The complete Instagram welcome message guide. 45+ copy-paste templates, how to set up on iPhone and Android, and how to automate with ice breakers in 2026.
Automate Comments and DMs in 5 Minutes
Someone comments on your IG post. They get a DM instantly. You do nothing.
Trusted by 10K+ creators and SMBs
TL;DR
TL;DR
Your welcome message should do more than say hello
Add ice breakers, qualify leads, and auto-reply to FAQs, all from your first DM.
A welcome message for Instagram is an automated DM sent when a user opens a chat with your business for the first time (or after a long gap). It can:
Why it matters: It shortens response time, improves customer satisfaction, and boosts conversions, especially when paired with automated welcome messages and AI replies.
Welcome messages trigger when someone opens a DM with you. If you're trying to message new followers automatically (which Instagram doesn't allow directly), see our guide on how to message new followers.
Most guides treat the Instagram welcome message as a single toggle you turn on. That works for basic setups, but there's a meaningful difference between a welcome message and a full automated DM flow, and choosing the wrong one costs you leads.
Use the native toggle if: you want a simple text greeting and you're on Android with no plans to qualify leads or run follow-up sequences.
Use an automated DM flow if: you're on iPhone, want ice breakers, need to qualify leads, or want to connect welcome messages to a broader DM campaign strategy. This is what most serious creators and brands need.
If none of the templates above fit perfectly, here's the framework every high-converting welcome message follows. Six elements, in order:
1. Greeting (1 line). "Hey!" or "Welcome to [Brand]!" Set the tone in the first words. Keep it warm, never formal.
2. Acknowledge why they're there (optional, 1 line). "Thanks for reaching out" works for general inbound. For ad traffic, reference the ad: "Thanks for clicking through!"
3. State your value or offer (1 line). What do they get for messaging you? "We help [audience] with [outcome]" or "Quick replies, expert advice, no spam."
4. Set response expectations (1 line). "We reply within X hours" or "Most messages get an answer in under 30 minutes." This single line reduces drop-off by 20-40% in tests.
5. Offer choices (the most important line). "Tap below for Pricing, Booking, or Support" or "Reply MENU, BOOK, or HELP." Multiple-choice reduces friction and routes the contact for you.
6. Optional: scarcity or urgency. "We have 3 spots left this month" or "Today only: 15% off." Use sparingly. Overuse kills trust.
The total length: under 240 characters for the message, under 50 characters per ice breaker option. Anything longer reads as a wall of text and gets ignored.
What NOT to include in the welcome message: your full pricing, multiple links, more than one CTA, brand history, social proof. Save those for the next message in the flow once you know what the contact wants.
Availability note: As of 2026, welcome message setup is often available on Android business accounts in select regions. If you can’t find it, or you’re on iPhone, use the Inrō method below.
How to change / edit the welcome message in Instagram (2025/2026):
Return to the same screen, edit text, Save.
How to remove / turn off the welcome message in Instagram:
Toggle Show welcome message OFF.
How to save a welcome message on Instagram:
Write → Save (it auto-saves to your business inbox settings).
Use Inrō (Instagram-approved) to create a scalable, compliant setup:
Why this wins: Works on iPhone & Android, adds buttons, branching, lead capture, analytics, and DM campaigns—way beyond the simple native greeting.
Add 3–5 tappable choices under your welcome message:
Then use Inrō auto-qualifying:
Finally, enable AI FAQ:
Welcome: “Hey! I can help with New Arrivals, Track order, or Returns.”
Welcome: “Hi! Want Pricing, Availability, or Consultation?”
Welcome: “Hey {{name}}! What do you want help with? Leads | Systems | Mindset”
The welcome message is the entry point, but entry points don't generate revenue on their own. The accounts converting the most DMs into sales are connecting their welcome message to a structured lead generation flow. Here's the full architecture:
The first message someone sees. Keep it under 3 lines, offer 3–5 tappable options relevant to your business (Pricing, Book, Support, Shop, Learn more).
