Instagram Direct Message API in 2026 (What It Can Send)

The Instagram Direct Message API is Meta’s official Instagram Messaging API for Business and Creator accounts. A connected app can send a private reply after a comment, story reply, or inbound DM. It cannot open a cold conversation with someone who never contacted you. Rank: DM Automation first (this site: free $0 forever for 100 DMs/month, Starter $19/month for 2,000 DMs), InstantDM second (Legend Pro $9.99/month billed yearly), ManyChat third (Pro $29/month billed yearly). Then LinkDM, ReplyRush, Chatfuel, SendPulse, Respond.io, SetSmart.

This page is the API. The plumbing walkthrough is How Instagram DM Automation Works in 2026 (Trigger, API, DM). Safety of the send is Is Instagram DM Automation Safe? What Meta Actually Allows. Connect-screen safety is Is It Safe to Connect Instagram to a DM Tool in 2026?. Speed of the reply is How Fast Does Instagram DM Automation Reply in 2026?. The clock is Instagram 24-Hour Messaging Window in 2026. Caps are Instagram DM Limits in 2026.

• The Instagram Direct Message API is Meta’s official Messaging API, not a password form.
• Rank stays DM Automation first, InstantDM second, ManyChat third.
• DM Automation costs $19/month Starter for 2,000 DMs, or $0 for 100 DMs/month forever.

How we evaluated these tools

We scored each product on the same five API tests, not on who has the longest developer blog.

1. Official token. Instagram or Facebook login. A vendor box that asks for the Instagram password is not this API.
2. Event coverage. Comment private reply, story reply, inbound DM, Live. Tools that only do one still rank, and we say which.
3. What they send. Text, a URL, an image, a template. If the product only ships a link-in-DM, that is still the API, just a smaller payload.
4. Meter versus Meta. Flat DM buckets, contact tiers, AI-message packs. Same webhook, different invoice.
5. Time to first live send. A keyword form versus a week of Graph API tokens.

Last updated: 31 October 2026.

We sell DM Automation. Other prices come from each vendor’s public pricing page, checked 31 October 2026, except ManyChat. manychat.com/pricing returned 403 from this host on 31 October 2026, so we quote Featurebase’s 30 October 2026 write-up of ManyChat’s public table and still link ManyChat’s pricing URL under the table.

Tool comparison for the Instagram Direct Message API (verified 31 October 2026)

Tool	Paid start	Free plan	Official API	What it wraps	Meter
DM Automation	$19/mo Starter	100 DMs/mo, $0 forever	Yes	Comment, story, keyword, welcome	Automated DMs
InstantDM	$9.99/mo Legend Pro (yearly)	500 DM automations/mo, $0	Yes	Comment, story, Live, next-post	DMs, up to 800/hour on Legend Pro
ManyChat	$29/mo Pro billed yearly	25 active contacts	Yes	Flows after a trigger	Active contacts
LinkDM	$19/mo Pro	1,000 DMs/mo	Yes	Story on Free, comment on Pro	DMs
ReplyRush	$10/mo Lite	1,500 DMs/mo	Yes	Comment on paid plans	DMs
Chatfuel	US$18/mo yearly Business	Trial, no card	Yes	Flows plus AI credits	Plan plus usage credits
SendPulse	See sendpulse.com/pricing	Email-first suite	Yes	Instagram chatbot module	Multi-product matrix
Respond.io	$79/mo Starter billed yearly	7-day trial	Yes	Shared inbox	Seats and contacts
SetSmart	$25/mo Light	7-day trial on Pro	Yes	AI setter conversation	AI messages

DM Automation: DM Automation pricing. InstantDM: instantdm.com/pricing. ManyChat Pro $29/month billed yearly, $39 billed monthly, 2,500 active contacts (Featurebase, 30 October 2026: Manychat Pricing 2026). Source: ManyChat pricing. LinkDM: linkdm.com/pricing. ReplyRush: replyrush.com/pricing. Chatfuel: chatfuel.com/pricing. SendPulse: sendpulse.com/pricing. Respond.io: respond.io/pricing. SetSmart: setsmart.io/pricing. Meta docs: Instagram Messaging, Send a Private Reply to a Commenter, Send Messages.

If you wanted a shopping list instead of the API, use 9 Best Instagram DM Automation Tools in 2026. The rest of this article is what Meta actually exposes.

