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Automations Not Triggering

If your automations aren't responding to keywords, follow this troubleshooting guide to identify and fix the issue.

Quick Checklist

Before diving into detailed troubleshooting, check these basics:

  • Is your automation status "Active" (not paused)?
  • Have you hit your monthly reply limit?
  • Is your Instagram account still connected?
  • Did you wait long enough for the reply (5-10 seconds)?
  • Are you using the correct keyword?

If you checked all of these and it's still not working, continue below.

Step 1: Verify Automation Is Active

Check Automation Status

  1. Go to Automations in your dashboard
  2. Look at your automation in the list
  3. Verify the status shows "Active" (not "Paused")

If it shows "Paused":

  1. Click the automation
  2. Click "Resume" or the play icon
  3. Test again

Check Automation Exists

Make sure your automation is actually saved:

  1. Go to Automations
  2. Look for your automation in the list
  3. If it's not there, it wasn't saved properly
  4. Create it again

Step 2: Check Your Monthly Reply Limit

Your automations will pause if you hit your monthly reply limit.

Check Your Usage

  1. Go to Settings > Usage
  2. Look at "Replies Used This Month"
  3. Compare to your plan's limit:
    • Free: 100 replies/month
    • Starter: 500 replies/month
    • Pro: 2,000 replies/month
    • Premium: 6,000 replies/month

If You've Hit Your Limit

  1. Upgrade your plan — Go to Settings > Billing and upgrade
  2. Wait until next month — Your limit resets on the 1st of each month
  3. Pause other automations — Reduce usage by pausing less important automations

Once you've freed up replies, your automations will resume automatically.

Step 3: Verify Instagram Account Is Connected

Your automations won't work if your Instagram account is disconnected.

Check Connection Status

  1. Go to Settings > Connected Accounts
  2. Look for your Instagram account
  3. Verify it shows "Connected" (not "Disconnected" or "Error")

If It's Disconnected

  1. Click "Reconnect"
  2. Log in with your Instagram credentials
  3. Accept all permissions
  4. Test your automation again

If It Shows an Error

  1. Click "Disconnect"
  2. Wait 30 seconds
  3. Click "Connect with Facebook"
  4. Log in again
  5. Test your automation

Step 4: Verify Keyword Spelling

Make sure you're using the exact keyword you set up.

Check Your Keyword

  1. Go to Automations
  2. Click on your automation
  3. Look at the "Keyword" field
  4. Note the exact spelling and capitalization

Test with Exact Keyword

  1. Use a test account
  2. Reply to your Story or comment on your post with the EXACT keyword
  3. Wait 5-10 seconds for the reply

Important: Keywords are case-insensitive, so "GUIDE", "guide", and "Guide" all work the same. But they must match the keyword you set up.

If You Spelled It Wrong

  1. Go to Automations
  2. Click on your automation
  3. Edit the keyword to the correct spelling
  4. Click "Save"
  5. Test again

Step 5: Verify Trigger Type

Make sure your automation is set to trigger on the right action.

Check Trigger Type

  1. Go to Automations
  2. Click on your automation
  3. Look at "Trigger Type"
  4. It should be one of:
    • Story Keywords — Triggers when users reply to your Stories
    • Comment Keywords — Triggers when users comment on your posts
    • Both — Triggers for both

If You Set It Wrong

Scenario 1: You set it to "Story Keywords Only" but commented on a post

  • Solution: Change trigger type to "Both" or "Comment Keywords"

Scenario 2: You set it to "Comment Keywords Only" but replied to a Story

  • Solution: Change trigger type to "Both" or "Story Keywords"

Step 6: Test Your Setup

Follow these steps to properly test your automation:

Use a Different Account

  1. Log into a DIFFERENT Instagram account (not your main account)
  2. Go to your main account's profile
  3. Find a recent Story or post

Trigger the Automation

  1. Reply to your Story with your keyword, OR
  2. Comment on your post with your keyword
  3. Wait 5-10 seconds

Check for Reply

  1. Check your DMs in the test account
  2. You should see an automated reply from your main account
  3. If you don't see it, continue troubleshooting

Check Your Dashboard

  1. Go back to your Lazyspond dashboard
  2. Click Leads
  3. You should see a new lead with the test account's username
  4. If you don't see it, the automation didn't trigger

Step 7: Check Account Requirements

Your Instagram account must meet specific requirements to use Lazyspond.

