Instagram Message Requests Explained for Businesses

Plenty of small business owners discover their message requests folder months late — and find dozens of unanswered “kitne ka hai?” and “Delhi delivery hai?” messages sitting there. If you sell on Instagram, the Requests folder isn't a spam bin. For many accounts it is where most new customers first say hello.

Here's why messages end up there, how a business should handle them, and what automation can and cannot do about it.

Why a DM lands in Requests

Instagram separates messages from people you already have a connection with from messages sent by people you don't. In broad terms, when someone who you don't follow messages you for the first time, it shows up as a message request rather than in your main inbox. Professional accounts also have Primary and General tabs to sort ongoing chats.

The same thing happens in the other direction. When your business DMs a commenter who doesn't follow you — for example, through a comment-to-DM automation — your message may land in their Requests folder.

Instagram adjusts how it filters and sorts messages from time to time, and some filters (such as hiding messages that look offensive or spammy) can be changed in your settings. For the exact current behaviour on your account, check Instagram's Help Centre and your own message settings.

Your side: handling requests you receive

Check Requests every working day

Treat Requests like a shop door. Someone walking in for the first time is exactly the person you want to talk to. Make it part of the morning routine: open Primary, General and Requests, not just Primary.

Accept the real ones, quickly

Accepting a request moves the chat into your inbox. The person usually can't tell whether you've seen their message until you accept or reply, so a fast reply makes a big difference to how professional you look.

Delete or restrict the obvious junk

Fake “collab” offers, crypto pitches and follower-selling messages are common. Delete them, and block or report accounts that keep coming back. Don't click links from strangers claiming to be “Instagram support” — Instagram does not contact you that way about your account.

Use filters carefully

Instagram lets you hide requests that contain certain words. That's useful for abuse, but don't add business words like “price” or “offer” to the hidden list — you will hide your own customers.

Their side: making sure your DMs get seen

If you use comment-to-DM, many commenters won't be followers yet, so your reply may wait in their Requests. A few small habits fix most of this:

• Mention it in the public reply. “DM bheja hai 📩 Requests mein check karo” — a short line under their comment tells them exactly where to look.
• Mention it in the caption or on screen. “Comment GUIDE — the PDF comes in your DMs (check Requests).”
• Make the first line of the DM clear. In the request preview people see who it's from and the start of the message. “Here's the price list you asked for on our reel” is more likely to be opened than “Hi 👋”.
• Use a follow step only when it makes sense. Asking people to follow before you send the link (a follow gate) can help future DMs reach their main inbox — but it adds friction, so use it for freebies, not for someone who just wants a price.

What automation can do with requests

Automation tools that use the official Instagram API receive incoming messages through the API, so a first DM from a new person can trigger an automated reply even if, in your app, it appears as a request. In JaldiDM, a “first DM” automation can greet new people and answer common questions straight away:

“Hi, thanks for messaging Meera Jewels! Tap a button: Price list · Delivery details · Talk to us.”

Behaviour around requests can differ by account and change over time, so after you set this up, send a test message from a friend's account that doesn't follow you and see what happens.

What automation can't do

• It can't move your message out of their Requests. Where your DM appears on the other person's phone is decided by Instagram and their settings.
• It can't message people who never contacted you. No cold DMs. Official tools only reply to people who commented on your posts or messaged you first.
• It shouldn't handle everything. A request saying “my order hasn't come in 10 days” needs a person. Route complaints, refunds and price negotiations to your team.

A simple routine for a small team

1. Automation replies instantly to first DMs and keyword comments.
2. Twice a day, someone opens the shared inbox and handles anything the automation passed on or couldn't answer.
3. Once a day, someone scans Requests in the app for junk and blocks repeat offenders.
4. Phone numbers from interested leads go to the sales person for a call or WhatsApp.

For ready-to-use first-DM wording, see our DM automation templates. If you're setting up comment-to-DM for the first time, also read how private replies work and what a DM automation tool does.

Bottom line

Requests are where new customers knock. Check them daily, answer the first message fast, and tell commenters where your reply will land. Automation makes the first answer instant; your team handles the rest. You can try JaldiDM free for 7 days and test it with a friend's account before going live.