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How to use Comment for DM: Lives & Stories

Evelyn Hartz avatar
Written by Evelyn Hartz
Updated over a week ago

What is it?

Instagram rewards content that gets replies and interactions, especially on Stories and Lives. The more people respond, the more your content gets shown.

Our Comment for DM: Lives & Stories feature is designed to help you spark those replies and automatically follow up with a link via DM.

It’s the same strategy you might already be using for posts and reels (👉 see how that works here), just adapted for Stories and Lives.

How It Works:

Just like with Posts & Reels, you’ll ask your followers to comment a keyword in response to your story or live video in exchange for a link (like to a recipe, freebie, or product).

But here’s the key difference:

⚠️ With Stories and Lives, you must set the link ahead of time inside Grocer’s List. It won’t work if the link is just in your story.

How to Set Up a Story or Live DM:

  1. Login to Grocer's List.

  2. Go to Comment for DM: Posts & Reels > Stories & Lives.

  3. Click the New Story/Live Reply button.

  4. Add:

    • Your keyword (what followers will reply with)

    • The URL you want to send via DM

  5. (Optional) Customize your DM message and buttons.

  6. Click the Create button.

Your active reply will now appear in the table. Once followers start replying, you'll see performance data in the Analyze tab.

💡 Best Practices & Tips:

  • Use unique keywords

    • You can’t reuse the same keyword for multiple live or story replies

    • To reuse a keyword, delete the existing one or update the link
      (Note: this will reset any analytics associated with it)

  • Use specific keywords

    • Avoid generic words like "recipe" or "link"

    • Try something more targeted like "beef taco" or "pasta salad"

  • Avoid using elements or re-sharing reels

    • Polls, Q&As, and link stickers can interfere with keyword detection

    • Re-sharing a reel and layering text on top can also break functionality

    • Best practice: Use a static image or video with plain text over itYou cannot use the same keyword twice.

Where to See Results:

Once your Story or Live gets replies using the keyword, you’ll be able to view:

  • DMs sent

  • Opens

  • Clicks

  • Click-through rate (CTR)

All of this is available in the Analyze tab.


Ready to take your engagement to the next level?

Setting up your first Story or Live reply only takes a few minutes. After that, Grocer’s List will take care of the rest. You’ll get more replies, more clicks, and more traffic to your site in no time!

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