Commented for the Link but Got No DM? Here's What to Check

You saw "Comment LINK and I'll send it to you" on a Reel, you commented, and nothing came. People ask about this in a dozen ways, from "commented for link but no DM" to "comment kiya, link nahi aaya". Often the DM did arrive and is sitting in Message requests, or the comment didn't match the keyword the creator set up. This guide has two halves: what to check if you commented, and a checklist for creators whose comment for link isn't working.

How comment for link works

When a creator asks you to comment a word, they're usually running a comment-to-DM automation. A tool connected to their account through the official Instagram API sees new comments on the post. When a comment matches the keyword, it sends the commenter a private reply: a DM from the creator's own account, linked to that comment. Many creators also post a public reply under the comment, such as "Sent! Check your DMs".

• It comes from the creator's account. Look for a chat with their username, not a separate bot account.
• One comment, one DM. Instagram lets a business send only one private reply per comment.
• It's quick, but not always instant. It usually arrives within seconds, plus any delay the creator set. In Comment Kro that delay can be up to 60 seconds.
• Where it lands depends on whether you follow. If you follow the account, it goes to your main inbox. If you don't, it goes to Message requests.

How to do the comment for link on Instagram

1. Find the keyword in the caption or on screen, for example LINK, RECIPE or PLAN.
2. Comment on the post or Reel that asked for it. Comments on an Instagram Live won't trigger it.
3. Type the keyword on its own, spelled exactly as the creator wrote it. "LINK" is safer than "link plz bhai 🙏", because some creators only accept the exact word.
4. Wait a minute, then open your DMs. Check your main inbox first, then Requests.
5. If the first message has a button, such as "Send me the link", tap it. You'll get the link next, or a request to follow the account first.

Didn't get a DM after commenting? Check these

1. Look in Message requests, including Hidden requests

Start here. If you don't follow the account, the DM goes to Message requests instead of your main inbox, and you may not get a notification for it. Open your DMs and tap Requests. Instagram also moves some requests into a Hidden requests folder, for example ones its filters think could be offensive or spam. You'll find it at the bottom of the Requests list.

2. Check you commented the exact keyword

Automations wait for specific words. A typo like RECEIPE instead of RECIPE, or a Hinglish spelling the creator didn't add, won't match. Some creators also use exact matching, where only the keyword on its own counts, so "LINK please" or "LINK 🙏" is ignored. If you're not sure, comment the keyword once more, by itself.

3. Follow the account if it asks you to

Some creators turn on an ask-to-follow step. Your first DM is then a short message with a button, often "Send me the link". Tap it. If you already follow the account, the link arrives next. If you don't, you'll see something like "Almost there! Please follow @account first, then tap "I followed" below." Follow the account, come back to the chat and tap "I followed". The reminders don't go on forever, so follow first, then tap.

A genuine ask-to-follow step only checks whether you follow. It doesn't follow anyone for you, and it should never ask you to log in anywhere to get the link.

4. Give it a minute

Creators can add a short delay so the reply doesn't feel instant, and very busy posts can run into sending limits. Wait a minute or two before deciding nothing came.

5. Don't comment the keyword again and again

Each comment can get one DM, so if the DM came, it's already in that chat. Scroll up in your chat with the creator before commenting again. If a few minutes have passed and there's nothing in your inbox or Requests, one more comment with the exact keyword is fine. Ten identical comments look like spam and won't get you the link any faster.

6. Check your own message settings

If you've limited who can send you message requests in Instagram's settings, a DM from an account you don't follow may not reach you. Following the account first usually gets around this.

7. The automation may be paused or the offer over

Creators pause automations, end offers, or only run them on some posts. Comments made while an automation is off don't get answered later. If you've checked everything above, send the creator a DM with the same keyword. Some creators set up a DM keyword too, and if not, they can still send you the link by hand.

