This is Instagram platform behavior, so it applies to every comment-to-DM tool, including ManyChat. The fixes here are message-structure best practices, not one tool's settings, so they work no matter what you're using.
Classic pattern: your comment-to-DM converts great at first, then conversions fall off a cliff after about 20 people, and when you test it yourself the message lands in the recipient's spam folder or message requests where nobody sees it. This is not a bug in your tool. It's Meta's spam filter doing its job a little too well, and the fix is in how you structure the message, not the automation.
Why it happens
Two things are happening at the same time:
- Non-followers always land in message requests. That's just how Instagram routes DMs from accounts the person doesn't follow. It's the default, not a penalty.
- The same first message with a link, sent to a lot of people, gets pattern-flagged. Meta reads the message text for spam signals. When it sees an identical first message containing a link going out at volume, its spam detection pushes those into the hidden Spam tab. That's why it worked for the first ~20 and then died, the filter caught the pattern.
Keep the link out of your first message. Send a short, conversational opener with a button or reply prompt instead, something like "Want the link? Tap below." When they tap or reply, that interaction opens the conversation, pulls it out of requests into their normal inbox, and your second message with the link lands where they'll actually see it.
The supporting details that matter
- Set your public comment reply to point them there. Something like "just DM'd you, check your message requests" so people know to look.
- Keep the copy human. No all-caps, no emoji walls, no "click here." Meta reads the text for spam signals, so write like a person.
- Vary your message text. Rotate 3 to 5 variations of both the public reply and the DM. Identical text at scale is the single biggest spam signal.
- Add a short delay. Even 30 to 60 seconds between messages reads as more human and less like a broadcast.
- One private reply per comment, period. Meta only allows one. If you re-test on the same comment, only the first send fires, the rest show as "sent" but never deliver.
If your delivery rate is stuck in single digits
If you've done all of the above and you're still seeing something like a 5 percent delivery rate with everything technically correct (inside the window, no tag issues, varied messages), that usually means Meta is silently throttling your page. A handful of early spam reports, or very fast follower growth with a lower-quality audience, can flip a page into restricted-delivery mode with zero notification.
The one place Meta actually tells you: Page Settings, then Page Support Inbox. Block reasons and policy-violation notices land there. Your automation tool can't see Meta's internal flag state on your page, but the Support Inbox will show you the real reason if there is one.
Design for a conversation, not a broadcast
The whole reason this fix works is that Meta rewards real back-and-forth and punishes mass-identical sends. ChatGenius is built around that, conversational openers, an actual AI that responds instead of a one-shot blast, and message variation by default. It's the difference between a tool that fires once and one that holds an actual conversation.
See how ChatGenius works Or start free and try it.Frequently asked questions
Non-followers always land in requests by default, and sending the same first message with a link at volume gets pattern-flagged into the hidden Spam tab. That's why it converts at first then dies after ~20 sends.
Keep the link out of the first message. Send a short opener with a button ("Want the link? Tap below"). The tap opens the conversation, moves it out of requests, and your second message with the link lands in their inbox.
If everything's technically correct and you're at ~5 percent, Meta is likely silently throttling your page. Early spam reports or fast low-quality growth can trigger restricted delivery with no notice.
Page Settings, then Page Support Inbox. That's where block reasons and policy notices land. Your tool can't see it, but Meta shows it there.
No. Meta allows one private reply per comment. Re-testing the same comment only fires once, the rest show "sent" but never deliver.