The opening message: when to send the link

The two options

The setting sits in step 2, Conversation, once the DM has a link. Only comment triggers show it.

Why After they reply is the default

A comment's private reply is an exception to Instagram's 24-hour rule: you get one DM to someone who may never have messaged you. That DM doesn't open the window. Their reply does. Instagram won't reliably deliver an unsolicited link to someone who has never messaged you, and the builder warns that a first message with a link may be routed to the Requests folder. So the default spends the one private reply on a short opener and sends the link into an open window.

A few details people trip on:

• The quick reply is a convenience. Instagram may not show quick replies on a private reply, and never shows them on desktop, which is why HyperDM adds the line Reply and I'll send it right over under your message. Any reply works, not only a tap on Send it.
• If the reply is a real question, such as "does it work for beginners?", they still get the link, and the question carries on to your other automations or to the AI agent if you've switched AI replies on.
• Someone who never replies never gets the link. That is the cost of the default.

Open the DM tab of the preview to check the order: your DM, the prompt, then the link after a reply. It sends nothing.

Write an opener people answer

Your message is the first thing they read from you, so give them a reason to reply. One or two sentences is plenty. Say what's waiting for them and who it's from. Insert variable adds First name, Last name, Username or any custom field.

• Hey {{first_name}}, your free style guide is ready.
• Thanks for commenting on the reel. The 5-day meal plan is yours.
• Hi {{first_name}}, I've got the booking link for your free call.

HyperDM adds its own reply line, so you don't need to write "reply to get it". Keep the link out of the message text as well. A link typed there goes out in the first DM and isn't counted. Put it in the link fields instead (up to 3, one per line); link tracking covers what gets counted.

When to choose In the first message

Choose it when the DM stands on its own for someone who never replies, such as a discount code with your shop link. You trade the reply for two risks: Instagram may file the DM under Message Requests, and if Capture their email is on, the ask can only land once they've messaged you.

In a flow, and on other triggers

DM keyword and story reply automations don't show the setting. The person messaged you first, so the window is already open and the link goes into the DM.

In a flow with a comment trigger, the same rule is a design check. The first private reply may hold one text or one image block. Buttons and quick replies are fine, because the tap opens the 24-hour window, so put a button in the first step and the link in the step after the tap.