Stay safe with comment-for-link DMs

Scammers copy popular creators because people expect links in their DMs. A few habits keep you safe:

• Check who sent it. The DM should come from the creator's own account. Impersonators use lookalike usernames with an extra dot, underscore or letter.
• Check the link before you tap. Deal links often pass through a short link or affiliate redirect, which is normal, but you should end up on the real store's site or app. If the address looks misspelt or unrelated, close it.
• Never share an OTP, password or UPI PIN. No genuine comment-for-link flow needs one, and no real giveaway asks for a "delivery fee" before you get your prize.
• Don't log in through a DM link. If a page asks for your Instagram password after you tap a link, close it.

For creators: why your comment for link isn't working

Comment for link not working on your posts? Work through this checklist in order. It's written for Comment Kro, but most of it applies to any Instagram comment to DM tool. If you're starting from scratch, here's how to set up comment for link step by step.

1. Your account is public and professional. Only Business and Creator accounts can connect, and Instagram only sends comment events for public accounts. If the account was private for a while, nothing fired during that time.
2. It's connected through Instagram login. Comment Kro connects through Instagram's own login, with no Facebook Page needed. If you removed Comment Kro's access in Instagram, or the connection has expired, reconnect the account in Comment Kro.
3. The automation is Active. Check it says Active, not Paused. Comments that arrive while it's paused aren't answered later.
4. The right post is covered. With "Specific posts", the post has to be selected, and you pick from your 24 most recent posts, so a new Reel needs adding. "All posts and reels" covers future posts too.
5. The keyword and match mode fit real comments. Read the actual comments. If people write "link pls" and you use Exact match on LINK, they won't match. Switch to "Contains any keyword", or add the spellings people really use as extra keywords. Our comment keywords and DM templates guide has ideas.
6. The comment is on your own post, not a Live. Automations answer comments on your own posts and reels. Instagram Live comments aren't supported, and comments from your own account don't trigger a DM, so test with a second account.
7. Only one automation answers each comment. Instagram allows one private reply per comment, so two automations covering the same post with overlapping keywords can't both send a DM. Keep keywords distinct.
8. You're within the limits. On the Free plan you can send 1,000 DMs a day; after that, DMs stop until the next day, or you can move to the Pro plan for unlimited DMs. Each automation is also capped at 100 DMs an hour by default, so on a Reel that suddenly takes off, comments over the cap in that hour won't get a DM. Meta itself allows up to 750 private replies an hour per account.
9. The comment is recent. Instagram only allows a private reply within 7 days of the comment, and Comment Kro answers new comments as they arrive. It doesn't go back to old ones.

Read Triggered, Sent and Failed

Each automation shows three numbers. Triggered counts comments that matched, Sent counts DMs that went out, and Failed counts messages that didn't. Together they show where the problem is:

• Triggered stays at zero: comments aren't matching. Recheck the account, post, keyword and match mode (points 1-6 above).
• Triggered goes up but Sent doesn't: comments match but DMs aren't going out. Look at Failed, then check the connection and the limits.
• Sent is lower than Triggered with ask to follow on: that can be normal. The link only goes out after people tap the button and follow, and some never do.
• Sent goes up but people say they got nothing: the DMs are most likely in their Message requests. Say so in your public reply, for example "Sent! Check Requests if you don't follow me."

Prevent "didn't get it" comments

• Show the keyword in the caption, on screen and in a pinned comment, spelled the same way each time.
• Use a public reply that says where to look, such as "Sent! Check Requests if you don't follow me."
• If ask to follow is on, say so in the caption ("Follow and comment LINK"), so the button doesn't surprise anyone.
• Test from a second account before the Reel goes live: comment, open Requests and tap the link.
• Leave the automation Active while the post still gets comments. Reels can keep picking up comments long after you post them.

Still stuck?

Email support@commentkro.in with the automation name, a link to the post and roughly when the comment was made. We reply within 24 hours, Monday to Friday, in English or Hindi. If you're wondering whether this kind of automation is allowed at all, read Is Instagram automation safe?