Follow, like, comment and message from your own Instagram account, inside Instagram’s limits, with every reply in the same inbox as LinkedIn, WhatsApp and email.
Up to 50% off lifetime deal, limited seats
Cold DMs land in requests. Busy accounts get flagged.
Instagram is the strictest network there is for outreach: about 100 actions a day, and no more than 10 in any hour, counting follows, likes, comments and messages together. A message to someone who doesn’t follow you sits in their requests, where it may never be seen. And a disabled Instagram account can’t be recovered.
Earn the follow-back, then send the message.
The Instagram engagement ladder template does what a person would: a follow and a couple of likes first, so they’ve seen your name before your message arrives.
- Followed back? The message goes out, at least two hours after the follow-back is noticed, never instantly.
- No follow-back in 5 days? A comment on a recent post first, about the post and not a pitch, then the message 3 days later.
- One followers check covers every lead waiting. The account’s followers are read up to three times a day, not once per lead.
10 actions an hour, on every account, at every level.
Every follow, like, comment and message uses one of the hour’s ten. When they’re used up, the next action waits for the next hour.
- The daily total grows with the account’s health, from 15 at level 0 to 100 at level 5, with its own cap for each kind of action.
- Messages and comments unlock at level 1. A new account starts by viewing profiles, following and liking.
- You can set a lower cap on any action, never a higher one. Replies from the inbox don’t count toward anything.
When Instagram warns, the account rests for 48 hours.
Instagram sometimes shows “We suspect automated behavior on your account.” Accounts often carry on fine, but we treat it as a signal, not noise.
- The account pauses for 48 hours and drops one warm-up level, on its own, without anyone having to notice first.
- The sender page shows Instagram’s exact wording, so you know what the account owner saw.
- Only a manager can resume early, after confirming they accept the risk. Check with the owner or client first.
Instagram DMs in the same inbox as everything else.
Instagram conversations sit in one list with LinkedIn, WhatsApp and email, the channel on each row. Tag them, assign them and answer them as a team.
- A message someone hasn’t accepted yet shows as a Request, so you know they may not have seen it.
- Shared posts and reels show as a card with a link to open them. Reactions, voice notes, photos, videos and Seen all show in the thread.
- A reply on Instagram stops that lead on every channel, and it’s tagged by intent like any other reply.
Connect an account without sharing the password.
The account’s owner signs in on a secure sign-in page and completes any code Instagram asks for. The handle, follower count and inbox history follow within minutes.
- Connecting someone else’s account? Copy the sign-in link and send it to them. It expires after 15 minutes.
- A new account starts at warm-up level 0: viewing profiles, following and liking, 15 actions a day.
- It works in the owner’s working hours, one to four minutes between actions, at random times.
Every Instagram account keeps to 10 actions an hour, and can’t send a message until it has warmed up.
Level 0 views, follows and likes only. Messages and comments unlock at level 1, and the daily total rises from 15 to 100 as the account stays healthy. The first automation warning pauses the account for 48 hours and moves it down a level.
Who uses it
Agencies
Run creator and brand outreach for clients from each client’s own account, connected with a sign-in link, with the hourly limit on every one.
See how they use itFounders
Reach the studios, creators and shop owners who live on Instagram, from your brand’s account, one follow at a time.
See how they use itAvailable on every plan. Each connected account counts as a sender.See pricing
Instagram questions
Can I send cold DMs on Instagram?
Not as a first touch. A new account can’t message at all until it reaches warm-up level 1, and the template that gets replies follows and likes first, then messages once the person follows back. A message to someone who doesn’t follow you arrives as a request, where they may never see it.
How many people can one account reach?
Fewer than on LinkedIn, on purpose. Every account keeps to 10 actions an hour, and its daily total grows from 15 at level 0 to 100 at level 5. Follows, likes, comments and messages all count. In practice an account keeps roughly 40 leads in flight at a time.
What happens if Instagram shows a warning?
The account is paused for 48 hours and drops one warm-up level, and its page shows Instagram’s exact wording. A manager can click Resume anyway, but only do that after checking with the account’s owner. A 48-hour pause costs a couple of days; a disabled account can’t be recovered.
Do I need to record consent before messaging on Instagram?
No. Consent is shown on the lead where it’s known, but it doesn’t block anything on Instagram. The engagement ladder and the hourly limit are what keep the account safe. WhatsApp is different: a new WhatsApp chat always needs a recorded consent.
Can I connect a client’s Instagram account?
Yes, if they agree. Click Copy sign-in link and send it to them. They sign in themselves on a secure page and complete any code Instagram asks for, so you never see the password. The link expires after 15 minutes.
Is automating Instagram against its terms?
It can be, and the account’s owner carries the risk of a warning or restriction. That’s why volume is low by design and why we stop on the first warning. GrowthxAI Outreach is not affiliated with Instagram or Meta. Only connect accounts whose owners have agreed.
Do replies I send from the inbox count toward the limits?
No. Replying to people who write to you is safe at any volume, just as it is in the app, so replies from the inbox never count toward any limit.