Can Voxpanda reply to Instagram DMs automatically?

Yes, within 24 hours of the user's last message. The user must write first, and the AI replies only when the answer is in your brand's sources.

Does Voxpanda comment on Instagram posts that do not mention my brand?

No. The Instagram API allows comments on other accounts' media only when your account is mentioned, and media found by hashtag search may not be commented on.

How many Instagram posts can Voxpanda publish per day?

Up to 50 per 24 hours. Instagram documents 100 API-published posts per 24 hours, but the carousel section of the same page states 50, so Voxpanda plans for 50.

What is an Instagram private reply?

A private reply is one DM sent to a person who commented on your post. It must be sent within 7 days of the comment and is limited to 750 per hour per account.

What is the difference between a private reply and a DM reply?

A private reply starts from a comment and is valid for 7 days. A DM reply answers a message the user sent and must go out within 24 hours of that message.

Instagram automation limits for an AI social media manager

An AI social media manager can publish to Instagram, reply to comments, and answer DMs within 24 hours of the user’s last message, all through the official Instagram API. It cannot start a DM conversation, and it cannot comment on other accounts’ posts unless your brand is mentioned.

The limits on this page come from Instagram’s official documentation, checked 13 October 2026. A comparison with the other platforms is listed under Related.

What Instagram allows

Action	Allowed	Limit
Publish images, video, reels, stories, carousels	Yes	100 posts per 24 hours documented; Voxpanda uses 50
Reply to comments on your posts	Yes, plus hide and delete
Private reply (one DM to a commenter)	Yes	750 per hour per account, within 7 days of the comment
Reply to DMs	Yes, after the user writes first	24 hours from the user’s last message
Start a DM conversation	No
Comment on other accounts’ posts	Only where your brand is mentioned	Hashtag search results excluded

Publishing formats and limits

Instagram accepts these formats through the API:

Images, in JPEG only.
Video and reels.
Stories.
Carousels of up to 10 items.

Instagram documents 100 API-published posts per 24 hours. The carousel section of the same page states 50, so Voxpanda plans for 50.

A caption can hold 2,200 characters, up to 30 hashtags and up to 20 @ tags. Voxpanda targets 3 to 8 hashtags. Each caption is checked for length on the server before the post enters the queue.

Meta fetches each image from a public URL. An Instagram media container expires after 24 hours, so a job delayed longer than that gets a new container.

For each post, Voxpanda proposes 3 opening lines from its hook bank with performance scores. Hooks are ranked by the engagement each one earned for your brand.

Comment replies

Voxpanda receives Instagram comments by webhook and handles each one by intent:

Spam or toxic comments are hidden and not answered.
Praise gets a short reply in your brand’s voice.
Questions and complaints are answered from your brand’s own sources: the brand profile, the knowledge base, and saved owner answers. A comment goes to you instead, if the answer is not in those sources.

Replies use the same language as the comment. Public replies never contain personal data. Questions that need personal data are moved to DM.

A private reply sends one DM to the person who commented. It is valid for 7 days after the comment and limited to 750 per hour per account. Voxpanda uses it for “comment to DM” cases, such as a question about price. Approval settings are described on the reply autonomy levels page.

DMs and the 24-hour window

The Instagram Messaging API sets three rules:

The user must send the first message.
An app can reply within 24 hours of the user’s last message.
A reply written by a person can be sent for up to 7 days with the HUMAN_AGENT tag.

Voxpanda answers inside the 24-hour window, if the answer is in your sources. Otherwise the question is escalated. Escalation also happens on critical sentiment, crisis keywords such as “refund” or “lawsuit”, requests for special prices or medical, legal or financial advice, and messages from VIP senders.

You receive the escalation from a Voxpanda WhatsApp number with the question, a short summary, and the AI draft. Reply 1 to send the draft, 2 to ignore it, or type your own answer. Your answer is sent as the reply on Instagram. An answer that arrives after 24 hours, but within 7 days, is sent with the HUMAN_AGENT tag because a person wrote it. Voxpanda sends a reminder after 2 hours and a last reminder near hour 23. The full flow is on the WhatsApp escalation page.

Comments on other accounts

Instagram allows a comment on another account’s post only when that post or comment mentions your brand. The mentions endpoint covers these cases. Media found by hashtag search may not be commented on.

Voxpanda replies to mentions automatically. It does not comment on Instagram posts that do not mention your brand. Keyword-based comments on other people’s posts are possible on one platform only, covered in Threads automation limits.

How Voxpanda handles Instagram

Official API only. Voxpanda does not use browser automation for posts, comments or DMs. One browser automation finding can cause a Meta App Review rejection, and the customer’s account would carry the block.
Approval first by default. New brands start at “approve first”: posts publish after you approve them, and replies go out automatically only at high confidence. Other replies wait in a queue.
Crisis mode. A spike in negative comments triggers a WhatsApp alert. Crisis mode can then hold outgoing comments and scheduled promotional posts until you release them.
Traceable actions. Each AI action records who approved it and which knowledge source it used.

Connect Instagram

Add a brand in Voxpanda.
Connect the Instagram account and sign in to Instagram.
Approve the requested permissions: instagram_business_basic, instagram_business_content_publish, instagram_business_manage_comments, instagram_business_manage_messages and instagram_business_manage_insights.

The account must be public for comment and message webhooks to work. Tokens are encrypted and never reach the browser. If a token cannot be refreshed, you receive a WhatsApp message with a reconnect link. The full steps are in the Instagram and Facebook connection guide.