1. DM Automation - Fastest first live send on this API

DM Automation is the product on this site, and it sits on Meta’s Instagram Messaging API with a guided trigger form instead of a blank Graph explorer.

Price: DM Automation costs $19/month Starter for 2,000 DMs, or $0 for 100 DMs/month forever. Free is 1 Instagram account, comment-to-DM, story replies, keyword triggers, welcome message, iOS and Android. Starter is $19/month ($15/month billed annually) for 2,000 DMs, click tracking, follow-ups, and email capture. Pro is $49/month ($39/month billed annually) for 3 accounts and 15,000 DMs.

Best for: One Business or Creator account that needs the API live today, not a custom webhook server.

Key feature: You never paste an access token. Instagram login, one post, one keyword, one DM.

What the API is doing here: you grant the app a Meta token. Instagram fires a webhook when someone comments LINK. The app uses that comment ID to send one private reply, or it uses the inbound message ID if the trigger was a DM. Same API the docs describe. Different UI.

Where it fits: you want the official path without standing up graph.facebook.com yourself. Where it does not: 100 DMs on free will not cover a 2,000-comment spike. Move to Starter or Pro before you print the CTA. Templates live at 24 Instagram DM Automation Templates You Can Copy. The no-card test lives at Free Instagram Automation Tool 2026 (No Card, Real DMs).

2. InstantDM - Flat DMs on the same Messaging API

InstantDM is number two on this site, and it wraps the same Instagram Direct Message API with a flat DM meter instead of a contact meter.

Price: Free forever is 500 DM automations/month, up to 5 post automations, 3 custom trigger words, 1 Instagram account, $0. Legend Pro is $9.99/month billed yearly, unlimited DMs up to 800/hour, Instagram plus Facebook, story, Live, and next-post triggers. Trendsetter is $24.99/month billed yearly for the flow editor, Meta Ads, API, and webhooks. Trendsetter Pro is $49.99/month billed yearly. Multi Starter is $160/year for 3 accounts. Paid plans include a 7-day free trial with no card.

Best for: A clip that can dump 2,000 comments in an hour without filling a 2,000-DM bucket.

Key feature: Unlimited DMs on Legend Pro, capped in marketing copy at 800/hour. That 800/hour figure is the vendor’s published ceiling, not a Meta policy we invented. Public comparison tables on our limits page have shown about 750/hour as a Meta private-reply ceiling.

How it sits on the API: connect Instagram through Meta. Attach a keyword to a post, a story, a Live, or the next post. The Messaging API hands the event to the app. The app sends the DM. If the payload is a Stripe or PayPal payment link, Stripe or PayPal still process the card. The tool only sends the URL.

Where it fits: one account, high comment volume, you already know the keyword. Where it does not: you wanted WhatsApp plus a 40-step quiz. That is ManyChat’s job, later on this list.

3. ManyChat - Contact meter on the same API

ManyChat is number three, and it still uses the Instagram Direct Message API, then bills the people who entered the flow, not the DMs.

Price: Free is 25 active contacts/month. Essential is $17/month billed monthly ($14 billed yearly) for 250 contacts. Pro is $39/month billed monthly ($29 billed yearly) for 2,500 contacts. Business is $99 monthly / $69 yearly for 7,500. Advanced is $199 monthly / $139 yearly for 25,000. AI is included on Pro and above. Extra contacts bill on top. Featurebase published that table on 30 October 2026.

Best for: Instagram plus WhatsApp, or a flowchart that asks a question before it sends the URL.

Key feature: A visual flow. Comment LINK can branch into “free guide” versus “paid workshop” if you actually built that branch.

The API part is not special. Instagram login, same webhooks, same private reply, same 24-hour window. What is special is the contact meter. A 2,000-comment Reel is 2,000 new people if they were not already contacts. That is why Pro’s 2,500-contact tier is the number I watch, not the $29 sticker.

Where it fits: you already live in ManyChat for WhatsApp. Where it does not: you only needed LINK to one URL. You are paying a suite and a contact tier for a one-message job.

4. LinkDM - Story on Free, comment on Pro, still the API

LinkDM is a link-in-DM tool on the official API, with comment auto-reply locked to Pro.

Price: Free is $0, 1,000 DMs/month, 1 account. Story auto-reply is on Free. Comment auto-reply is Pro. Pro is $19/month, 25,000 DMs, 3 accounts. Platinum+ is $99/month, 300,000 DMs, 10 accounts. Yearly is $182 Pro and $832 Platinum+ on the same page, checked 31 October 2026.