Verify Account Type

  1. Open Instagram app
  2. Go to Settings > Account type and tools
  3. Verify you have a Professional Account (Business or Creator)
  4. If not, switch to Professional Account

Verify Facebook Page Connection

  1. Open Instagram app
  2. Go to Settings > Edit Profile
  3. Scroll down to Page
  4. Verify a Facebook Page is connected
  5. If not, create or connect a Facebook Page

Verify Message Access

  1. Open Instagram app
  2. Go to Settings > Messages and story replies
  3. Go to Message controls
  4. Under Connected Tools, verify "Allow access to messages" is toggled ON
  5. If not, toggle it on

If any of these are wrong, fix them and test again.

Step 8: Wait for Meta to Sync

Sometimes Meta takes time to sync your changes.

If You Just Created the Automation

  1. Wait 5-10 minutes
  2. Test again
  3. If still not working, continue troubleshooting

If You Just Connected Your Account

  1. Wait 10-15 minutes
  2. Test again
  3. If still not working, continue troubleshooting

If You Just Changed Account Settings

  1. Wait 5-10 minutes
  2. Test again
  3. If still not working, continue troubleshooting

Step 9: Check for Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Testing with Your Own Account

You can't see your own replies in your DMs. Always use a different account to test.

Solution: Use a friend's account or create a test account

Mistake 2: Keyword Too Generic

If your keyword is too generic (like "HI" or "OK"), it might trigger accidentally or not at all.

Solution: Use specific keywords like "GUIDE", "PROMO", "PRICING"

Mistake 3: Typo in Keyword

If you have a typo in your keyword, it won't match user input.

Example:

  • You set keyword: "GUIDE"
  • User replies: "GUID" (missing E)
  • Won't trigger

Solution: Double-check keyword spelling

Mistake 4: Not Waiting Long Enough

Lazyspond usually replies within 5-10 seconds, but sometimes it takes up to 30 seconds.

Solution: Wait at least 30 seconds before assuming it failed

Mistake 5: Forgetting to Activate Automation

You might create an automation but forget to save it.

Solution: Go to Automations and verify your automation is in the list

Advanced Troubleshooting

Check Your Automation Logs

  1. Go to Automations
  2. Click on your automation
  3. Look for "Recent Activity" or "Logs"
  4. See if the automation was triggered
  5. Check for any error messages

Check Instagram Permissions

  1. Go to Instagram Settings
  2. Go to Apps and Websites
  3. Look for Lazyspond
  4. Verify it has permission to access your account
  5. If not, remove and reconnect

Clear Cache and Cookies

Sometimes browser cache causes issues:

  1. Clear your browser cache
  2. Clear cookies
  3. Log out of Lazyspond
  4. Log back in
  5. Test again

Try a Different Browser

If it still doesn't work:

  1. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
  2. Test again
  3. If it works in a different browser, clear cache in your original browser

Still Not Working?

If you've tried everything above and it's still not working:

  1. Contact our 24/7 AI Support Agent — Available in your dashboard
  2. Email support@lazyspond.com — Include:
    • Your automation keyword
    • Your trigger type
    • Steps you've already tried
    • Screenshots if possible

Our support team will help you get it working.

Common Error Messages

"Automation Paused Due to Monthly Limit"

Cause: You've hit your monthly reply limit

Solution: Upgrade your plan or wait until next month

"Account Disconnected"

Cause: Your Instagram account is no longer connected

Solution: Go to Settings > Connected Accounts and reconnect

"Invalid Keyword"

Cause: Your keyword doesn't meet requirements

Solution: Use a keyword that's 2-50 characters and doesn't contain special characters

"Automation Already Exists"

Cause: You already have an automation with this keyword

Solution: Edit the existing automation or use a different keyword

Prevention Tips

1. Test Immediately After Creating

Don't wait to test. Create an automation and test it right away.

2. Monitor Your Usage

Check your usage monthly to avoid hitting your limit.

3. Keep Your Account Connected

Verify your account is still connected every week.

4. Document Your Keywords

Keep a list of your keywords and what they do.

5. Test After Updates

If you update an automation, test it again.

Next Steps