# How to Reply to "Price?" Comments on Instagram

> Reply to price comments on Instagram without losing the buyer: public reply or DM, a price list template, keyword rules and Meta's limits, for Indian sellers.

Source: https://business.mysmartassistant.ai/blog/instagram-price-comments · Published 2026-10-27 · Language: English · Publisher: MySA Business (https://business.mysmartassistant.ai)

![A follower comments PRICE on an Instagram reel; MySA sends the price list to the commenter by private DM and posts a short public note; the conversation continues in the DM and becomes a lead](/blog/instagram-price-comments-flow.svg)

To reply to price comments on Instagram well, answer every "price?", "PRICE plz" and "kitne ka hai?" quickly, in private, with the actual price and a next step, and leave a short public note so other followers can see that you answered. With MySA Business, such comments can get a direct message on their own: either the AI writes the reply from your Business Details, or a keyword you chose sends your price list as a ready-made card.

## Why "price?" comments go unanswered

For a boutique, a home baker or a jewellery store on Instagram, "price?" is the most common comment under a reel, and the easiest one to lose:

- **They arrive in bursts.** A reel that does well brings fifty comments in an evening, most of them the same question.
- **Replying by hand takes the whole evening.** Each one means opening the comment, typing, opening the DM and typing again.
- **A late answer is a lost buyer.** Someone who asks at 10 pm and hears back the next afternoon has usually bought elsewhere.
- **"Check DM" with nothing in the DM annoys people.** Followers notice when a business says it sent details and did not.

## Public reply or DM: which to use

There is no single right answer, and it depends on what you sell:

| Reply where | Suits | Watch out for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Under the comment** | One fixed price for everyone, such as ₹499 for every kurta in a drop | Prices that change by size, quantity or city become a long thread |
| **In a DM** | Prices that depend on size, design or quantity; a full price list; anything with a phone number | A comment that only says "DM sent" helps nobody if the DM never arrives |
| **Both** | Busy reels where other readers ask the same thing | Keep the public line short so it does not look like spam |

Many Indian sellers prefer the DM, because it is where the customer shares a size, a pincode or a mobile number, and where a conversation can turn into an order. The public note is mostly for everyone else reading the comments.

## Two ways MySA answers a price comment

MySA Business has two triggers, and both can be on at once.

**AI comment reply.** In your Instagram account's **Settings**, **Comment auto-reply** has four modes: **Off**, **Public reply**, **Private reply (DM)** and **Hybrid**. For price questions, **Hybrid** is usually the right one: a short public acknowledgement under the comment, which you can word yourself, and a private DM written from your Business Details. Only real questions get a reply, so "beautiful 😍" is left alone.

**Keyword comment rule.** In the template library you build a template, such as a **Price list** card, and add a comment rule: a platform, an account, one post or **All posts**, and a keyword such as *price*. A comment containing that word, in any letter case, gets the template as a private message. "PRICE kya hai" matches *price*; "priceless" does not.

Meta allows one private message per comment, so a commenter gets one DM, not two. The complete workflow, both triggers side by side, is on [Instagram comment to DM automation](/instagram-comment-to-dm).

## What the price reply should contain

The comment asked one thing, so the DM should answer it first:

- **The price, or the range.** "Cotton kurtas ₹499–₹899, size ke hisaab se" is better than "Please share your requirement."
- **What changes the price.** Size, fabric, quantity, delivery city.
- **One next step.** Ask for the size, or offer the catalogue.
- **A button where it helps.** A **Card + buttons** template can carry a **Link** to your catalogue or a **WhatsApp** button that opens a chat with your number.

> **Example**
>
> **Comment:** PRICE plz, M size hai?
>
> **Public reply:** Details aapke DM mein bhej diye hain.
>
> **DM:** Namaste. Yeh cotton kurta ₹649 ka hai, M size available hai. Delivery 4–5 din mein. Kaunsa colour chahiye?
>
> **Customer:** Blue. COD hai?

The shop and the prices are made up. From the customer's second message on, if they ask about price, availability or a visit, the AI can ask once for their name and mobile number, and a number they share is saved as a lead on **Positive Leads**. The AI answers COD, delivery and returns only if you wrote them in your Business Details; it does not invent a policy.

## Set it up step by step

1. **Connect your Instagram Business account** and pick the **Business category** it answers from. The prices you want quoted must be in that category. See [Instagram & Facebook](/docs/instagram-facebook).
2. **Choose a comment mode.** Start with **Hybrid** and write a one-line **Public acknowledgement text**.
3. **Build a price list template.** In the **Samples** tab, **Duplicate** the **Price list** sample, put in your own text, images and links, and **Save & activate**. See [Social templates](/docs/social-templates).
4. **Add comment rules** on the template for the words your followers use: *price*, *rate*, *kitna*. One rule per keyword, on one post or all posts.
5. **Comment on your own post** from another account and check what arrives.

## Meta's limits that shape every reply

- **One private message per comment.** If the AI reply and a keyword rule both fit, the commenter still gets one DM.
- **The 24-hour window.** A business can message a customer only within 24 hours of that customer's last message, so the price reply goes out at once, and there is no automatic reminder three days later.
- **The same template once an hour.** A customer who asks again within the hour is pointed to the one already sent.

## What works today, and what it does not do

| Works today | Does not do |
| --- | --- |
| A private DM to a price comment, written by AI from your Business Details | Quote a price you did not write down |
| A price list card sent on a keyword such as *price*, on one post or all posts | Send more than one private message per comment |
| A short public note under the comment in **Hybrid** mode | Message the commenter again after Meta's 24-hour window |
| Saving a mobile number shared in the DM as a lead | Take an order or a payment in the chat |
| An AI phone call when the customer agrees, if you switch it on | Reply to a comment that is not a question |

These are scenarios, not customer stories.

## Getting started

1. [Create a workspace](/signup) and verify your mobile number to get ₹100 of Test credit in the separate **Test** environment.
2. Build your Business Details with your price ranges, sizes, delivery and return rules, and approve them.
3. Instagram is switched on per workspace. If it shows as locked, [raise a support ticket](/docs/getting-help#raise-a-support-ticket).
4. Connect the account, pick **Hybrid**, activate a price list template and add your keywords.

Replies on Instagram are part of [Instagram DM automation](/features/instagram). An AI call that follows a chat is billed from your prepaid wallet like any other call: calls of 10 seconds or less are free, longer calls are billed per started minute, and the rate for your workspace is shown in the console. [Talk to sales](/contact) for volume pricing.

## Frequently asked questions

### Should I write the price in the comment or in a DM?

If one price fits everyone, a public reply is fine. If the price changes with size, quantity or city, a DM is better, with a short public note so others see you answered.

### Can a comment that says PRICE get my price list automatically?

Yes. Add a comment rule with the keyword price to a price list template. Any comment containing that word, in any letter case, gets the template as a private message.

### Will followers who only write "nice" get a DM?

No. The AI replies only to comments that ask something, and a keyword rule fires only when the comment contains your keyword.

### Can I reply again to someone who asked last week?

Not through Instagram automation. Meta allows business messages only within 24 hours of the customer's last message, so reach them when they write again, or by phone if they shared a number.

### Does it work for Facebook Page comments too?

Yes. Facebook Pages have the same comment modes and comment rules, and one template can serve both channels.