Safety - Instance

1. The 24-Hour Messaging Window Rule

Meta enforces a strict standard messaging window across all Instagram business accounts:

Whenever an Instagram user initiates an interaction (sends a DM, replies to a story, or clicks a button in chat), a 24-hour window opens.
Within this 24-hour window, your account can send automated responses, media, and multi-step message flows.
Outside of this 24-hour window, sending automated promotional messages is prohibited by Meta policy.

How Instance Protects Your Account

Instance tracks the exact timestamp of every interaction. If an automation sequence is scheduled to send after the 24-hour window has expired, Instance safely stops the message instead of risking a policy violation or account penalty.

2. Human-Like Delays and Natural Pacing

Sending direct messages within milliseconds of every user interaction looks like robotic bot activity and can trigger Instagram spam filters.

Protection Safeguards

Randomized Delays (Jitter): Instead of replying at the exact same millisecond every time, Instance adds small, natural variations (for example, 4 to 12 seconds) to simulate a real human response.
Conversational Pacing: In multi-step sequences, Instance spaces out replies to allow the user time to read before sending subsequent buttons or questions.
Thread Pacing: Consecutive messages sent to the same user are spaced by at least 1.0 second, preventing message flooding in a single conversation thread.

3. Safe Messaging Limits and Automatic Queue Pacing

To protect your account health, Instance monitors outbound activity and keeps your messaging volume within Meta recommended safety thresholds.

Messaging Safety Limits

Interaction Type	Safe Volume Threshold	How Instance Protects You
Direct Messages (DMs)	High throughput standard messaging	Paced queue delivery with automatic rate monitoring
Private Replies (Comment-to-DM)	Up to 750 messages per hour	Managed hourly queue aligned with Meta rolling hourly limit
Public Comment Replies	60 replies per hour	Safe ceiling to keep public post comments authentic
Thread Pacing (Same User)	Minimum 1.0 second between messages	Prevents message bursts to an individual user

What Happens When Limits Are Reached

If your account reaches any of these thresholds during a viral post or high-traffic campaign:

No Messages Are Dropped: Instance never loses your leads or customer messages.
Automatic Deferral: Outbound messages are held safely in your queue and automatically spaced out to send as soon as capacity opens up.
Retry Protection: Queue delays do not count against message delivery attempts, ensuring your automations complete smoothly.

4. Circuit Breakers and Auto-Pause Protection

If Meta flags a temporary restriction or credential issue on your account, Instance responds immediately to prevent further risk.

Automatic Safety Actions

Temporary Action Block (Error Code 368):
- If Instagram temporarily restricts an action, Instance immediately trips the circuit breaker for that account.
- Active automations for that handle are set to PAUSED automatically.
- Queued messages are deferred with a safe delay rather than repeatedly hitting the block.
- An alert banner is displayed on Dashboard -> Overview.
Expired Access Token (Error 190):
- If your login token expires, Instance halts outbound requests immediately to prevent repeated invalid request errors.
- A reconnection banner prompts you to re-authenticate under Dashboard -> Settings -> Integrations.
Platform Throttling (Error Code 4 or 429):
- If Meta reports temporary busy status, Instance pauses outbound delivery for 60 seconds and resumes automatically without requiring manual action.

5. Account Warm-Up Playbook for New Accounts

If your Instagram account is newly connected or has never used automations before, do not launch high-volume campaigns on day one. Follow this recommended warm-up schedule:

Timeline	Recommended Daily Volume	Focus Area
Week 1	30 to 50 automated DMs per day	Test with team members, close followers, and internal tests
Week 2	100 to 150 automated DMs per day	Single post comment-to-DM triggers
Week 3	250 to 400 automated DMs per day	Story mentions, keyword triggers, and active posts
Week 4+	Scaled production volume	Full lead funnels, viral reels, and keyword automations

By gradually scaling volume, Instagram trust scoring algorithms register high engagement and low block rates, keeping your account protected and ready for high-growth campaigns.