Instagram DM Templates and Quick Replies for Business: 30 Examples

Instagram DM templates are pre-written replies your team or your automation sends for questions that come up again and again: prices, sizes, delivery, bookings, order status. Good templates are short, answer the question in the first line, and end with one clear next step, often as quick reply buttons the customer can tap.

Below you’ll find how templates work on Instagram, the rules that apply, and 30 copy-ready examples grouped by situation. Replace the text in [brackets] with your own details.

How Instagram DM templates work

On Instagram, “template” can mean three different things. It helps to know which one you’re using.

Type	What it is	Who uses it	Best for
Saved replies	Text snippets stored in the Instagram app or your inbox tool	Agents, while typing	Fast, consistent manual answers
Quick replies	Tappable buttons under a message, sent through Meta’s Messaging API	Customers, by tapping	Guiding choices in a flow
Automated replies	Messages sent by a workflow or AI assistant when a trigger fires	Your automation	Instant answers, comment-to-DM, after-hours

Unlike WhatsApp, Instagram doesn’t use pre-approved message templates for outreach. If you need those, see our WhatsApp template message examples instead.

Rules to know before you use templates

• Reply window. You can respond within 24 hours of the customer’s message. After that, a team member can still reply manually within 7 days using Meta’s human agent tag, but it can’t be used for automated or promotional messages.
• Comments. You can send one private reply to a person who commented on your post, reel or story, within 7 days of the comment. More messages are possible only if they reply.
• Quick reply limits. Up to 13 buttons, each with a title of up to 20 characters. They’re currently not shown on desktop.
• Disclose automation where the law requires it, especially when a bot sends your templates. It’s good practice everywhere.

For the full rule set and automation flows, read our Instagram DM automation guide.

How to write a good Instagram DM template

1. Answer first. If they asked the price, the price goes in line one.
2. Keep it to two or three lines. DMs are read on a phone.
3. Use their name and context. “The linen shirt from today’s reel” beats “our product”.
4. End with one question or two to four buttons. Too many options slow people down.
5. Write button labels as actions, under 20 characters: “Book a time”, “Check my size”, “Talk to the team”.
6. Match your brand voice, but skip emoji-heavy or all-caps messages that look like spam.

30 Instagram DM templates for business

Greetings and first replies

1. Welcome message

Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out to [Brand]! How can we help today? [Prices] [Book] [Order help] [Something else]

2. Story reply

Thanks for replying to our story! That’s the [product/service], [price]. Want me to send details or check availability for you?

3. Ad click

Hi [Name]! You came from our [offer] ad. The offer runs until [date]. Shall I tell you how it works or check if it’s available in your area?

4. After-hours

Thanks for your message! We’re offline right now and back at [time]. Leave your question here and we’ll reply first thing. For prices and opening hours, tap a button below.

5. Assistant introduction

Hi, I’m [Brand]‘s virtual assistant. I can help with prices, orders and bookings, and I’ll connect you with the team whenever you need a person.

Prices and product questions

6. Price answer

The [product] is [price] and comes in [options]. Which one would you like?

7. Size help

Happy to help with sizing! What’s your usual size in [reference brand or measurement]? I’ll recommend the best fit.

8. Out of stock

The [product] in [variant] is sold out right now. We expect it back around [date]. Want me to message you when it’s back, or suggest something similar?

9. Product recommendation

Based on what you told me, I’d suggest [product A] for [reason] or [product B] if you prefer [reason]. Want photos of both?

10. Link to buy

Here’s the direct link to [product]: [link]. If you’d like, I can stay here while you check out.

Orders, shipping and returns

11. Order status request

Sure, I can check that. What’s your order number? You’ll find it in your confirmation email.

12. Order on its way

Good news, order [number] shipped on [date] and should arrive by [date]. Tracking: [link].

13. Delivery options

We deliver to [area] in [time] for [price], and it’s free over [amount]. Want me to check delivery to your city?

14. Return request

Sorry it didn’t work out! You can return items within [period] of delivery. Send me your order number and I’ll start the return for you.

15. Damaged item

I’m really sorry about that. Could you send a photo of the item and the packaging? I’ll pass it to our team so we can fix it quickly.