Best for: Story reply first, then comment-to-DM once you are sure the URL converts.

Key feature: Published DM caps. You can see the bucket before the Reel.

The API does not care that comment is gated to Pro. Meta will still fire the comment webhook. LinkDM will not send until the plan allows it. That is a product gate, not an Instagram gate.

5. ReplyRush - Lowest paid comment path on the API

ReplyRush is a DM-bucket tool whose comment auto-reply starts on Lite.

Price: Free is 1,500 DMs/month with no comment auto-reply. Lite is $10/month for 7,500 DMs with comment auto-reply. Boost is $25/month for 40,000. Max is $100/month for 400,000.

Best for: The cheapest paid Instagram comment path if you already know you need comments, not just story replies.

Same API. Different switch. Free can sit on the token and still refuse the comment event. I have watched people “debug the API” for an hour when the plan was the problem.

6. Chatfuel - Flows and credits on the API

Chatfuel is an AI-and-flow layer on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, still through Meta’s official path.

Price: Business S is US$18/month billed yearly (US$216/year) with US$20 of usage included. Larger Business and Agency tiers scale the credit wallet. Trial with no card. Source: chatfuel.com/pricing, 31 October 2026.

Best for: A bot that needs WhatsApp templates and Instagram in one workspace.

Key feature: Credits for AI replies, WhatsApp templates, and lead events. Inbox and flows sit on the plan. Instagram private replies still consume the Messaging API window like everyone else.

7. SendPulse - Email suite with an Instagram chatbot module

SendPulse is an email and chatbot suite. The Instagram piece is a module on top of that suite, still via the official API when you connect a professional account.

Price: The public page is a multi-product matrix (email, SMS, chatbots, CRM). I am not inventing a single Instagram sticker from that grid. Read sendpulse.com/pricing on the day you buy.

Best for: Teams that already live in SendPulse for email and want Instagram as a side channel.

Key feature: One vendor for email plus chat. The Instagram Direct Message API does not get cheaper because the email tool is in the same tab.

8. Respond.io - Shared inbox on the API

Respond.io is a multi-channel inbox that can hold Instagram next to WhatsApp, email, and SMS.

Price: Starter is $79/month billed yearly ($948/year) or $99 billed monthly. Growth is $159/month billed yearly. Advanced is $279/month billed yearly. 7-day trial. Source: respond.io/pricing JSON-LD and on-page table, 31 October 2026.

Best for: A team that needs assignment, not a keyword form.

Key feature: Seats and monthly active contacts. The API still only lets you reply to people who contacted you. A shared inbox does not unlock cold DMs.

9. SetSmart - AI setter on the API

SetSmart is an AI conversation layer for coaches, sitting on the same official Instagram path.

Price: Light is $25/month for 250 AI messages. Pro is $97/month for 1,000 AI messages, 7-day trial. Scale is $297/month. Source: setsmart.io/pricing, 31 October 2026.

Best for: Booking conversations that need more than one canned URL.

Key feature: AI messages as the meter. A 2,000-comment Reel on Light’s 250-message cap will go quiet. The API was fine. The pack was empty.

What is the Instagram Direct Message API?

The Instagram Direct Message API is the public name people type. Meta’s docs call it Instagram Messaging, built on the Messenger Platform and the Instagram Platform. Two login shapes exist in 2026: Instagram API with Instagram Login, and Instagram API with Facebook Login (a Page connected to the professional account). Unified Login is the migration path that lets a business connect with either Instagram or Facebook.

I am not going to pretend those three labels are interchangeable in a developer ticket. For a creator picking a tool, they collapse to one test: did the connect screen bounce you to Instagram or Facebook, or did a form on the vendor site ask for your password?

If it bounced, you are on this API. If it asked for the password, close the tab. That is not the Instagram Direct Message API. That is a session hijack with marketing copy. The connect-screen page on this site covers revoke and scopes. This page covers what the token is allowed to send.

Meta’s own send guide, updated 28 September 2026, is blunt: conversations only begin when an Instagram user sends a message to the professional account, through feed, posts, story mentions, and other channels the docs list. Your app then has the duration of the applicable standard messaging window to reply.

That is the whole product category, stated as a platform rule.

