> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usereplier.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Reply to direct messages and add photos

> Set up Instagram and Facebook message triggers, photo cards, and crops.

## Reply to incoming messages

1. Create an automation and choose the message trigger for a connected Instagram account or Facebook Page.
2. Choose specific keywords or any message. Keywords match substrings without regard to capitalization; keyword automations take priority over the any-message fallback.
3. Write the reply, add optional buttons, preview, and activate. Test by sending a new text message from another account.

A message trigger does not send a public comment reply. Story replies use [story targets](/guides/instagram-stories). Empty, unsupported, and your own messages do not trigger a reply. Overlapping keyword triggers and duplicate any-message fallbacks on the same account can prevent activation; adjust the conflicting automation.

Replies still depend on the messaging window, connection permissions, and workspace allowance. Replier may mark a conversation as seen and show a typing indicator while sending. These indicators are automatic, are not guaranteed to appear, and do not add an artificial typing delay. Initial private replies to comments do not use these indicators.

## Add a photo to a reply

You can also add a photo to comment and story automations.

1. Upload one JPEG or PNG, up to 8 MiB, in the message editor.
2. Shorten the message to a required card title of 1–80 characters. A photo card can have up to three buttons.
3. Adjust the crop and zoom. Instagram uses a square crop; Facebook uses a wide 1.91:1 crop. For both channels, review each crop before applying.
4. Preview and save. Use **Adjust crop** to change the framing later.

Canceling the crop dialog leaves the current draft photo intact. If you add a channel later, adjust its crop too; otherwise it may use the original image.

Instagram photo cards are intended for the mobile app; desktop rendering is not supported. Check the received card on a phone. Text-only replies allow up to 640 characters; Instagram text without buttons must also fit within 1,000 UTF-8 bytes, so some languages reach the limit sooner.