Instagram welcome message: 15 examples you can copy

No, you can’t send an automatic welcome message to new followers on Instagram, because Instagram withdrew access to the follow event for automation tools. A tool can only reply after the person does something: sends a DM, comments a keyword, or replies to or mentions your story. Services that promise a welcome DM to every new follower rely on workarounds that put your account at risk. The working alternative is to invite new followers to act. Pin a Reel that says ‘Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the checklist’, or add it to your bio. For example, a coach with 300 new followers a week can turn a share of them into conversations with a pinned Reel and a keyword, instead of messaging them cold. Each person who comments gets the welcome message, and the 24-hour window opens when they tap the button in it. Growing the follower base itself is covered in our guide to getting Instagram followers.

An Instagram welcome message should say hello, explain in one line what you help with, give 2 to 4 options, and tell the person when a human will reply. Everything else can wait until the person picks an option. Avoid long introductions about your story, because the first lines are what people see in the notification preview. Use the same words your audience uses: ‘book’, ‘prices’, ‘free guide’. Make every option a button rather than a question the person has to type an answer to. For example: ‘Hi! I help small cafés get more regulars. Tap AUDIT for a free account check or CASES to see results. A real person replies within 2 hours.’ That message is 3 lines and leads to one of two clear actions. If most people ignore the buttons, test a shorter first line or a stronger free offer. Keep a separate welcome text for each entry point.

An Instagram welcome message should be 2 to 4 short lines, about 20 to 50 words, with the main action visible without scrolling. The first line matters most because it appears in the notification preview and decides whether the person opens the chat. If you need to share more, split it across steps: the welcome message offers options, and each button leads to a separate message with details. This keeps every message easy to read on a phone. Instagram also doesn’t accept text and media in one ordinary message, so send a photo or video as a separate step or use a card with an image and buttons. For example, a skincare brand can keep the welcome to one line plus a QUIZ button, then send the 5-question quiz only to people who tap it. Long welcome messages usually get fewer button taps. Check the result on a small screen before you turn the automation on.

You can put a link in an Instagram welcome message, but a link in the very first message is risky, because Instagram may treat it as spam and limit your profile, for example your messaging or link sharing. The safer setup is a first message with a button, followed by the link after the person taps it. Tapping the button counts as the person’s action, so the conversation continues normally. This matters most for comment triggers: after a comment, Instagram allows only one private reply until the person reacts. If that reply contains only a link and no button, the conversation often ends there. For example, a course creator can send ‘Tap GET LESSON to receive lesson 1’ first and share the course link in the next message. Keep links short and from your own domain where possible. Then check how often people open them, and move the link deeper if the first message gets few taps.

To set up an auto reply for the first message, use Instagram’s built-in ‘Frequently asked questions’ in Direct, or an automation tool with an ‘any message’ trigger. The built-in option lets you add up to 4 questions with automatic answers, available to business and creator accounts. Open Messages, go to Tools, choose Frequently asked questions, turn on ‘Show questions’ and add your questions. An automation tool adds keyword triggers, comment replies and buttons that lead to the next step. With ChatPlace you can start a free account after registration and build a first-message flow in a few minutes. For example, a photographer can greet every new DM with three buttons: free dates, packages and portfolio. Whichever method you choose, test it from a second account before your next post goes live. Check that each button leads to a message and that no step ends without a next action.

Yes, AI can reply to Instagram DMs after the welcome message, as long as the person started the conversation and the 24-hour window is open. The AI Manager reads the question, answers from your price list, FAQ and rules, and hands the chat to a human when needed. This is useful when people ask follow-up questions that fixed buttons can’t cover, such as delivery to a specific city or a custom order. The welcome message still does the first job: it greets the person and offers clear options. The AI takes over the open questions. For example, a bakery can use a welcome message with MENU and ORDER buttons, and an AI Manager answers questions about allergies and delivery times. Test the AI with real questions from past chats before turning it on. If you’re comparing options, see our step-by-step guide to selling in your DMs with AI.

Yes, a welcome message works for both creator and business accounts, because Instagram’s messaging tools and automation access are available to professional accounts. Personal accounts can’t connect to automation tools or use the built-in FAQ in Direct. Switching a personal account to a creator account is free and done in the account settings. Creator accounts get the same entry points as business accounts: first DMs, keyword comments, story replies and mentions. Reactions to stories are an exception for large accounts: Instagram doesn’t send those events for accounts with 50,000 followers or more, while story replies and mentions still work. For example, a travel creator with 80,000 followers can welcome everyone who replies to a story with a free route guide, but not people who only react with an emoji. Both account types support a welcome message. Check your account type in settings before you connect any tool.

Test an Instagram welcome message from a second account before you announce the keyword, and repeat the test every time you change the flow. Send a first DM, comment the keyword, reply to a story and tap every button to see where each one leads. Check three things: that the first message arrives, that buttons open the next step, and that no message ends without an action. Many automation builders also have a preview mode that lets you walk through the flow without a second account. Watch the 24-hour rule: if you test the next day without a new action, later messages won’t arrive. For example, a dentist can test the BOOK button from a colleague’s account and confirm that the booking link only appears after the tap. After launch, compare the click rate week by week and change one line at a time. Keep the old version saved in case the new one performs worse.