Frequently asked questions about Instagram DM automation

No, not when you use Meta's official Messaging API, which is what it was built for. What Instagram prohibits is automating a personal login, scraping, and unsolicited mass-DMing. Castor uses the sanctioned API, connects through Meta's own consent screen, and replies only to people who message you first, so it stays inside the rules.

Bans typically come from unofficial tools that log in as you, blast cold DMs, or scrape data. Castor does none of that. It works through the official API, respects Instagram's 24-hour messaging window, keeps within rate limits, and escalates edge cases to a human instead of spamming. Used this way, automation does not put your account at risk.

Yes. Your access tokens are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM before they ever touch our database, and Castor requests only the minimum permissions each agent needs. You connect on Meta's screen, so we never see your password, and you can disconnect in one click at any time.

No. The DM agent only replies to people who message you, and posting only happens with the permissions you explicitly grant during setup. You stay in control of what the agent is allowed to do.

It escalates instead of guessing. You set the rules for what should always reach a person, high-value orders, complaints, anything off-script, and the agent hands those off cleanly. It's designed to say “let me get a human” rather than invent an answer.

The underlying model handles many languages, including mixed-language and romanized messages that are common in DMs. You set how you want it to sound during setup, and it replies in kind.

Instagram Business or Creator accounts linked to a Facebook Page, plus Facebook Pages themselves. Personal Instagram accounts can't use the API; Castor detects this and walks you through switching, which is free and takes a minute.

Both. Castor replies to the DMs your customers send, and it can also respond to public comments on your Instagram and Facebook posts, the same on-brand answers, in the open, where other buyers see them. It can quietly hide obvious spam too, so your comment sections stay clean without you refreshing the app.

Yes, it's live today. The same agent answers WhatsApp Business chats alongside your Instagram and Facebook inbox, connected the same way, official login, no API keys.

Castor connects to Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp today through official login, with more connections on the roadmap. See the integrations page for what's available now and how to request one.

There's a Free plan so you can see it work on your own account, a Starter plan at $49/month for live, continuous DM replies, and a Growth plan at $99/month with more conversations, unlimited products, and team members. No setup fees.

Because it does the repetitive work of an inbox hire that would cost many times more, around the clock, without managing a person. You get instant replies, order capture, and content, for roughly the price of a few missed orders.

Yes. There's no lock-in and no long-term contract. You can cancel whenever you like, and you can disconnect your account in one click.

It can still pay for itself, because the DMs you'd otherwise miss, especially overnight and on weekends, are often your highest-intent buyers. And you can start on the Free plan to see the value before paying.

About five minutes: answer a few plain-language questions, connect your account with one click, and switch the agent on. No code, no API keys. See the step-by-step guide for the full walkthrough.

None. If you can answer questions in a chat and click an “Accept” button, you can set up Castor. The OAuth, encryption, and messaging-window rules are all handled for you.

Yes, and we recommend it for the first week. You can read the replies it sends, adjust the tone or the information it answers from, and tighten your escalation rules any time.