# DM automations

> Let the AI reply to, draft, sort, and assign direct messages for each connected account.

Source: https://brandwise.ai/help/dms/dm-automations
Last updated: 2026-09-30

DM automations decide what happens when a new direct message arrives: an AI reply, a draft for your team, an assignment, and more. You set them up separately for each Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp account.

## Open DM automations

1. Go to **AI Assistant > Automation > Socials**.
2. Pick the account in the sidebar.
3. Click the **Direct Messages** tab. WhatsApp accounts only have this tab.

Owners and members with the **Manage connected pages** permission can change these settings.

## Choose which DMs to automate

Each account has a card per group of messages:

| Card | Applies to |
|---|---|
| **General DM Automation** | Every direct message |
| **Needs Reply DMs** | Only DMs the AI identifies as needing a reply |
| One card per DM Smart Label | DMs with that [Smart Label](https://brandwise.ai/help/ai-knowledge-base/smart-labels) |

Actions on **General DM Automation** also apply to the other cards and show there as **From all**. Turn a card's switch off to pause everything on it.

## Add an action

1. On a card, click **Add action**.
2. Pick the action.

Changes save as you make them. To remove an action, click the X on it.

| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Auto Reply** | Sends an AI reply |
| **Auto Draft** | Writes an AI reply for your team to review in the inbox |
| **Assign to team** | Assigns the DM to the teammate you pick (Smart Label cards only) |
| **Archive Conversation** | Moves the conversation to Archived |
| **Mark as Read** | Marks the conversation as read |
| **Block User** | Blocks the sender (Facebook only) |

A card can't have both **Auto Reply** and **Auto Draft**, and **Block User** can't be combined with either of them.

> **Tip:** Start with **Auto Draft** while you check the AI's answers, then switch to **Auto Reply** once you're happy with them.

## Good to know

- AI replies and drafts use your [knowledge base](https://brandwise.ai/help/ai-knowledge-base/knowledge-base) and [AI credits](https://brandwise.ai/help/account-billing/ai-credits). With no credits left, AI replies are skipped.
- On WhatsApp, automatic replies only go out within 24 hours of the customer's last message.
- What happens when the AI isn't confident, and how long it waits before replying, are set in **Global Settings**. See [Settings for all automations](https://brandwise.ai/help/ai-knowledge-base/automation-settings).