How to Set Up "Comment for Link" on Instagram (Step by Step)

You have seen it on Reels: "Comment LINK and I'll DM it to you." A few seconds after someone comments, the link is in their DMs. That is "comment for link", and you can set it up in a few minutes. This guide covers the full setup in Comment Kro, what to put in your caption, what your follower sees and the limits Instagram sets.

What "comment for link" actually does

Comment for link (also called "comment DM for link", or just "comment LINK") is a simple loop. You ask viewers to comment a keyword. When a comment contains it, an automation sends that person a DM with the link, and can post a short public reply under the comment so they know to check their inbox.

Instagram calls that DM a private reply: a message sent in response to one specific comment. It is what a comment to DM tool does, and it only works on your own posts and reels. Unlike "link in bio", nobody has to leave the Reel to go hunting, and the link stays in their DMs for later.

What you need before you start

• An Instagram professional account. Creator or Business both work. Switching from a personal account is free in Instagram's settings.
• A public account. Instagram only sends comment events for public accounts, so a private account will never trigger anything.
• No Facebook Page. Comment Kro connects through Instagram's own login, so there is no Page to link.
• The link, tested. Open it on your phone first. A broken link sent to every commenter is worse than no DM.
• A second Instagram account for testing. Instagram won't let an account DM itself, so you need another account to comment from. A friend's phone works too.

How to set up comment for link on Instagram

The Comment Kro builder has four steps: Basics, Trigger, Message and Review. Here is the whole setup in order.

1. Connect Instagram. Sign up with email or Google, then connect your professional account through Instagram's own login on instagram.com. Comment Kro never sees your password, and you can disconnect anytime.
2. Basics. Name the automation so you will recognise it later, like "Kurta Reel - LINK", and pick the connected account.
3. Trigger. Choose "Comment on a post or reel". Pick "Specific posts" and tap the Reel from the thumbnails of your 24 most recent posts, or choose "All posts and reels" if the keyword should work everywhere, including posts you publish later.
4. Keywords. Type your keyword and add it as a chip, for example "link". Add a variant or two that people type, then choose a match mode (see the next section).
5. Message. Turn on "Send a DM" and write your message, up to 2,000 characters. Use {{sender_name}} to greet people by name.
6. Public reply. Turn on "Reply to the comment" here, or leave it off and keep "Reply publicly after sending the DM" in the Review step. Either one posts a reply under the comment.
7. Delay. Set the delay slider anywhere from 0 to 60 seconds.
8. Review and launch. Read the summary, decide whether to ask people to follow first, and click "Launch automation". It now shows as Active. Test it (steps below) before you share the post.

Choosing the keyword and match mode

Pick one short word that is easy to type on a phone and obviously tied to the post: LINK, PDF, RECIPE, PLAN, PRICE. Capital letters don't matter, so "LINK", "Link" and "link" all count. Comment Kro looks for the keyword anywhere in the comment, so "link" also catches "links", "linkk" and "link bhejo". That is also why a two-letter keyword like "hi" is a bad idea: it hides inside words like "this".

• "Contains any keyword": the comment includes at least one of your keywords. This is the right default for comment for link, because "LINK please 🙏" and "link bhejo" both match.
• "Contains all keywords": the comment must include every keyword you added. Useful when your call to action is a phrase, such as "free" and "guide" for "Comment FREE GUIDE".
• "Exact match": the whole comment must be one of your keywords. "link" matches, but "link pls" and "link 🔥" do not. Use it only when your keyword is a word people also use in normal comments.

There is also a "Reply to every comment" switch that skips keywords, but on a normal Reel it would DM people who only wrote "nice". For a link post, use a keyword. Our list of comment keywords and DM templates has ideas by niche.

Writing a DM people actually use

The DM has one job: deliver what you promised. Put the link in the first two lines, say what it is and give one next step. People opened the DM for the link, not for a paragraph about you.