Bookings and appointments

16. Booking start

Let’s get you booked! Which service would you like? [Haircut] [Color] [Consultation]

17. Offer time slots

Here are the next free times for [service]: [Thu 18:30] [Sat 10:00] [Other time]

18. Booking confirmed

You’re booked for [service] on [day] at [time] with [staff]. See you then! Reply here if anything changes.

19. Ask for WhatsApp reminders

Would you like a reminder the day before? Share your WhatsApp number and we’ll send it there.

20. Reschedule

No problem. Which day works better for you? I’ll check what’s free.

Comments and community

21. Comment keyword private reply

Hi [Name]! You asked about [product] under our post. It’s [price], available in [options]. Want me to check stock for you?

22. Giveaway entry

Thanks for entering the giveaway! Winners are announced on [date] in our stories. Good luck!

23. Public reply to a comment

Just sent you a DM with the details!

24. Collaboration inquiry

Thanks for your interest in working with us! Please share your profile stats and a few past collaborations, and our partnerships team will review them by [date].

Support, complaints and handoff

25. Complaint

I’m sorry about your experience, [Name]. I’d like to fix this. Can you tell me what happened and your order number?

26. Hand over to a person

Thanks, I’m passing this to [team member/the team] now. They’ll reply right here, usually within [time].

27. Need more details

To help you faster, could you send [order number / photo / date of visit]?

Follow-ups and feedback

28. Follow-up inside the window

Hi [Name], just checking in: did you find the right size, or would you like help with anything else?

29. Review request

Thanks for visiting [Brand]! How did we do? Tap a rating below. [Great] [Okay] [Not good]

30. Close the conversation

Glad I could help! If anything comes up, just message us here. Have a great day!

Turning templates into quick replies and flows

Templates work best when they’re part of a flow rather than typed one by one:

• Saved replies for agents. Store your top 10 to 15 answers so every team member responds the same way.
• Quick reply buttons for choices. Template 1, 16, 17 and 29 work well as buttons, because the customer picks from a short list.
• Automation for the first reply. A workflow can send templates 1, 2, 3 or 21 the moment the message or comment arrives, then wait for the answer.
• AI for everything in between. An AI assistant can answer open questions in your tone, using your own price list and policies, and fall back to template 26 when a person is needed.

How to use Instagram DM templates in MonoChat

MonoChat brings Instagram DMs and comments into a shared team inbox next to WhatsApp, Messenger, TikTok and web chat, so you can reuse the same answers across channels.

1. Save your answers. Agents insert canned responses from a template library while replying, which keeps tone and facts consistent across the team. See the multi-agent call center features for details.
2. Build flows with buttons. In the no-code workflow builder, start a flow from an incoming DM or comment, send a template, offer choices as quick replies, branch on the answer and save it as a contact field or tag.
3. Answer open questions with AI. An AI assistant replies from your own content and hands over to a person with the full conversation.
4. Tag by campaign. Group campaign-driven DMs by campaign or ad set and reply with campaign-specific templates, as described on the Instagram platform page.
5. Turn comments into DMs. Instagram comments arrive in the same inbox, and a flow can answer one automatically with a private DM. For example, a comment with “PRICE” gets template 21 with the price list and a button, and the contact is tagged as a lead. The same flow can also assign the chat to a team member. Meta allows one private reply per comment within 7 days, and the conversation continues only if the person replies.

You can try it on the free Basic plan (one agent, one channel) at app.monochat.ai. For paid plans, see pricing. If you also handle Facebook Page messages, our guide to the Messenger 24-hour rule explains what you can send there and when.

Key takeaways

• On Instagram, templates are reusable replies, not pre-approved outreach messages.
• Reply within 24 hours; a person can reply manually within 7 days with the human agent tag.
• Answer first, keep it short, and end with one question or a few buttons.
• Use up to 13 quick replies with labels of 20 characters or fewer, and accept typed answers too.
• Combine saved replies, buttons, automation and AI so every customer gets a fast, consistent answer.

Sources

• Meta: Instagram quick replies
• Meta: Instagram Messaging API, send messages
• Meta: Instagram private replies
• Meta: Messenger Platform and IG Messaging API policy