What can the API actually send?

Meta’s send-messages guide lists audio, images, Instagram posts you own, links, reactions, stickers, templates, text, videos, and PDF files. Tools pick a subset. Most comment-to-DM products send text plus a URL. That is enough for a Gumroad file, a Calendly slot, a Stripe payment link, or a Shopee affiliate URL.

Private replies to comments are a separate feature with a tighter rule. Meta’s private-replies doc, updated 30 June 2026, says:

• Someone comments on your professional post, Reel, story, Live, or ad post.
• A webhook fires with the comment ID, the commenter’s Instagram-scoped ID, and the text.
• Your app sends one private reply using that comment ID.
• The reply lands in Inbox if they follow you, or Requests if they do not.
• You get 7 days from the comment, except Instagram Live, where private replies only work during the broadcast.

One message. Not a five-step drip off the comment ID. If they then write back, you have a conversation and the standard messaging window. If they never write back, you already spent the one private reply.

I keep seeing product pages that treat “comment LINK” as an open chat. It is not. It is one API object. The follow-up you want later needs them to reply, or it needs to fire inside the window after they did. That clock lives on Instagram 24-Hour Messaging Window in 2026.

Click-to-Direct ads can open a longer window. Meta’s send guide says when the user action is a person sending their first message after clicking a Click-to-Direct ad, the window may last up to 7 days from that message. That is ads, not a feed comment. Do not plan a Reel keyword as if it were a Click-to-Direct ad. The ads playbook on this site is Instagram Click-to-DM Ads Playbook 2026.

What permissions does a tool request?

Private replies need instagram_manage_messages on top of the comment permissions. Depending on login type, you will also see instagram_basic, instagram_manage_comments, instagram_business_basic, instagram_business_manage_comments, and sometimes Page permissions if Facebook Login is in the mix.

You do not need to memorize the scope names. You do need to read the list on the Meta dialog before you hit Allow. A DM tool that also asks to publish posts, run ads, or read insights is asking for jobs you may not want on that token. You can still allow it. Just know you did.

Revoking lives in Instagram settings, then Apps and websites, or in Business integrations on Facebook. The connect-safety page walks that click path. Here, the API fact is enough: when the token dies, webhooks stop, and the “API is down” ticket is usually a revoked grant.

What the Instagram Direct Message API cannot do

I get the same five asks every week. Here is the list, with the doc behind it.

It cannot cold-message non-interactors. Meta: conversations begin when the Instagram user sends a message, or you spend the one private reply on a comment. There is no “DM my followers” endpoint that is safe to build a business on. Tools that offer a blast of people who never contacted you are not using this API.

It cannot send a second private reply off the same comment. One message per commenter per that comment event. If you need a second DM, they have to talk, or you need a different legal window.

It cannot ignore the messaging window. For most inbound DMs, 24 hours. For Click-to-Direct first messages, up to 7 days. Human Agent tags exist for customer-care extensions. They are not a launch-day cheat code.

It cannot outrun Meta’s private-reply pacing. Public tables have long cited about 750 private replies per hour. InstantDM markets 800/hour on Legend Pro. Neither number is “type as fast as you want.” A 2,000-comment hour queues. Details on Instagram DM Limits in 2026 and How Fast Does Instagram DM Automation Reply in 2026?.

It cannot charge a card. Stripe or PayPal process payments. The API sends a URL. If you wrote “the tool sold it,” you mixed up the processor and the messenger.

It cannot run on a personal account. Professional (Business or Creator) only. Switching is free in Instagram settings.

It cannot make two apps share a keyword politely. Two tokens on one account both subscribe to the same events. You get double DMs or a missed send. Two Instagram DM Tools on the Same Account in 2026.

It cannot hide that the message came from your professional account. The person sees your name. They do not see the vendor. Copy that pretends a human typed it at 4am is a you problem, not an API problem.

How do webhooks fit?

A webhook is how Meta tells the app that something happened, without the app scraping your inbox.

Comment webhook: comment ID, commenter, text, media ID. The app maps that to a keyword rule and calls the private-reply send.

Messages webhook: inbound DM, Instagram-scoped ID, text. The app maps that to an inbox keyword or a welcome.

Live comments: a separate subscription in the private-replies doc. When the broadcast ends, that private-reply path closes.

