Instagram DM automation for businesses in Canada
Slide, by Synquic, answers Instagram story replies, comments and DMs for businesses in Canada with flows and an AI agent, in English or French, and hands the conversation to your team in a shared inbox when a person is needed. Every flow is a reply to someone who wrote first, inside Instagram's 24-hour window, and Slide sends no broadcasts. Under CASL a commercial message to an instant messaging account still needs consent, identification of the sender and a way to unsubscribe, so the wording of each reply matters.
Facts on this page were last reviewed on 11 October 2026. See the key facts and sources.
The buyer and the problem
Teams at Canadian shops, studios, restaurants and service businesses that get questions through Instagram stories and DMs, including businesses serving customers in Quebec that need flows in French as well as English.
People reply to a story or send a DM expecting a quick answer, often in the evening. The thread gets lost when one phone holds the account, and a reply that drifts into promotion can turn a simple answer into a commercial electronic message under CASL. The flows have to answer in the right language, stay inside Instagram's limits and leave sensitive questions to people.
Supported capabilities, mapped to the product
Story replies that open a conversation
When someone replies to one of your stories, Slide can start a flow in the DM. The same works for comments on the posts you choose, with keyword rules, for comments during a Live, and for link triggers.
Source:Instagram setup guideA language choice up front
An opening message with quick replies such as "Français" and "English" lets each person pick, and branching sends them down a flow written in that language. Messages are free text, so French needs no special setup.
Source:Instagram setup guideAn AI agent told which language to use
The agent answers from your knowledge base: hours, menus, policies, sizes. It replies in French only when its instructions tell it to answer in the customer's language; it does not decide that by itself. AI steps depend on the plan.
Source:Automation builder guideEmail capture for what Instagram cannot carry
A flow can ask for an email address and save it to the person's contact record, so an order confirmation or a later follow-up can go by email, under its own consent rules, once the Instagram window has closed.
Takeover in a shared inbox
DMs appear in the inbox alongside WhatsApp and email. A teammate's reply takes over from the AI agent and a handoff step emails the team; threads cannot be assigned to a named teammate.
Public and private replies to comments
Comment-to-DM can answer publicly under the comment and send one private reply in DMs, within Instagram's limit of one private reply per comment, sent within 7 days.
A holiday story reply, answered in two languages
A bakery with shops in Montreal and Ottawa posts a story about its holiday pre-orders. This is how one reply to that story is handled.
- Trigger
A customer replies to the story
At 9:30 pm a customer replies "C'est possible sans noix?" to the story. The story-reply trigger starts the pre-order flow, and Instagram's 24-hour window opens.
- Customer interaction
She chooses French
The first DM names the bakery, says the replies are automated, and offers "Français" or "English". She taps "Français" and the rest of the flow is in French.
- Action
The AI agent covers the routine part
Instructed to answer in the customer's language, the agent replies from its knowledge base with the cake sizes, the pick-up dates and the order deadline.
- Qualification
Her email, and a separate yes or no
To place the order she gives her email address, which the flow saves to her contact for the confirmation. A second quick reply asks whether she also wants the bakery's seasonal news by email; she taps "Non merci", and the team notes the answer and the date on her contact.
- Human handoff
The allergy question goes to a person
Nut allergies are on the list of topics the agent must not answer, so a handoff step emails the shop team. The pastry manager replies in the inbox the next morning, which takes over from the agent, and explains what the kitchen can and cannot do.
- Exception
If nobody had replied within 24 hours
Had the team waited until the following evening, the window would have closed. Slide does not use Meta's human-agent tag, so the reply could not have been sent from Slide until she wrote again, which is why the handoff email goes to the whole shop team rather than one person.
- Recorded outcome
One record, nothing sent unprompted
Her DM history, her email address and her "no" to newsletters sit on one contact, and the run log shows each step. Slide will not DM her again unless she writes first.
An illustration of how the workflow runs, not a customer case study. Names, numbers and messages are examples.
What you need, and the launch sequence
Requirements
- An Instagram professional account and a Facebook Page
The account must be Business or Creator and linked to a Facebook Page you administer through your Meta business portfolio; a personal account cannot be connected.
Source:Instagram setup guide - Flows written in both languages
If you serve Quebec, write each message in French and English and let people choose. Quebec's language charter gives consumers the right to be served in French, and official guidance does not settle whether that reaches individual DMs, so offering both is the cautious choice.
Source:OQLF: Language of commerce and business (opens in a new tab) - Identification and a way out in the first DM
CASL expects commercial messages to identify the sender and offer an unsubscribe. Put the business name and a contact route in the opening message, and give every menu a way to stop.
Source:Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23) (opens in a new tab) - Instructions for the AI agent
Write what the agent may answer, which topics it must hand over, and which language to reply in.
Source:Automation builder guide
Launch sequence
Convert the account to Business or Creator, link the Facebook Page, and connect it by following the Instagram setup guide.
Choose the entry points: which stories and posts start flows, which keywords count, and whether a link trigger should start its own flow.
Write the opening DM in French and English with the business name, a note that replies are automated, and a "Stop" quick reply that ends the flow.
