Answer product questions, sizing and shipping questions right under your posts, Reels and ads — automatically and grounded in your real store data
Shoppers ask buying questions in your comments every day: "Does this come in blue?", "Do you ship to Canada?", "What size should I get?" Every unanswered question is a sale that cools off in public. AI Comment Replies answers those comments for you on Instagram, using the same product knowledge, policies and brand voice as your Rep AI chat — and stays quiet when a reply wouldn't add anything.
Facebook comments are coming soon. Today AI Comment Replies works on Instagram.
What you need
- An Instagram business account connected to Rep AI.
- Omnichannel AI active on your account. Comment replies use the same tickets as your other channels — including your free tickets.
Turn it on
- In your Rep AI Console, open AI Social → Comment Replies.
- Pick Instagram in the channel bar.
- Switch Comment replies are off to Comment replies are on.
From then on, Rep replies to new comments automatically. There's no approval step, so it's worth trying a few real comments in Test & Train first (see below).
The same page also sits under Settings → Integrations → Instagram → Comment Replies. If you connected more than one Instagram account, each one has its own Replies switch in AI Social → Overview → Connected accounts.
When Rep replies — and when it doesn't
Rep replies only when it can add something real, using your catalog, FAQs and policies. Typical replies cover product questions, sizing and fit, shipping and delivery, pricing, purchase intent, complaints and praise.
Rep does not reply when:
- It doesn't have enough information from your store to answer well.
- The comment only enters a giveaway or tags friends.
- Your moderation hid or flagged the comment, or a rule says Don't reply.
- You or your team have already replied in that thread — from then on, Rep leaves the thread to you.
For questions that need private details, like an order number, Rep may invite the shopper to send you a DM, where your AI picks up the conversation.
Settings
Click Settings on the Comment Replies page to open Comment reply settings:
- Reply instructions — choose Use my general AI Personality to sound the same as everywhere else, or Use custom instructions for comment replies to set a different tone for public replies (for example, "Keep replies under two sentences").
- Include @mention in replies — starts each reply by tagging the shopper. On by default.
- Natural reply delay (1–5 min) — waits a short, varied moment before posting, so replies feel human rather than instant. On by default.
The When Rep replies box shows examples of what Rep answers and skips, and Try it in Test & Train → opens the comment playground.
See and manage replies
The Comment Replies page shows Replies sent, By Rep and By you for the last 7, 30 or 90 days, and a list of every reply with the original comment and an On: {post} ↗ link.
- Delete removes a reply from Instagram.
- Replace reply posts a corrected version. Instagram doesn't allow editing a posted reply, so Rep deletes the old one and posts the new one.
You can also reply yourself from any comment card in Comment Moderation: click Reply, review the draft Rep prepared, and click Send reply. Replies are limited to 2,200 characters.
How comment replies are billed
Each comment thread Rep answers uses one ticket. Replies to praise and replies you send are free.
- A back-and-forth under one comment is still one ticket. Rep counts it once the thread has gone quiet.
- Free: replies to praise and emojis, invitations to continue in DMs (the DM conversation follows the normal DM rules), replies you or your team send, replies that fail to post, and threads where you stepped in.
- Tickets come from the same balance as your DMs and email: your free tickets first, then your plan, then pay as you go if it's on.
- Deleting a reply doesn't return the ticket.
- Out of tickets? If Rep can't use more tickets, comment replies pause and the page shows Paused. Comment Moderation and the replies you send yourself keep working. Add tickets or pick a plan to resume.
Try it before you turn it on
Open AI Social → Test & Train and switch to Comments. Pick one of your posts, paste a comment, and click Test this comment. You'll see whether moderation would act, whether Rep would reply, the exact reply it would post, and why. Nothing is posted and nothing is billed. If an answer is missing, add an FAQ or an instruction right there.
Frequently asked questions
Can I approve replies before they're posted?
No. Rep posts replies automatically. Use Test & Train to check answers first, and custom instructions to shape the tone.
Will Rep reply to every comment?
No. It skips comments where a reply wouldn't help, comments it can't answer from your store data, giveaway entries and friend tags, and anything your moderation rules hide, flag or mark Don't reply.
Does Rep reply to comments on ads?
Yes. Comments on posts, Reels and ads are included. Stories and Instagram Live are not.
What happens when I reply to a thread myself?
Your reply is free, and Rep stays out of that thread from then on.
Do comment replies have a separate free allowance?
No. They use the same Omnichannel AI tickets as your other channels, including your free tickets.