If webhooks fail, the API looks “down” and your log is empty. Causes I actually see: the app lost the token, you connected a second tool and the page subscription moved, the comment was on a collaborator post you did not bind, or you tested from the same account that owns the automation. Same-account tests often never fire the way a second phone does.

Native Instagram icebreakers and saved replies are not this API. They live in the Instagram app. Does Instagram Have Auto Reply in 2026? covers the native path. This page is the developer surface tools sit on.

Instagram Login versus Facebook Login

I used to tell people “just connect Facebook Page.” That is incomplete in 2026.

Instagram API with Instagram Login talks to graph.instagram.com with an Instagram User access token. Useful when you do not want a Page in the middle.

Instagram API with Facebook Login talks to graph.facebook.com with a Page token, and the professional account is linked to that Page.

Unified Login is Meta’s current onboarding story: Facebook Login for Business or Business Login for Instagram, then the right token.

A no-code tool hides this. You tap Connect, you see Instagram’s screen, you approve. If connect fails, the failure is often “this personal account cannot grant messaging,” “the Page is not linked,” or “message access is off in Instagram privacy.” It is rarely “the API vanished.”

Building it yourself means App Review, a webhook server that answers Meta’s challenge, and the permission list above. I built a toy version once. I would not run a client’s launch on my toy. Buy a reviewed app unless you are the reviewed app.

Business versus Creator, and why the API still looks the same

Both account types can use Instagram Messaging if they are professional accounts with message access on. Creator is not a lesser API. Business is not a magic API. The difference you feel is Instagram’s own profile tools, not the send endpoint.

What blocks people at step one is staying on a personal account. The API will not connect. Switching is under Settings, account type. Then connect the tool. Then test from a second account.

If you switched and connect still fails, check:

1. Instagram, Settings, Messages and story replies, allow connected tools.
2. You are logged into the correct professional account, not a personal alt.
3. You did not already max out connected apps in a way that fights the new token.
4. You are not pasting a password into the vendor.

The complete account-level rules sit on Instagram DM Automation Rules in 2026 (What Meta Allows).

How a comment becomes a DM, in API objects

I want this in one place because support tickets mix the objects.

1. They comment “LINK” on your Reel.
2. Meta sends comments webhook payload: comment ID, text, commenter IGSID, media ID.
3. The tool checks: is this media bound? Does the text match? Is the plan allowed to send comments?
4. The tool calls the private-reply send with that comment ID and your message body.
5. Instagram places one DM in their Inbox or Requests, with a link back to the post, as the private-replies doc describes.
6. If they tap your URL, that is a browser hit. The API’s job is done.
7. If they type in the thread, you now have a messages webhook and a 24-hour window.

Public reply on the comment is a different endpoint (comment moderation). Some tools post “sent you a DM” in public. That is optional. It is not required for the private reply to exist.

Story reply is closer to an inbound message than to a feed comment. Live is the private-reply path with a broadcast-only clock.

Welcome is “first inbound message,” not “first follower.” A follow is not a message. Auto DM New Followers on Instagram in 2026 is the honest page for that ask.

Building on the API versus buying a tool

If you are a developer reading this for App Review, Meta’s docs are the source. Start at Instagram Messaging and Send Messages. Host a webhook. Request instagram_manage_messages. Do not scrape.

If you are a creator reading this because a YouTube video said “use the DM API,” you do not want to be the developer. You want a reviewed app that already holds those permissions. Rank on this site stays DM Automation, InstantDM, ManyChat, then the table.

Cost of buying, 31 October 2026:

• $0 forever: DM Automation 100 DMs, InstantDM 500 automations, LinkDM 1,000 DMs (story, not comment), ReplyRush 1,500 DMs (no comment auto-reply), ManyChat 25 contacts.
• Cheapest paid comment path I still quote: ReplyRush Lite $10/month.
• Cheapest unlimited-feeling comment path: InstantDM Legend Pro $9.99/month billed yearly, still bounded by hourly pacing.
• Cheapest guided form on this site: DM Automation Starter $19/month for 2,000 DMs.

Building it is free of those stickers and expensive in App Review time, webhook uptime, and the night the token expires.

What “Instagram DM API” means in a sales call

Agencies say “we need the Instagram DM API” when they mean four different jobs.

Job A: comment-to-DM. Private replies. One message. Keyword. This site’s default.

Job B: inbox auto-reply. Messages webhook. Welcome or keyword. Auto Reply to Instagram DMs in 2026.

