On Instagram, customer contact comes from two places: Direct Messages (DMs) and comments on your posts. Most automation tools handle one or the other — rarely both, and almost never for free. The result is that business owners end up automating DMs but still manually replying to comments, or vice versa, leaving half the work on their plate.
This tutorial covers both. You'll learn how to set up AI replies for Instagram comments and DMs simultaneously, using one free tool that runs entirely on your computer. No switching between apps. No subscription fees. Complete coverage.
Why You Need This
Comments and DMs serve different purposes in the customer journey. Comments are often public — a great reply there gets seen by everyone who reads the post. DMs are private and usually indicate higher purchase intent. Both need to be handled quickly and professionally to maximize conversions and customer satisfaction.
TamoWork treats both channels as first-class citizens. Its Instagram Employee module handles DMs and comments with the same level of intelligence and personalization, using your business training data to generate accurate, helpful replies in both contexts.
Step by Step: How to Do It
Download TamoWork
Go to tamowork.com and download the free Windows installer. It's about 200MB and installs in a couple of minutes. No registration or email address needed.
Install and Launch
Run the installer file. Accept the standard prompts and let the installation complete. Open TamoWork using the desktop shortcut. On first launch, the local AI model will initialize — this takes about 1 minute and only happens once.
Open the Instagram Employee
On the TamoWork dashboard, select "Instagram Employee." Connect your Instagram account through the secure embedded browser. You'll see two tabs in the configuration panel: one for DMs and one for Comments.
Train the AI with Your Business Info
In the business training section, fill out your complete business profile. This shared training data is used for both DM and comment replies — you only need to do it once. Include everything: products, prices, policies, FAQs, and your preferred communication tone.
Configure DM Settings
In the DM settings tab, choose your reply speed (instant or with a short delay), set escalation rules for complex situations, and optionally configure a greeting template for first-time conversations. This is where you control the DM experience.
Configure Comment Settings
Switch to the Comments tab. Decide whether to reply to all comments or only those containing questions or specific keywords. You can also set the reply format — a short acknowledgment for simple comments, a detailed response for product questions. Configure how to handle negative comments (escalate to you) versus positive ones (auto-reply with thanks).
Test Both and Go Live
Test DMs by sending from a secondary account. Test comments by posting a comment on one of your photos from the same secondary account. Verify both work correctly, then activate the Instagram Employee. Both DMs and comments are now handled automatically.
Important Tips
- Comment replies are public: Remember that your comment replies are visible to everyone who reads the post. Make sure replies are professional and representative of your brand, since they act as marketing too.
- DM replies are private: You have more flexibility in DMs to ask for phone numbers, addresses, or other details needed to complete a sale. Configure this in the DM settings.
- Negative comments need special handling: Configure TamoWork to notify you of negative comments instead of auto-replying. Personal responses to complaints build more trust than automated ones.
- Both run in parallel: TamoWork handles DMs and comments simultaneously without any performance issues. You don't need to choose one or the other.
Automate Instagram Comments and DMs Together
Download TamoWork free and set up complete Instagram automation — both comments and DMs — in one afternoon.
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