deliverability.

Related guides