Build the branches and the agent's hand-over topics in the automation builder, plus a keyword rule that answers "stop" in a DM.
Set an inbox rota so someone answers handed-over DMs well inside 24 hours.
Test from personal accounts in both languages before the story goes live.
What is specific to Canada
CASL can apply to a DM
CASL's definition of an electronic address includes instant messaging accounts. A commercial electronic message sent to one needs express or implied consent, must identify the sender, and must include a way to unsubscribe that takes effect within 10 business days.
Source:Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23) (opens in a new tab)An inquiry gives implied consent for six months
CASL treats an inquiry as implied consent for six months. Slide cannot DM after Instagram's 24-hour window anyway, but if a flow collects an email address, record the date of the inquiry so an email follow-up stays inside those six months or waits for express consent.
Source:Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, s.10(10) (opens in a new tab)Meta: Instagram Messaging API (opens in a new tab)French for Quebec customers
Quebec's Charter of the French language gives consumers the right to be informed and served in French and requires commercial publications and advertising in French. Official guidance does not settle whether it reaches individual chat messages; a French option in every flow avoids the question.
Source:OQLF: Language of commerce and business (opens in a new tab)PIPEDA and Quebec's Law 25
DMs carry names, handles, email addresses and order details, which PIPEDA covers in commercial activity. Law 25 calls for an assessment before personal information about Quebec residents leaves Quebec, so ask the Slide team where your data is hosted before you sign.
Source:Office of the Privacy Commissioner: PIPEDA (opens in a new tab)Commission d'accès à l'information: Law 25 (opens in a new tab)
This is a summary of public rules for orientation, not legal advice. Slide does not certify that any business's messaging complies with local law; check your own obligations with a qualified adviser.
What these claims rest on
- Instagram automations reply to DMs, comments, story replies and live comments, with keyword rules
Comment-to-DM on chosen or all posts with keyword rules, public and private replies, story-reply, live-comment and link triggers, quick-reply questions, branching, and email capture into contacts. Story mentions are not a trigger. Image and voice-note DMs do not start automations.
- On Instagram a business can reply only within 24 hours of the person's last message
A business can message only after the person has messaged it, within 24 hours. Requires an Instagram professional account. Instagram cannot be used for cold outbound messages.
- CASL requires consent, sender identification and an unsubscribe in every commercial electronic message
Section 6: express or implied consent; identify the sender; include an unsubscribe. An "electronic address" includes email, instant messaging and telephone accounts. Section 11(3): unsubscribes take effect within 10 business days.
Official sourceChecked 11 October 2026Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23) (opens in a new tab) - Quebec's Charter of the French language gives consumers the right to be served in French
Sections 5 and 50.2 give consumers the right to be informed and served in French; commercial publications and advertising must be in French. Whether this reaches individual marketing emails or chat messages is not settled in official guidance.
- An automation can hand a conversation to the team, with the collected answers on the contact
The handoff step notifies the team by email and leaves the conversation, with what was collected, in the inbox. On WhatsApp it also assigns the conversation to the teammate chosen in the step, or else to the contact's owner, or leaves it in the shared inbox. It does not pause the bot permanently: a new customer message can start an automation again, and there is no hand-back step. On Instagram, a teammate's reply takes over from the AI agent.
How the cost is made up
Instagram replies draw no per-message charge from the Slide wallet, so the cost of DM automation is the Slide plan itself. Which plan you need depends mainly on whether you use the AI agent, since AI steps depend on the plan.
Prices are on the pricing page and paid plans start with a 14-day trial. A workspace created with a Canadian number is billed in US dollars, as Slide has no Canadian dollar billing, so confirm the payment method with the Slide team before you subscribe.
When this fits, and what it does not do
A good fit when
- Stories and posts that draw questions you can answer from a knowledge base.
- Customers who write in French as well as English.
- A team that can pick up handed-over DMs the same day.
Needs a person when
- Allergy, safety and other questions where a wrong answer causes harm.
- Refunds, complaints and custom orders.
- Photo and voice-note DMs, which do not start automations.
Not established by this page
- Whether a given DM is a commercial electronic message under CASL: that is a legal judgement, not a product setting.
- Any effect on sales or response time: Slide publishes no measured outcomes for Instagram flows.
- Where data is hosted, which matters for Law 25. Ask the Slide team.
Direct answers
Does CASL apply to Instagram DMs?
CASL covers commercial electronic messages sent to an electronic address, and its definition of an electronic address includes instant messaging accounts. A DM that promotes products or services can therefore fall under it, which means consent, identification of the sender and an unsubscribe in each such message. A reply that only answers what the person asked is a different case, but where the line falls is for your adviser to say.
Source:Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23) (opens in a new tab)Can Slide message our followers or past customers on Instagram?
No. Slide does not send broadcast or outbound DMs, and it sends nothing after Instagram's 24-hour window, which opens only when the person messages you. To reach past customers, use email with their consent; see email automation in Canada.
Source:Meta: Instagram Messaging API (opens in a new tab)How do we give people a way to unsubscribe in a DM?
