Instagram Direct Message Sender

Introduction

This Apify actor enables you to automatically send personalized direct messages on Instagram. Ideal for brands, content creators, and social media managers aiming to engage their audience with minimal manual effort.

Prerequisites

• An active Instagram account
• The Export Cookie JSON file for Puppeteer browser extension
• A basic understanding of JSON for configuring the actor’s input

Installation & Setup

1. Install the Cookie Exporter

   • Add the Export Cookie JSON file for Puppeteer extension to Chrome or Firefox.
   • Log into Instagram in your browser.

2. Generate Your Session Cookie JSON

   • With the extension enabled, navigate to any Instagram page.
   • Click the extension icon to export your session cookies as a JSON.
   • Copy the entire JSON output (you’ll need this in the next step).

Configuring the Actor

In your Apify actor’s Input section, supply a JSON object with the following fields:

{
    "cookies": {
        /* paste the JSON from the extension here */
    },
    "message": "Hi! I like your page :)",
    "profiles": ["profile_1", "profile_2"] // array of Instagram usernames to send DMs
}

Execution

1. Go to your actor’s page on Apify.
2. Paste the configured JSON into the Input panel.
3. Hit Run to initiate the messaging routine.

Rate Limiting & Best Practices

• Per-run limit: Maximum of 5 DMs per execution.
• Daily cap: Do not exceed 30–40 DMs within a 24-hour window.