Wait for reply

Wait for reply is a step in an Inrō automation that pauses the flow for one contact until that contact sends you a message. It sends nothing itself. When the reply arrives, the flow continues down a branch picked by what the contact wrote. If no reply comes within the wait you set, the contact takes the no-reply branch instead.

What happens while the flow waits?

The step shows no message and no buttons, so it usually follows a message step that asks something. The contact's run of the flow stops there, and the next message they send resumes it.

Each contact waits alone: a paused run is one scenario execution held on this step. You can add the step to DM campaigns as well as to scenarios.

Waiting never activates a contact on its own: a paused flow adds nothing to your contact activations until a later step acts.

Which branch does the reply take?

The builder labels the branches:

• If message contains: the first keyword branch, then else if message contains for each one after it
• Else: the catch-all for any reply that matches no keyword (with no keywords set, this is the single When contact replies branch)
• If contact hasn't replied after: the no-reply branch

Inrō checks the keyword branches in order, and the first branch with a keyword found in the reply wins. A keyword matches anywhere in the reply, so a short keyword like "no" also matches "not" and "know". Pick keywords that cannot hide inside other words.

If the steps after the reply send a message, the Inrō AI agent does not also answer that message.

What if the contact never replies?

They go down the no-reply branch. You set the wait on that branch in seconds, minutes, hours or days, and a new step starts with a wait of 3 days, which you can change (Inrō flow builder, September 2026). For how far apart to space messages, see the guide to Instagram DM automation.

Why do Instagram comment flows need it?

When your automation DMs someone who commented on your post, Meta treats that DM as a private reply. The Meta for Developers documentation on private replies allows one message to the commenter. More messages can follow only after they respond, and within 24 hours of that response (Meta, checked 30 September 2026).

Wait for reply keeps a comment-to-DM automation inside that rule. If your first DM is plain text, follow it with a Wait for reply step, and keep links and follow-ups behind it. More flow building blocks are in the Inrō automation glossary.