How do I set up BetterReply?
Updated July 31, 2026
Four steps, about ten minutes. Connect a channel, write one keyword, watch it run, then teach it how you talk. There is no chatbot diagram to build, and nothing goes out to anyone until you set a keyword live yourself.
Step 1: Connect a channel
Everything else needs an account connected, so start at Channels in the sidebar.
Pick a platform, sign in on that platform’s own screen, and you land back on Channels with the account listed. It takes under a minute, and your password never touches BetterReply.
What you get per platform:
- Instagram and Facebook— comments and DMs in your inbox, keyword replies that post a comment and send a DM, and posting for reels, carousels, and images.
- YouTube— comments in your inbox, keyword replies that post as a comment, and Shorts posting.
- Threads— comments, keyword comment replies, and posting.
- LinkedIn company page— comments, keyword comment replies, and posts as your page.
- LinkedIn personal profile— your personal DMs in the inbox, and keyword replies that send a DM. Pro plan.
- TikTok— posting only. TikTok keeps its comment and DM API closed to a short list of partners, so keyword replies and inbox do not work there for anyone outside that list.
- Email— Gmail and Outlook in the same inbox. Pro plan.
Start with whichever account gets you the most comments. The trial covers three social accounts for seven days.
Several accounts on one platform
Step 2: Write your first keyword
A keyword is the whole automation. Someone comments a word on your post, your account replies to them in public, and the link lands in their DMs.
Go to Keywords and hit New keyword link. Five fields:
- 1Accounts— which connected accounts it runs on. Leave it across all of them or pin it to one.
- 2When someone comments…— the word itself. GUIDE, LINK, whatever you say in the caption. Capitals do not matter.
- 3Reply on the comment— what your account posts publicly underneath their comment. Something like “Sent! Check your DMs 🤝”.
- 4…and DM them this— the message and the link they get.
- 5AI replies— off to start. Turn it on and each reply gets written fresh in your tone instead of repeating one canned line.
Hit Go live and it is running.
Instagram and Facebook get both halves: your account answers the comment publicly and DMs them the link. YouTube, Threads, and LinkedIn pages have no DM to send, so your message posts as the reply under the comment and the link goes there instead.
Step 3: Watch it work
Every keyword row has a See it work button. It plays the whole thing on screen with your real keyword and your real message, so you see what a commenter sees before anyone has commented.
One thing trips people up here. Do not test it by commenting your own keyword on your own post. Your own account is skipped deliberately so it can never reply to itself, so nothing happens and it looks broken when it is fine. Get a friend to comment, or use See it work.
Step 4: Teach it how you talk
Open Settings, then AI voice. The box at the top is where you paste a handful of replies you have actually written, or just describe your tone. Short and warm, heavy on emojis, allergic to corporate-speak, whatever is true for you.
That is what the AI writes from. Open any conversation in the inbox, hit AI assist in the composer, and it drafts that reply in your voice. You press the button when you want a draft.
Once you have sent a few replies of your own, a What it’s learned panel appears in the same place with the profile built from them. It keeps updating as you keep replying.
Optional: schedule your first post
If you are using the posting side, go to Create, write the post once, tick the accounts it goes to, and pick a time. Each platform gets the right format. Calendar shows the queue, and you can drag a post to move it.
Put it on your phone
Add BetterReply to your home screen and your phone buzzes when a comment or DM lands. That takes about another minute: how to get notifications on your phone.
If something is not working
Frequently asked questions
How long does setup take?+
About ten minutes. Connecting a channel takes under a minute, writing your first keyword takes two or three, and the rest is polish you can come back to later.
Do I have to build a chatbot diagram?+
No. A keyword is one screen with five fields: which accounts it runs on, the word to watch for, the public reply, the DM, and a switch for AI replies. There is no builder canvas and nothing to wire together.
Will my audience know the reply was automated?+
Only if you want them to. The Account section of Settings has a switch that adds an automated-reply disclosure to what your account sends, and it is yours to turn on or leave off.
Can I connect more than one account on the same platform?+
Yes. Several Instagram accounts, several YouTube channels, up to what your plan allows. Each one connects separately and runs its own keywords, so a personal account and a brand account never share settings.
What happens on YouTube, where there are no DMs?+
YouTube has no DM API for anyone, so your keyword message posts as the public reply under the comment and the link goes there instead. Threads and LinkedIn pages work the same way. Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn personal profiles send a real DM.
Does anything send before I am ready?+
No. A keyword only fires after you hit Go live, and AI replies to ordinary comments stay off until you switch them on.
Still need help?
Email us at support@betterreply.com and tell us what you are stuck on, or open the Support page inside BetterReply. We’ll take a look with you.