When someone taps an ice breaker or types a keyword, trigger a short qualification sequence: ask 1–2 questions (budget, goal, timeline) and tag them in your CRM based on their answers. This separates hot leads from browsers before you've spent a single minute manually.
Common questions (pricing, shipping, availability, how it works) are answered instantly by AI — on-brand, 24/7. This removes the biggest drop-off point in DM conversations: the gap between question and reply.
Anyone who asks something outside the FAQ scope, or who qualifies as a hot lead, gets routed to a human immediately. Inrō tags them so they appear at the top of your inbox.
Anyone who engaged with your welcome flow but didn't convert gets added to instagram automated follow-up sequence — a DM 24–48 hours later with a relevant offer, case study, or booking link.
This five-step flow turns a static greeting into a complete instagram dm sales funnel. Set it up once in Inrō and it runs automatically for every new DM conversation.
Create your free Inrō account, add Ice Breakers, flip on AI FAQ, and start turning DMs into bookings and sales.
Short, friendly, one CTA + options. Example: “Hey! Need Pricing, Book, or Support? Tap below.”
Use a greeting, value line, response time, and a clear next step. Keep it under 240 characters.
Settings → Business → Welcome message → On → Save. Alternatively, use Inrō to automate.
Feature availability varies. Use Inrō to deploy an automated welcome message with ice breakers & AI on any device.
Go back to the Welcome message screen, edit and save. In Inrō, edit the flow content and publish.
Enable the native toggle or create an automatic welcome message in Inrō.
Toggle OFF in settings or deactivate the flow in Inrō.
Use Inrō: connect IG → create welcome flow → add ice breakers → publish.
“Welcome to [Brand]! Want Pricing, Book, or Track order?”
Yes, Inrō lets you add AI FAQ, summarize intents, and keep answers on-brand, with human handoff.
ManyChat is solid for basic flows. Inrō is Instagram-first, simpler UI, native DM campaigns, advanced ice breakers, and AI FAQ tuned for IG.
A welcome message appears when someone opens a DM conversation with you for the first time. An auto-reply responds to any incoming message automatically, including from existing contacts. Welcome messages are for first impressions; auto-replies handle ongoing conversations. For a complete DM automation setup, you want both — a welcome message that greets new contacts and auto-replies that handle follow-up questions and keyword triggers throughout the conversation.
Instagram's native welcome message doesn't support ice breakers (tappable buttons), it's text only. To add ice breakers, use Inrō: connect your Instagram account, create a welcome flow, and add up to 5 quick-tap options (Pricing, Book, Shop, Support, Track order). These appear as buttons under your welcome message and route each contact to the right follow-up automatically.
Yes — with Inrō you can create multiple welcome flows triggered by different sources. For example, people who DM you from a paid ad can receive a different welcome message than people who DM from organic content. This lets you personalise the first message based on where the contact came from, which significantly improves conversion rates. Read more about instagram personalized marketing segmentation.
No. Welcome messages trigger when someone opens a direct message conversation with you, not when they view a Reel or Story. To capture leads from Reels or Stories, use comment-to-DM automation (for Reels and feed posts) or Story reply automation (for Stories).
No. Both Instagram's native welcome message and Inrō require a Business or Creator account. Switching from Personal to Creator is free, takes 30 seconds in Instagram's settings, and doesn't affect your existing posts or followers.
Three things: use a first-name personalisation token (Inrō does this automatically), offer choices instead of asking "how can I help" (3 to 5 buttons), and set a realistic response time. The "we reply within 30 minutes" line is one of the highest-impact additions you can make.
Join automations strategies and Instagram Insights weekly
By entering your email address above and clicking Subcribe, you consent to receive marketing communications (such as newsletters, blog posts, event invitations and new product updates), and targeted advertising from Inrō from time to time. You can unsubscribe from our marketing emails at anytime by clinking on the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of our emails. For more information about how we process personal information and what right you have on this respect, please see our Privacy Policy.
Attract more leads, target them with DM marketing, and automate your interactions on Instagram!
.png)
.png)
.png)