Glossary
Keyword trigger
A keyword trigger is the word or short phrase that makes an automation respond, for example GUIDE or LINK in a comment. When a comment or message contains the keyword, the tool sends the prepared reply, and other comments are left alone. Good keywords are short, easy to type on a phone and unlikely to show up in everyday comments.
How matching usually works
Most tools ignore capital letters, so guide, Guide and GUIDE all count. Elevion matches the keyword as a whole word inside the comment, so "guide please" fires while "guidelines" does not. Adding a few spelling variants or a translation of the keyword catches typos and comments in other languages.
Choosing a keyword
A keyword that is also a common word, like YES or LOVE, fires on comments that were never requests. A specific word, such as the name of the freebie, keeps accidental matches low. The caption should state the keyword exactly, for example "Comment GUIDE and I'll send it to you". Elevion's free comment keyword checker tests a keyword against everyday comments before you post.
Keyword triggers beyond comments
The same idea works for story replies, Live comments and direct messages. When the person writes a DM or replies to a story, they message first, which opens the 24-hour messaging window. The answer is then a regular message rather than a private reply, so it can carry buttons and be followed by more messages.
For how this fits into the whole flow from comment to DM, read How comment-to-DM automation works.
Sources
- Meta for Developers: Send a Private Reply to a Commenter
- Meta for Developers: Webhook notification examples
Checked against Meta's documentation on 2026-10-20. Meta changes its rules from time to time, so its pages are the final word.
