How to Set Reply and DM Rules for an Official Account

Why you need rules

An official account receives all kinds of replies and DMs: product questions, checks on opening hours, impressions, complaints, interview requests and sales pitches. Without rules, the manager has to decide each time whether to reply and how far to go, which takes time and makes handling inconsistent. If a question gets a polite answer yesterday and none today, onlookers feel it's unfair.

The other reason is to protect the manager. When harsh words arrive, rules let them say "I followed the rules." Without rules, one person carries every judgment alone, and may snap back or apologize too much, making the problem worse.

The rules don't have to cover every case. If you've decided how to answer the common types and who to ask when you're unsure, most situations will be covered.

Sort what arrives into types

First, look back over the replies and DMs from the last 1 to 2 months and sort them by type. Deciding for each type whether to reply, who replies and how far to go gives you the skeleton of your rules.

What matters is drawing a clear line between "always reply" and "don't reply." The types in between are where you'll hesitate, so add examples for those as you go.

Set a response time and make it visible

For replies and DMs, decide the hours you respond and a target time to reply. For example: "On weekdays between 10:00 and 18:00, reply on the day it arrives or the next business day." If the manager has other duties too, it's easier to keep up if you simply decide to check twice a day, at noon and in the late afternoon.

Put the hours in your profile or a pinned post so customers know why they may be waiting. If you don't reply at night or on days off, people will understand it's outside business hours. Add a contact for urgent matters (phone or inquiry form) too, and you'll have fewer urgent requests landing on social media.

Keep one consistent tone

When several people handle the account, align your tone. Briefly write down points such as whether to use a polite or casual style, whether to use emoji, how to introduce yourself as the company and how to address customers. Prepare ready-to-use replies for common situations (opening hours, directing people to DM, thanks) to save time and keep the wording consistent.

But if you send the same text word for word to dozens of people, it looks mechanical. Use the template as a frame and add one line that fits the person's name or question.

Public replies versus DMs

Other people read public replies. Answers that help others too (opening hours, how to use a product) can go in public, while anything involving personal circumstances (order numbers, addresses, symptoms) should move to DM or an inquiry form. X's automation rules also ask you to use DMs or another private method rather than a public post when personal information is needed.

Include a rule that you don't write about something shared in a DM in a public reply without the person's permission. Just writing "about the item you bought the other day" in public tells everyone what that person bought.

How to reply to complaints

Reply to complaints quickly and briefly, in a way that shows you'll check the facts. In your first reply, don't make excuses or argue. Write only that you've heard them and what happens next, for example: "We're sorry for the trouble. We'd like to look into what happened. Could you tell us more by DM?"

If you apologize fully before you know the facts, you're in trouble if they turn out to be different. Conversely, if you write "That isn't the case" before checking, it provokes strong backlash. It's safest to decide that complaint replies are never settled by one manager alone, and are shown to the person in charge before sending. How to act when a complaint spreads and starts to flare up is covered in preventing and handling online backlash.

Decide what you won't reply to

Deciding what not to answer is an important part of your rules. Decide in advance that you won't reply to sales pitches, unrelated ads, obvious trolling, or people who keep repeating the same demand. Not replying isn't ignoring someone; it's a company decision not to engage.

For posts that amount to slander or threats, save a screenshot as a record and use each network's report feature. If you reply in kind, the exchange can end up in recommendations and spread. Set up a flow where the manager informs the person in charge instead of dealing with it alone.

What to follow when you reply automatically

Automating some replies and DMs saves the manager effort. But each network has rules about automatic replies. X's automation rules say the following as of October 2026.

Automate only when the person has asked for a reply; remember that and you won't go wrong. Automation is a tool for replying faster, not for approaching strangers.

What you can do with SNS TOWN

SNS TOWN's Auto replies are built around these X rules. You write a line in the post body, such as Reply with "Book" and we'll get back to you personally., and replies to that post are answered only if they contain the keyword. We never reply to strangers' posts found by keyword search. For the reply text, you can have the AI write it, or choose from texts you've prepared (up to 5), used in order or at random. Settings include the hours to reply, a daily limit, tone and things not to write (for example, promises of discounts or competitors' names), and you can also have a person check each reply before it's sent. It works with X and Threads.

Auto DMs send a DM when someone replies to, likes or reposts your X post. Every DM ends with the line: If you would rather not get DMs like this, reply "STOP". Anyone who replies "STOP" never gets another automatic DM from that account.

You can keep frequently used replies in Templates, shared across the company. When a reply is awaiting approval, Notifications alert you by email, Slack or browser. For setup steps, see Set up an auto reply and Send auto DMs.

Frequently asked questions