Facebook auto reply: how to set up automatic replies on Messenger and comments

It's 11 PM. On your business's Facebook Page, someone comments “Price?” on the photo you posted this afternoon, and a little earlier someone else messaged you on Messenger asking for a quote. If nobody answers, both of them wait until tomorrow, and in the meantime they can ask someone else.

Automatic replies solve exactly that: the person gets something useful right away (your prices, your hours, your menu or your booking page) and you pick up the conversation when you can. In this guide you'll see what Facebook gives you for free and how to set it up, how to answer comments on Messenger, ready-to-copy messages and the rules that keep you out of trouble.

Why it pays to reply fast on Facebook

Facebook is still where a lot of people message businesses. In the US, 71% of adults use Facebook, according to the Pew Research Center (2025), and that rises to 74% among Hispanic adults (Pew).

And people who write expect a quick answer: about three in four consumers expect a reply within 24 hours or sooner, and 73% say they'll buy from a competitor if a brand doesn't respond on social, according to the 2025 Sprout Social Index (survey in the US, UK, Canada and Australia).

What Facebook gives you for free

If you have a Facebook Page (not a personal profile), you already have automatic replies at no cost. They live in Meta Business Suite, under Inbox → Automations, and work for Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp Business (Meta). Almost all of them can be set up on desktop or in the Meta Business Suite app:

Two details: Meta's help describes Comment to message in two ways (with keywords on one page and with hashtags on another), so check what your account asks for. And if your business or your customers are in Europe or Japan, some won't show up: because of privacy rules, Frequently asked questions, Contact information and Location aren't available there, and Custom keywords may be missing too (Meta).

How to set them up, step by step

1. 1

   Open Meta Business Suite on your computer

   Sign in and choose your business Page.

2. 2

   Go to Inbox → Automations

   You'll see the automations you already have and whether they're on.

3. 3

   Click “Create automation”

   It's at the top right. Pick a template, like Instant reply or Away message. In some accounts the instant reply shows up as Auto reply.

4. 4

   Write your message and choose the channel

   Mark where it's used (Messenger, Instagram or both). For the away message, pick your time zone and the days and hours you're not available.

5. 5

   Save and test

   Click Save changes. It can take a few minutes to appear. Then ask someone to message your Page to see how it arrives.

• Keywords can only be set up on desktop, allow up to 5 per automation and have to match exactly, including upper and lower case (Meta).
• The keyword reply isn't instant: Meta sends it after 15 minutes, if you haven't answered before then.
• If a template (like the away message) and a keyword are triggered at the same time, only the template is sent.
• The away message has no toggle: it works on its schedule. To turn it off, set yourself as available every day and at all hours (Meta).
• Meta's automatic messages end with “Sent by automated response”.

How to answer Facebook comments on Messenger

Many questions don't arrive on Messenger: they arrive as comments. “Price?”, “info”, “do you ship?”. What works best is answering in public, so the person knows you saw it, and sending them the details privately. According to Sprout Social, 51% of people who reach out publicly expect a public acknowledgement first before moving to a private message (Sprout survey, Q4 2025).

For automatic messages, Meta has a rule: you can send only one private message per comment, within 7 days, and the conversation continues only if the person replies (Meta). That's why that first message should have a button: when they tap it, they've replied, and you can send everything they asked for.

Meta's Comment to message sends the private message and is set up on desktop. With SocialMaker's automatic replies you build both the public reply and the message, from your phone too:

1. 6

   Connect your Facebook Page

   In Automations, tap Connect my Facebook Page (if your Instagram is already connected, tap Connect account) and choose your Page. The connection is official: SocialMaker is a Meta Tech Provider and never asks for your password.

2. 7

   Create a comment automation

   If you have more than one account, first tap Switch account and choose the Page. Then tap New automation, choose Start from scratch (or a template) and then Comment on a post. It can reply on one post, on all of them, only on new ones or on the next one you publish.

3. 8

   Write the keyword and the public reply

   For example, PRICE. Add two or more public replies, like “We just sent you a message on Messenger!”: they take turns, so your Page doesn't repeat the same text every time (up to 2 on the free plan).

4. 9

   Build the Messenger message

   A greeting with a button and, when the person taps it, what you promised: your link, your menu, your catalog or the booking card.

5. 10

   Turn it on and test it

   Ask someone to comment the keyword from their own account: comments from your own Page don't trigger it. If that person already commented on that post, they won't get another message: test with another account or on another post.

Write your replies in a minute

Add your business name, your hours and, if you want, a link: we'll give you the messages ready to paste in each place.

Examples to copy

• Price

  Hi! Thanks for asking. Here's our updated price list. If you're looking for something specific, send us a photo and we'll help.

  Copy
• Hours

  Hi! We're open Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM. How can we help?

  Copy
• Location

  Hi! Here's how to get to our shop. If you're driving, there's parking across the street.

  Copy
• Shipping

  Hi! Yes, we ship. Tell us your city or ZIP code and we'll let you know the cost and how long it takes.

  Copy
• Food order

  Hi! Here's today's menu. You can order from the link or send us your order right here.

  Copy
• Appointment

  Hi! Pick the day and time that work best for you at this link. If you don't see a time that fits, message us and we'll find one.

  Copy
• Quote

  Hi! To give you an exact price, send us a photo and the measurements. We'll get back to you with a quote as soon as we can.

  Copy
• Out of stock

  Hi! That model sold out, but here are the ones that arrived this week. Do you like any of them?

  Copy
• After hours

  Hi! We're closed right now. We'll reply tomorrow from 9 AM. In the meantime, here are our prices.

  Copy
• Comment: public reply

  Thanks for commenting! We sent you a message on Messenger 📩

  Copy
• Comment: Messenger message

  Hi! We saw your comment. Tap the button and we'll send you all the details.

  Copy
• Promotion

  Hi! The promotion runs until Sunday. Here it is with all the details.

  Copy

Rules that keep you out of trouble

• Only reply to people who messaged or commented. In general, the person has to message you or comment first; automatic replies aren't a way to write to people who never contacted you (Meta).
• Reply while the conversation is fresh. Facebook lets you answer with automatic messages for a while after the person writes; if too much time passes, you can't anymore.
• Respect people who don't want more messages. If someone asks you to stop or blocks you, that's the end of it.
• Don't ask for card details by message. Meta forbids it: if you charge, send a payment link.
• Say it's automatic. Meta's messages already say so at the end, and in some places, like California, disclosing it is required (Meta).
• Give the comment a clear reason. Meta reduces the reach of posts that ask for comments or reactions just for the sake of it (Meta) and doesn't say how it treats “comment PRICE and I'll send you the list”. Use it when you'll really send something useful, not on every post.
• Don't give things away in exchange for comments. Meta's rules forbid offering something of value in exchange for engagement (Meta).

If you want the details, in auto replies without getting blocked we explain what Meta checks and how to avoid problems, and in Instagram auto reply examples you'll find 40 more examples.

Frequently asked questions