Instagram story reply trigger

An Instagram story reply trigger is the entry point that starts an automation when someone replies to one of your Instagram stories. Instagram delivers the reply to your DMs as a message that points to the story, and the trigger reads it. In Inrō it is called Someone replies to your story, and it is on all plans, Free included.

The trigger is only the entry point. Story reply automation is the whole flow behind it (the DM, the link, the folder), covered in how Inrō automates Instagram story replies.

Which story interactions can start an automation?

Only a reply that lands in your DMs:

• A text reply typed under your story. With Any reply selected, each one fires it.
• A reply made only of emojis. The Only emojis filter keeps just these. A reply such as "hi 🔥" is not emoji-only.

A story reply is also a DM. A scenario that starts on Someone sends you a DM can start on the same reply, so check your DM triggers first. In Inrō's inbox and CRM, the Replied to a story contact filter finds the contacts who replied.

Which story interactions can never start one?

• A GIF or a sticker sent as a reply. Meta's webhook for story replies does not support them (Meta for Developers webhook reference, checked October 2026), so nothing reaches Inrō.
• A tag of your account in someone else's story. That is a story mention, which has its own trigger.
• A like on your story, a poll, quiz or slider answer, or a view. Inrō has no trigger for any of them.
• A reaction to a DM, such as a heart. Inrō records it on the message, and no scenario starts.

How do you choose which replies start the flow?

Open the trigger in the Scenarios flow builder and set two filters. Both must match.

Which story:

• Any story
• Stories with a keyword, matched in the story's text
• Stories with a URL
• Stories showing something, where AI checks the story's image or video against your description (it needs AI features on your account)

For the keyword and URL filters, create the story in the Instagram app.

Which replies:

• Any reply
• Contains a keyword
• Only emojis
• AI-detected intent

So one trigger can mean: replied to a story with a URL, and the reply says SEND. When a contact sends several replies in a row, message grouping hands them to the trigger as one message.

To start from a built flow, use the respond to story replies template. For every other entry point, browse the Instagram automation glossary.