Use case
The link waits for a follow.
On Pro and above, a rule can ask the person to follow you before it sends the link.
3 minute read
How the gate runs
The person comments the keyword. DripDM asks them to follow. After they follow and reply DONE, DripDM checks the follow and can send the link.
Use the gate on offers that are worth a follow. A casual link does not need it.
What stays free
Comment, story, and keyword DM rules run on the free plan without the gate.
The gate is a Pro feature. Pro is $9 a month.
Explain the follow step and the DONE reply
Reserve a follow gate for a resource that warrants the extra step, such as a creator toolkit. The gate message should tell the recipient what to follow and ask them to reply DONE afterward. DripDM checks following when that reply arrives; this is not an invisible guarantee that every new follow immediately triggers delivery. Configure the success message with the promised resource and the still-not-following message with a polite explanation. Test both outcomes before announcing the offer.
Existing followers and new followers should both understand how to finish the interaction. Do not hide the requirement until after a long lead form, and do not use the gate to withhold essential customer support. A follow does not authorize cold outreach or restart a messaging window. If the flow fails, inspect the inbound DONE event and account permissions. Measure completed gates and actual link interest without promising a particular follower increase.
Prepare a test before asking your audience
Connect an eligible professional Instagram account through Meta login, or a Facebook Page on Pro or above. Select the intended account before editing a rule. Confirm the destination opens on a phone and that the offer matches what the caption promises. Use a second, eligible account for a real trigger test; an editor preview cannot prove provider delivery.
Inspect the public reply, private message, and destination separately. A successful public reply does not prove that the DM was delivered. Keep a record of the test time and inspect activity when something fails. Check permissions and rule scope before repeatedly triggering the same recipient. Disable a stale campaign rather than leaving an expired offer running.
Capacity, permissions, and realistic outcomes
Free includes one account, 1,000 DMs per month, 100 contacts, and 10 captured leads. Pro is $9 per month for three accounts and adds the follow gate, one follow-up nudge, scheduling, product cards, older-comment replay, and Facebook Pages. Growth is $14 for three accounts with 1,000 monthly AI credits. Business is $29 for ten accounts, five seats, and 2,500 AI credits. Paid messaging, contact, and lead quotas are uncapped in the plan configuration; Meta restrictions still apply. Sheets is a Business entitlement and needs provider authorization. Direct Meta Ads audience export is disabled, including on Business.
A comment can qualify for one private reply, subject to Meta eligibility and time limits. It does not itself open a general 24-hour conversation window. The recipient must reply before ordinary follow-up messaging can use that window. A link click or a new follow is not a substitute for an inbound message. Delivery also depends on account permissions, token health, recipient settings, and provider rate limits.
Questions
No. The growth gate is on Pro, Growth, and Business.
The recipient follows and replies DONE. DripDM checks at that reply, rather than promising delivery from a follow event alone.
Check the actual trigger, delivery activity, recipient reply, and destination separately. A scan, queued job, or link tap is not a completed sale. Use your booking or checkout system to confirm the final outcome.