Build a guided conversation (comment → DM → AI)

Sometimes one automated DM isn't enough — you want to ask the person something and respond differently based on their answer. You can build that by chaining two automations: a Comment → DM that offers choices, and a DM Auto-Reply with AI that handles whichever choice they pick — and keeps the conversation going from there.

What you're building

Say you're giving away a guide with three levels. The flow looks like this:

• Someone comments GUIDE on your post.
• They instantly get a DM: “Awesome! Which one fits you best? Reply beginner, medium, or advanced 👇”
• They reply “beginner” — and the AI answers with the beginner version, then keeps chatting naturally if they have questions.

Step 1: Comment → DM with choices

1. 1

   Create a Comment → DM automation

   Trigger keyword: GUIDE, attached to your post (or Next post for a scheduled one).
2. 2

   Offer the choices in the DM text

   Write the DM so the reply options are explicit words, e.g.: “Which fits you best? Reply with beginner, medium or advanced.” Clear, single-word options work best — they become the trigger keywords for step 2.

Step 2: AI reply automation for the answers

1. 1

   Create a DM Auto-Reply automation

   On the same account, create a DM Auto-Reply automation with the trigger keywords beginner, medium, advanced.
2. 2

   Enable AI replies and write the branching instructions

   Turn on AI-Powered Replies and describe each branch in the instructions. The AI reads them and answers accordingly — for example:

People message us after commenting GUIDE on our post about
learning video editing.

If they say "beginner": send the starter guide — tell them it
covers the 5 basic cuts and takes 30 minutes. Link: example.com/b
If they say "medium": send the intermediate guide about pacing
and sound design. Link: example.com/m
If they say "advanced": send the pro guide on color grading
workflows. Link: example.com/a

Tone: friendly and short. If they ask follow-up questions about
editing, answer helpfully. If they ask about pricing of our
course, mention it exists but let a human follow up.

How long the AI keeps chatting

Once a keyword starts the conversation, the person can keep chatting without repeating any keyword — the AI stays engaged as long as the conversation is alive. The rules:

• 2-hour rolling window. The conversation stays active as long as the AI replied within the last 2 hours — and every new reply restarts the clock. A back-and-forth chat can go on for hours; it only ends after 2 hours of silence.
• After it goes quiet, the next message needs one of the trigger keywords again to start a fresh conversation.
• Mid-conversation messages stay in that conversation — even if the person happens to type another automation's keyword, the active conversation keeps priority.
• Human handoff: if the person asks for something that needs you (payments, complaints, negotiations), the AI sends a short holding line and pauses itself for that person for up to 7 days so you can reply personally. When you're done, resume the AI from the Audience page — it then picks the chat back up keyword-free for a few days.

Tips

• Keep the choice words distinct and single-word (“beginner”, not “the beginner one”) — they're matched as keywords.
• Set the automation's language to your audience's — the AI replies in that language automatically.
• Test the whole funnel in the Test Simulator before going live: comment the keyword, answer with each choice, and check every branch.
• AI conversations use your plan's AI credits — or run unlimited with your own AI key (BYOK).