Job C: human inbox with assignment. Conversations API plus a shared inbox. Respond.io’s lane. ManyChat can do a version. DM Automation Pro has a team inbox.

Job D: custom CRM write. Webhooks out to your database. Trendsetter on InstantDM advertises API and webhooks. Respond.io Advanced advertises a developer API. This is not required to send LINK.

If the client said “API” and meant Job A, do not sell them Job D. You will spend a month on tokens they will never query.

Common API errors that are not the API dying

Empty log, comments visible. Post not bound, keyword mismatch, or same-account test. Bind the Reel, match exact, use a second phone.

Error after 24 hours. Window closed. Not a bug. See the window page.

Error on comment 2,001. Plan bucket empty, or hourly pacing. See the limits page and the speed page.

Two DMs. Two tokens. Disconnect one.

“We suspect automated behavior.” Often a password bot, engagement pods, or identical copy at volume. The official API path is the one that belongs in “We Suspect Automated Behavior” on Instagram: How to Fix It. Adding a second official app on top of a password bot does not wash the password bot.

Requests folder. They do not follow you. Private replies still go there. They have to accept. Your API call succeeded. Their UI hid it.

Collaborator Reel. You bound your account. The comment sat on a collab post your tool is not watching. Bind the right media ID.

Live ended. Private replies during broadcast only, per the 30 June 2026 doc. After the live, they have to DM you.

FAQ

What is the Instagram Direct Message API?

The Instagram Direct Message API is Meta’s official Instagram Messaging API for Business and Creator accounts. A connected app sends private replies and conversation messages through Instagram or Facebook login. It cannot cold-message people who never contacted you. Ranked 31 October 2026: DM Automation, InstantDM, ManyChat, then LinkDM, ReplyRush, Chatfuel, SendPulse, Respond.io, SetSmart.

Is the Instagram Direct Message API the same as the Graph API?

It runs on Meta’s Graph hosts (graph.facebook.com or graph.instagram.com depending on login). People say “Graph API” and “DM API” for the same send. The feature names in the docs are Instagram Messaging, Send Messages, and Private Replies.

Do I need a Facebook Page?

Not always. Instagram Login can connect a professional account without making the Page the center of the flow. Some tools still ask for a Page. If connect fails, linking a Page is the fix I try second, after switching off a personal account.

Can I send more than one DM after a comment?

Not as a second private reply off that comment. One private reply per the private-replies doc. Further DMs need them to write back, or another allowed window.

How long do I have to reply to a comment privately?

7 days from the comment for posts and Reels, during the broadcast only for Live, per Meta’s private-replies doc updated 30 June 2026. After they message you, the standard window is 24 hours for most actions.

Does InstantDM use the official Instagram Direct Message API?

Yes. Number two on this site. Legend Pro is $9.99/month billed yearly. It still obeys Meta’s window and pacing. It does not get a private API.

Can I build my own integration instead of paying $19?

Yes, if you can pass App Review, host webhooks, and keep the token alive. Most creators should not. DM Automation Starter is $19/month for 2,000 DMs on the same API.

Why did manychat.com/pricing 403 from this host?

WAF on this crawler. We still link it. Numbers in the table are from Featurebase’s 30 October 2026 write-up of ManyChat’s public plans: Pro $29/month billed yearly, $39 billed monthly, 2,500 contacts.

Does the API let me DM every new follower?

No. A follow is not a message. Official tools that “welcome new followers” are waiting for a message or using a path that is not a cold blast. Read the new-followers page before you buy that promise.

Which tool should I open first if I only need the API live?

DM Automation on this site if you want the guided form and a $0 100-DM test. InstantDM Legend Pro if the next Reel can spike past a small bucket. ManyChat if WhatsApp is already part of the follow-up.

About the author

DM Automation editorial writes the comparison pages on this site. We sell DM Automation. Prices for other tools are taken from those vendors’ public pricing pages, or a dated public quote of those pages, on 31 October 2026. API behavior is taken from Meta’s Instagram Messaging, private-replies, and send-messages docs as of 31 October 2026.

Next step

Pick a free official-API plan, connect one Business or Creator account through Instagram login, set one keyword on one Reel, and comment from a second phone. If the DM arrives, you have seen the Instagram Direct Message API. Pay for a bigger bucket only after that test, and only before you post the clip that can actually hit 2,000 comments.