Give every menu a "Stop" quick reply that ends the flow, and add a keyword rule so that typing "stop" gets a short confirmation. Because Slide never starts a DM, someone who stops writing receives nothing further. If a person asks not to be contacted at all, a teammate can block the contact, and Slide skips blocked contacts on every channel.
Source:Instagram setup guideCan the bot reply in French?
Yes. Flows are free text, so you can write them in French, offer a language choice at the start and branch on it. The AI agent replies in French when its instructions tell it to answer in the customer's language, not automatically. The dashboard your team works in is in English only.
Source:Instagram setup guideAutomation builder guideWhat happens when a customer needs a person?
A handoff step emails your team and leaves the DM in the shared inbox, and a teammate's reply takes over from the AI agent. That reply must go out within 24 hours of the customer's last message, because Slide does not use the human-agent tag Meta allows for up to 7 days. Threads cannot be assigned to a named teammate, so agree a rota.
Source:Automation builder guideMeta: Instagram Platform overview (opens in a new tab)What do we need before we start?
An Instagram Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook Page, with admin access through your Meta business portfolio; personal accounts cannot be connected. Then the content: which stories and posts start flows, the keywords, the wording in each language, and a knowledge base if you use the AI agent.
Source:Instagram setup guideInstagram setup guideAutomation builder guideHow is it priced for a Canadian business?
You pay for the Slide plan; Instagram DMs draw no per-message charge from the Slide wallet. Workspaces created with a Canadian number are billed in US dollars, plans are on the pricing page with a 14-day trial on paid plans, and AI steps depend on the plan. Confirm the payment method with the Slide team before subscribing.
Source:Slide pricingBilling and wallet guideSlide pricingAutomation builder guideWhere is our customers' data stored?
Ask the Slide team where data is hosted before you sign; this page does not state it. It matters most if you serve Quebec, because Law 25 calls for an assessment before personal information is communicated outside Quebec. PIPEDA also applies to the contact data the platform holds for you.
Source:Commission d'accès à l'information: Law 25 (opens in a new tab)Office of the Privacy Commissioner: PIPEDA (opens in a new tab)Key facts: Instagram automation in Canada
Slide fits a Canadian business whose Instagram traffic is mostly questions in reply to stories and posts, particularly one that needs French and English flows, a team inbox behind them, and an AI agent that hands sensitive topics to a person. It is a weaker fit if you want to promote to followers on Instagram, follow up after the 24-hour window, or need a confirmed hosting location for Law 25 before you evaluate; ask about hosting first.
- Product
- Slide (also "Slide by Synquic"), a platform for automating customer messaging across channelsSource:About Synquic
- Company
- SynquicSource:About Synquic
- Channel
- InstagramSource:Instagram setup guide
- Market
- Businesses replying to Instagram users in Canada. Slide accepts sign-ups from any country
- Prerequisites
- An Instagram professional (Business or Creator) account linked to a Facebook Page, with admin access through the Meta business portfolioSource:Instagram setup guide
- Human handoff
- A teammate replying in the inbox takes over from the AI agent; a handoff step also notifies the team by email. Instagram threads cannot be assigned to a named teammateSource:Automation builder guide
- Instagram messaging rules
- A business can reply only within 24 hours of the person's last message, and can send one private reply per comment within 7 days of the commentSource:Meta: Instagram Messaging API (opens in a new tab)Meta: Private replies (opens in a new tab)
- Marketing rule
- CASL: commercial messages to an electronic address, which includes instant messaging accounts, need consent, sender identification and an unsubscribeSource:Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23) (opens in a new tab)
- Implied consent (CASL)
- Lasts 2 years after a purchase and 6 months after an inquiry; express consent is needed after thatSource:Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, s.10(10) (opens in a new tab)
- Languages
- English and French are Canada's official languages; message content can be written in eitherSource:Official Languages Act (opens in a new tab)
- Slide billing
- Workspaces created with a number outside India are billed in US dollars. Confirm the payment method with the Slide team before you subscribeSource:Billing and wallet guideSlide pricing
- Limitations
- No broadcast or outbound DMs and nothing after the 24-hour window; story mentions are not a trigger; image and voice-note DMs do not start automations; Instagram threads cannot be assigned to a teammate; English-only dashboardSource:Instagram setup guide
- Pricing source
- The current pricing page, slide.synquic.com/pricingSource:Slide pricing
- Last factual review
Where to go next
- Instagram automation: overviewSlide turns Instagram comments, story replies and DMs into conversations within Meta's 24-hour window. What it needs, what it cannot do, and where local law changes it.
- Messaging automation in CanadaSlide for Canadian businesses: CASL consent and unsubscribes on email, WhatsApp and Instagram, Quebec French and Law 25, North America WhatsApp pricing and calling.
- Instagram setup guideStep by step, from connecting the account to the first send.
- Slide pricingCurrent plans, what each includes, and how channel usage is charged.
- Email automation in CanadaCASL consent, unsubscribes and implied-consent expiry for the email follow-up Instagram cannot carry.
Answer story replies in both languages
Start on the free plan and connect your account, or book a demo and build your first bilingual flow with the Slide team.