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 a couple dozen people, and when you test it yourself the message lands in the recipient's spam folder or message requests where nobody sees it. It's usually 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 doesn't publish how its filter works, but in our experience an identical first message with a link, sent at volume, starts getting pushed into the hidden Spam folder. That's why it can work for the first couple dozen and then die.
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." Meta only lets you send one private reply until they respond anyway. When they tap or reply, that interaction opens the conversation, usually moves 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 one of the most common spam signals we see.
- 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. Meta rejects the rest with an error, even if your tool shows them as "sent".
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), Meta may be silently throttling your page. In our experience a handful of early spam reports, or very fast follower growth with a lower-quality audience, can get a page's messages limited with no notification.
Where Meta actually tells you: on Facebook, Settings, then Support Inbox; on Instagram, Settings, then Account Status; Pages also have Page Quality. 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
This fix works because a real back-and-forth looks nothing like the same message fired at hundreds of people. ChatGenius is set up for the back-and-forth: a short first message with a button, up to 5 message variations that rotate automatically (or an AI-written DM for each comment), and an AI that keeps answering when they reply.
Start free Free plan, no card needed. Or see how ChatGenius works.Frequently asked questions
Non-followers land in requests by default, and sending the same first message with a link at volume often gets pattern-flagged into the hidden Spam folder. That's why it can convert at first and then die after a couple dozen sends.
Keep the link out of the first message. Send a short opener with a button ("Want the link? Tap below"). Meta only lets you send one private reply until they respond anyway. Their tap or reply usually moves the chat out of requests, and your second message with the link lands where they'll see it.
If everything's technically correct and you're at ~5 percent, Meta may be throttling your page without telling you. Early spam reports or fast low-quality growth are common suspects.
On Facebook, Settings, then Support Inbox. On Instagram, Settings, then Account Status. Pages also have Page Quality. Your tool can't see Meta's internal flags, but block reasons and policy notices show up there when Meta has issued one.
No. Meta allows one private reply per comment and rejects any repeat with an error. Some tools still show those repeats as "sent", but they never deliver.