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Delay the DM by a few seconds

Hold the DM back by up to 300 seconds after a comment: how to set it, what it changes, what it does not, and when to leave it at instant.

Updated

By default a DM goes out the moment Instagram allows it. Delay the DM lets you hold it back by a fixed number of seconds after the comment. It is a small control with a narrow job, and this page is about being honest on what that job is.

Setting it

  1. Open the options
    In the Advanced studio, find Delay the DM under Add-ons (its hint reads “Wait a few seconds before the message sends”). In Simple, open the Settings row at the bottom of More options, which lists delay among the rarely needed settings.
  2. Switch it on and drag the slider
    The slider is labelled Seconds to wait before the DM. It runs from 0 to 300 seconds in steps of 1, and shows “instant” at 0.
  3. Go live
    Press Go live, or Update if the automation already exists. Switching the delay off sets it back to 0.

The default is 0, instant. Existing automations are unchanged until you choose a delay. The delay only exists for comment automations. Story replies, story mentions and DM keywords are conversations that are already open, so the control is not offered there and the server stores 0 for them.

The value must be a whole number of seconds between 0 and 300. Anything else is refused with a message, not rounded, so you never end up with a delay you did not choose.

What it does

  • The DM waits. The message is held in the queue and sent once the time is up. The delay is counted from when the person commented, not from when Dartzo saw it.
  • The public reply does not wait. If you have a public reply, it is posted straight away. The DM follows after the delay.
  • Nothing is lost while it waits. A delayed message is not retried, re-ordered or pushed behind later ones. It is simply not picked up until it is due.
It can land a little after the time you chose
Waiting messages are checked about every 30 seconds. A 10-second delay therefore usually arrives within the next check, not at exactly 10 seconds. Do not use it for anything that needs to the second.

What it does not do

  • It does not change Instagram’s time window. A comment can still be answered for 7 days (Dartzo stops 6 hours short of that). A delay of up to 5 minutes is nowhere near it. See Limits and windows.
  • It does not raise or lower how many DMs can go out per hour. Pacing and the queue work the same way. See How delivery works.
  • It does not make the account safer. Some people like a short wait so that the “check your DMs” reply and the DM do not appear in the same second, and so the exchange feels more like a person typing. We do not claim it changes how Instagram treats your account.
  • It does not delay later steps. It applies to the first message the comment triggers. Follow-ups have their own timing; see Follow-up messages.

When a delay is worth using

SituationSuggestion
A giveaway or launch where people comment for a link and want it nowLeave it at instant
You want the public reply to be seen first, then the DM5 to 20 seconds
A conversational account where an instant reply to every comment feels off10 to 30 seconds
You are testing wording and want a gap between the two messagesShort; you can set it back to 0 at any time

A realistic example: a Jaipur jewellery brand’s Reel says “Comment RING for the price list.” They set a 15-second delay and a public reply that says “On its way ✨”. The comment gets a visible reply immediately; the price list lands in the DMs a few seconds after. Everyone who commented in a busy minute is delayed the same way, so nobody jumps the queue.

Write the public reply for a delay
With a delay on, “Sent!” appears under the comment before the DM exists. Use wording like “On its way!” instead, so it is true at the moment it is posted.
What is the maximum delay?
300 seconds, which is 5 minutes. The slider runs from 0 to 300 in whole seconds, and the server refuses any value outside that range.
Does the delay also hold back the public reply?
No. The public reply on the comment is posted straight away. Only the DM waits for the delay to pass.
Will a delayed DM arrive exactly on time?
Close to it, but not to the second. Waiting messages are checked about every 30 seconds, so a delayed DM can arrive up to roughly half a minute after the time you set.
Can I delay a story reply or a DM keyword automation?
No. Delay is offered for comment automations only. A story reply or DM is part of a conversation that is already open, so those always send at once.
Does a delay stop Instagram from flagging my account?
We do not promise that. A delay changes when your DM arrives, not the rules Instagram applies. If you are worried about volume, the pacing described in Limits and windows is what protects the account.
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