What are Social Auto-replies?
When a follower DM’s or comments a keyword you set, Klaviyo automatically replies with an opt-in flow for your owned channels (e.g., email, text, or WhatsApp), turning a social interaction into a lasting relationship.
Follow along and build your first Social Auto-reply with the demonstration video below.
Note: Social Auto-replies are free in all Klaviyo accounts. That said, you must connect your brand’s Instagram Business Account in Klaviyo, and you'll need Admin access to do so. If you're not the Instagram admin, ask that user to complete this step before proceeding.
See Social Auto-replies in action
Now that you know how to build your first Social Auto-reply, let’s take it a step further and explore 3 real-world use cases that you can use as inspiration.
Evergreen (always-on)
Use a permanent keyword in your Instagram bio and posts to continuously grow your list as an “always-on” offer in addition to your temporary campaigns.
For example, you might post: “DM ACCESS for 10% off your first order.”
The customer experience:
- A follower sees “DM ACCESS for 10% off your first order” in your Instagram bio.
- The follower sends “ACCESS” as a DM.
- Klaviyo instantly replies, prompting them to share their email address.
- The follower opts in and is added to your email list.
Giveaway
Run large-scale giveaways using Social Auto-replies. Instead of directing followers to a landing page or link in bio, they are encouraged to comment on a post with a specific keyword. Each reply is equivalent to a contest entry.
For example, you share a post with contest details that explains: “Comment GIVEAWAY on this post to enter and get exclusive updates!”
The customer experience
- Interested followers see your post and comment the keyword.
- Klaviyo triggers an automated DM sequence to collect their email address and confirm their giveaway entry.
- Subscribers are added to your list and become eligible for future marketing.
- One lucky subscriber is chosen from this list!
Early access
Offer early access or exclusive rewards to those who comment or DM your brand a particular keyword, say ahead of a major sales event or prior to a major product launch.
For example, you can prompt engagement in a social post or paid ad, stating: “Want early access to our Black Friday sales? Message us VIP to unlock exclusive deals.“
The customer experience
- A shopper sees a paid ad, encouraging them to DM “VIP” for early access to a major sitewide sale.
- Intrigued, they DM the word "VIP.”
- Klaviyo auto-replies immediately, walking them through a DM flow to subscribe to their VIP text message list.
- The customer unlocks access a few days before the sale goes live to others via a text.
- As a bonus, the keyword is automatically synced to their Klaviyo profile, so your brand can continue messaging them as a VIP over the long term!
Define the properties you collect via Social Auto-replies
When someone successfully moves through your Social Auto-reply, you’ll collect a range of data beyond just whether or not they’ve subscribed to a specific channel. As long as they opt into either email or text, this information will log to their Klaviyo profile.
Click through the flashcards below to learn which profile properties are logged to the individual profile, as long as they also submit their email or phone number.
Stores your subscriber’s Instagram handle, linking their Klaviyo and Instagram identities in one place.
Shows the number of Instagram followers this subscriber has. The number will dynamically refresh each time the user DMs you or tags your brand in a story.
Indicates whether the subscriber follows you on Instagram. It will dynamically refresh each time they DM you or tag you in an Instagram Story.
An image tied to their Instagram bio that you can now save to their profile in Klaviyo.
Indicates that the user has specifically opted into marketing via the Social Auto-reply feature on Instagram.
Stores your subscriber’s Instagram handle, linking their Klaviyo and Instagram identities in one place.
Shows the number of Instagram followers this subscriber has. The number will dynamically refresh each time the user DMs you or tags your brand in a story.
Indicates whether the subscriber follows you on Instagram. It will dynamically refresh each time they DM you or tag you in an Instagram Story.
An image tied to their Instagram bio that you can now save to their profile in Klaviyo.
Indicates that the user has specifically opted into marketing via the Social Auto-reply feature on Instagram.
Measure its impact on list growth
Once your Social Auto-replies are live, the next step is understanding how they're performing. Klaviyo's Growth Report is your go-to tool for this, as you can view growth trends across either your main marketing list or a specific segment (e.g., those who opted in via Social Auto-reply, used a specific keyword, or answered a specific custom question).
In this example, you can see how to track engagement via a Segment Growth Report. Click into your segment (in this case, a segment of users who joined via Social Auto-reply), and then navigate to the Growth tab.
From there, conduct your analysis, for instance, you can:
- Update your timeframe:
Set a specific timeframe to focus on, and group data by day, week, month, etc., depending on your needs. - Review source reporting:
For list growth, review Instagram as your traffic source to isolate exactly how many new subscribers came in through Social Auto-replies. - Look for patterns:
Which dates drove the highest growth, and thus which keyword campaigns spurred engagement? Do giveaway campaigns outperform evergreen offers, or vice versa? Tracking this data over time lets you double down on what's working and adjust what isn't.
Every subscriber you gain on Instagram is available across flows, campaigns, reports, and more. The impact compounds over time as you continue engaging them, making early investment in this channel increasingly valuable.