Comment LINK and I'll send it: how to DM your affiliate links on Instagram
How to DM your Amazon, LTK or Mercado Libre links when people comment, without paying per contact and following the disclosure rules where you sell.
You film a reel with the air fryer you use every day. An hour later it has hundreds of comments: “link?”, “where can I buy it?”, “send it pls”. You sit down to paste your affiliate link one by one, late at night, and by the time you're done, half of them already bought it somewhere else. Your commission left with them.
That scene plays out in the United States, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. And in 2026 three things changed that make it matter even more: Amazon now lets you send your link by DM when people ask for it, Mercado Libre now pays for recommendations in more countries, and adding a link to an Instagram post became a paid feature. In this guide you'll see how to set up “comment LINK and I'll send it” step by step, what the rules say in each country and how much it costs, with no surprises.
The pain, in the words of people living it
- “You never know how much you will pay”: that's how one user describes the per-contact billing of an automated messaging tool, because the bill grows with every new person who writes to you (Trustpilot, July 2026).
- “They charge you for every conversation in your inbox”: another user found out during the free trial that the “contacts” she was charged for were any and every conversation in her inbox (Trustpilot, August 2026).
- Messages get lost: even Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, admitted the message requests inbox “can be really overwhelming at times” (TechCrunch, November 2024). That's where your DM lands when the person doesn't follow you.
The pattern repeats: people do want the link, but it arrives late, gets lost in another folder or costs you more than the commission pays.
It’s past midnight and half of them bought elsewhere
Everyone got their link in seconds
What changed in 2026
Amazon now lets you DM your link, if people ask for it. The Amazon Associates rules, updated on April 14, 2026, say you may include your links “in emails, SMS and direct messaging from your social media Sites”, as long as those communications are solicited (Amazon Associates, participation requirements). A comment that says “LINK” is exactly that: the person asked for it. Sending it to someone who didn't ask, on the other hand, isn't allowed.
Mercado Libre now pays for recommendations in more countries. Latin America's biggest marketplace rolled out its affiliates and creators program across Argentina on March 10, 2026, with commissions of up to 15% per sale depending on the category, after three years running in Mexico and Brazil (La Nación, 2026). You don't need a big following to start, and in Mexico you need your tax certificate and RFC to get paid (Mercado Libre Mexico).
Adding a link to a post became paid. On September 15, 2026 Meta launched Meta One, and links in Instagram posts and reels moved into its paid plans, with a monthly quota. What stays free is your bio, your stories and your DMs. That's why “comment and I'll send it” is now the most direct way to take someone from the reel to the product.
How “comment LINK and I'll send it” works
You post with a clear call to action
Your reel or carousel ends with a single action: “Comment LINK and I'll DM it to you”.
The person comments the word
They type LINK. It's one tap, and they don't have to work up the nerve to message you first.
They get a public reply
Something like “Just sent it to your DMs! If you don't see it, check your message requests”. That way, people who don't follow you know where to look.
The DM with the link arrives
First a greeting with a button; when they tap it, the product with its photo, the price and the buy button, labeled separately as an affiliate link.
If they didn't open it, a reminder
A friendly message a few hours later, which cancels itself if the person already replied.
How to set it up in SocialMaker
Create a comment automation
Choose whether it replies on one post, on all of them (old ones too), only on new ones or on the next one you publish.
Pick the word
LINK, WANT or the product name. You can add words that don't trigger it, so you don't reply to someone who writes “don't want the link”.
Write the public reply and the DM
In the DM, add the button with your link, the photo and the price. Label the product card as an affiliate link, short and separate: “Air fryer · Affiliate link”.
If you like, ask people to follow you
With the “Follows you?” tool, people who don't follow you first get an invitation to follow. Under Instagram's rules the link is delivered anyway, but many follow you along the way.
Turn it on
From then on it replies day and night. Each person gets a single DM per post, even if they comment several times, and if they write “stop”, it doesn't message them again.
Say it clearly: it's an affiliate link
Earning a commission is fine. Hiding it isn't. The rules agree on one thing: the disclosure goes right next to the link, in the same language, not buried in your bio. Since the disclosure in your post doesn't travel into the inbox, label the link you send too: a short tag next to the product is enough, without filling the chat with explanations.
What advertising rules ask for
United StatesFTC and AmazonDisclosed
MexicoProfecoDisclosed
ColombiaSICDisclosed
- United States: the FTC asks you to disclose your relationship with the brand next to the content and in the same language, not only on your profile (FTC). Amazon requires the statement “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases” associated with your account and suggests disclosures like “(paid link)”, “#ad” or “#CommissionsEarned” next to the link (Amazon).
