Why didn't my DM send?
Start with the delivery's status in Analytics or the automation's delivery list — it tells you which of the four failure families you're in.
The statuses, decoded
- Waiting — the opening DM went out; Cookping is waiting for the follower to tap the button before sending the recipe link (that tap is Instagram-required consent). Not an error.
- Expired — the 24-hour messaging window closed before a compliant send was possible. Cookping never sends late; this is the guardrail working.
- Skipped — the delivery was intentionally not made: most commonly the same follower already received this recipe for this comment (idempotency), or a plan limit applied.
- No delivery at all — the comment never matched. See below.
When comments don't match
- Is the automation active? Draft and paused automations don't process comments.
- Right post? Automations watch one specific post or Reel. A commenter on a different post — or on a share — won't trigger it.
- Keyword present? Matching is case-insensitive ("Recipe" = "RECIPE"), but the keyword must actually appear in the comment text. Emojis around it are fine.
- Fresh post missing? Reopen the automation editor so it loads the newest page directly from Instagram, then check that the automation targets the right media.
When the connection is the problem
If Settings shows the account Disconnected or lists a permission error (for
example missing permissions: instagram_business_manage_messages), nothing can send until you
reconnect. See Connect your Instagram account. Deliveries
that arrive while disconnected can still expire — the 24-hour clock doesn't pause.
When it's a plan limit
Plans are priced by active contacts — unique people DM'd this month. At 100% of your allowance, new contacts can't be messaged until the month resets or you upgrade; people already messaged this month keep receiving normally. The dashboard banner warns at 80%. Details in Plans & limits.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my delivery say waiting?
The opening message was sent and Cookping is waiting for the follower to tap its button. The recipe link goes out after the tap — that tap is the consent Instagram requires. If they never tap, the delivery stays waiting and eventually expires.
Why does my delivery say expired?
Instagram's 24-hour messaging window closed before the message could be sent compliantly, so Cookping did not send it. This protects your account — sending outside the window is rejected by Meta and risks enforcement.
Why didn't a comment trigger the automation at all?
Check three things: the automation is active (not draft or paused), the comment is on the exact post the automation watches, and the comment contains the trigger keyword. Matching is case-insensitive but the keyword must appear in the text.
Still stuck?
Contact us with the automation name and the approximate comment time — the delivery record includes the exact reason for every skip and expiry.