• Greet them by name with {{sender_name}}. It also makes each DM read a little differently.
• Paste the full link, starting with https://, so it opens with one tap.
• Say it is automatic. A line like "This message is automatic, but I read every reply" sets the right expectation and invites real questions.
• Send one link. Three links and a coupon code is a lot to take in from a DM.

The public reply: tell them to check their DMs

The reply under the comment tells the commenter where to look and shows everyone else that the keyword works. There are two ways to post it:

• "Reply publicly after sending the DM" in the Review step. It is on by default with the text "I just sent you a DM. Please check your inbox." You can change it (up to 500 characters), but it is sent exactly as written, so variables are not filled in.
• "Reply to the comment" in the Message step. You write the reply and can use {{sender_name}}, for example "Sent, {{sender_name}}! Check your DMs." While this is on, the Review step reply is skipped, so nobody gets two replies.

If you only want to auto reply to Instagram comments without sending a DM, turn off "Send a DM" and keep "Reply to the comment" on.

The delay slider

At 0 seconds, the DM goes out within seconds of the comment, and you can add up to 60 seconds. A short delay can feel more natural than an instant reply, but there is no wrong setting. Pick one and move on.

What to put in your caption and on screen

People type exactly what you tell them, so say it in more than one place: on screen in the first few seconds, in the first line of the caption, and out loud if you talk in your Reels. Lines that work:

• Caption: "Comment LINK and I'll DM you the link."
• Hinglish caption: "Comment karo LINK, DM mein bhej dunga."
• On-screen text: "Comment LINK for the product link 👇"
• For a free resource: "Want the full 7-day plan? Comment PLAN."
• A last line that saves confusion: "Not following me yet? Check your Message requests."

Write the keyword in capitals so it stands out, and use one keyword per post. "Comment LINK or PRICE or SIZE" makes people stop and think.

What your follower sees

They comment, and within seconds (plus any delay you set) the DM arrives. Followers get it in their main inbox. Everyone else gets it in Message requests, which is easy to miss, so the public reply and the "check your Message requests" line matter.

To send the link to followers only, turn on "Ask to follow before sending the DM" in the Review step. The first DM then has a "Send me the link" button. When they tap it, Comment Kro checks whether they follow you: followers get the link, and everyone else is asked to follow and tap "I followed", with up to 3 reminders. It never follows anyone for you. It adds a step, so keep it for links worth the extra tap.

Limits to know before you post

• One private reply per comment. Instagram allows one DM in response to each comment, sent within 7 days of the comment.
• New comments only. The automation answers comments that come in while it is live, so launch it before you post or right after.
• No Live comments. Comments on Instagram Live are not supported.
• Hourly caps. Each automation is capped at 100 DMs per hour by default, and Meta allows up to 750 private replies per hour per account.
• Plan limits. The Free plan is ₹0 and includes 1,000 DMs a day (see free Instagram auto DM for everything it covers). Pro, at ₹199/month, removes the daily limit.

Where DMs land, the 24-hour window for follow-ups and the rest of the rulebook are covered in Instagram's private reply rules.

Test it from a second account

1. Launch the automation, then open the post from your second account.
2. Comment the keyword the way a real follower would, like "link pls", not a perfect "LINK".
3. If the test account doesn't follow you, look in its Message requests. The DM should be there, with the public reply under the comment.
4. Follow your main account from the test account and comment again. This DM should land in the main inbox. If ask to follow is on, try the "Send me the link" button too.
5. Open the automation in Comment Kro and check that Triggered and Sent went up, and that Failed did not.

After launch

You can pause, edit, duplicate or delete the automation anytime. Duplicate is handy for a new Reel with a different link: copy it, swap the post and the link, and launch. Pause it when an offer ends so nobody gets a dead sale link.

Everyone who gets the DM is added to your Leads list with a status (New, Contacted, Converted or Lost), tags and notes, so you can see who asked and follow up yourself when they reply. If you share Amazon, Myntra or Meesho links, there are more setups for affiliate creators.