- Mexico: Profeco's advertising guide for influencers asks you to identify advertising in a visible place, with tags like “#Publicidad” or “#PublicidadPagada”, without hiding it among lots of hashtags (Profeco, 2023).
- Colombia: the guide from the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce asks you to disclose any commercial relationship with a brand, even if it's a gift or a perk (SIC, 2020).
- Everywhere: make it clear without anyone having to look for it. Next to the link you send, something short like “Affiliate link” or “#ad”.
What it costs: paying per contact or a flat price
Many automated messaging tools charge by your “active contacts” for the month: the more people message you, the more you pay. It sounds small until a reel goes viral, which is exactly when replying to everyone pays off the most.
An example with ManyChat's published prices (checked on September 30, 2026): its Pro plan costs $29 a month billed annually and includes 2,500 active contacts per month; each extra contact costs $0.038 billed annually or $0.05 billed monthly (ManyChat). If a reel brings you 10,000 people commenting LINK in a month, those 7,500 extra contacts add up to between $285 and $375 that month, on top of the plan. The final price varies by country.
A reel goes viral
0 people commented this month
Published prices billed annually, checked on September 30, 2026: ManyChat Pro ($29 with 2,500 contacts + $0.038 per extra contact) and SocialMaker Starter ($9, no per-contact fees).
| Per-contact billing | SocialMaker | |
|---|---|---|
| How you're billed | Plan + every extra person that month | Flat plan, no per-contact fees |
| If a reel goes viral | The bill grows with every comment | You pay the same even if thousands of people message you |
| Starting at | $14 a month billed annually, with 250 contacts | $11 a month, or $9 billed annually (Starter), with 20 active automations |
Your link in bio, the storefront for everyone else
Not everyone comments. Many tap your profile to see what else you recommend. Set up your link in bio like a storefront: your best sellers on top, with photo and price, and your categories below (kitchen, baby, beauty) or your Amazon storefront or Mercado Libre store.
With your link in bio analytics you see which link gets the most taps and which network people come from. If a product lower on the page performs better than the one on top, SocialMaker lets you know so you can move it up.
7 mistakes that cost you commissions
- Sending the link to people who didn't ask: Instagram doesn't allow it and neither does Amazon. Only reply to people who commented or messaged you.
- Hiding that it's an affiliate link: a note in your bio isn't enough. Label it next to the link you send.
- A hard word: use short, simple words like LINK or WANT, easy to type on a phone.
- Not saying where the DM lands: if the person doesn't follow you, your message goes to requests. Say so in the public reply.
- Linking to the store instead of the product: the link has to open exactly what was in the reel, not the homepage.
- Only replying on the new reel: older reels keep getting comments. Keep the automation on for your earlier posts too.
- Not measuring: without numbers you don't know which product sells. Check which word and which link get the most taps.
Frequently asked questions
Can I DM Amazon affiliate links on Instagram?
Yes, if the person asked for it. Amazon's rules, updated on April 14, 2026, allow your links in direct messages from your social media as long as the communication was solicited, like when someone comments “LINK”.
Do I have to say it's an affiliate link in the DM?
Yes, next to the link: the disclosure in your post doesn't travel into the inbox. The simplest way is to label the product card, for example “Air fryer · Affiliate link”, without adding extra messages.
Why don't some people get the DM?
If they don't follow you, the message lands in their requests folder. Mention it in the public reply. And during busy moments, Meta limits how many messages go out per hour, so some may take a few minutes.
Does it work with Mercado Libre, LTK, Shein, Temu or Hotmart?
Yes. SocialMaker sends whatever link you add, from any program. What changes are each program's rules: check them before you start.
Can my account get blocked for automating?
SocialMaker is a Meta Tech Provider and only messages people who interacted with you first, says the first message is automated and stops if the person writes “stop”. Do avoid misleading messages: Meta can limit accounts that get lots of reports.
How much does it cost?
You can try one automation for free. From Starter, at $11 a month, you get 20 active at once plus automatic follow-ups, with no per-contact fees: you pay the same even if thousands of people comment.
Can I send the link to people who commented before I turned the automation on?
Not automatically: the automation replies to comments that arrive after you turn it on. It can reply to new comments on your older posts.
Does it work on TikTok?
SocialMaker's automated replies work with Instagram and Facebook. Your link in bio works for any network: add it to TikTok, YouTube or WhatsApp.
Your audience is already asking for the link. The work is making sure it reaches them instantly, clearly and labeled as an affiliate link, without your best reel turning into your most expensive bill. If you want to keep going, see how to automate Instagram step by step or what to put in your link in bio.
Written byAndros BlandonSocialMaker