Reference · updated September 2026

Instagram DM sales glossary

The vocabulary of selling through Instagram DMs, from the platform's rules to the appointment-setting trade to Setterr's own features. Thirty-five terms, one paragraph each, no jargon in the definitions.

AI appointment setter

Software that replies to inbound leads in real time, asks qualifying questions, handles objections and books a sales call on a calendar, using a language model rather than a scripted flow. See what is an AI appointment setter.

AI DM setter

An AI appointment setter that works specifically in direct-message channels such as Instagram DMs. Setterr is an AI DM setter for Instagram.

Appointment setter

A person (or software) whose job is to turn leads into booked meetings for a closer: reply, qualify, handle the first objection, book the call, follow up.

Autopilot

In Setterr, the mode where the AI sends replies on its own. The alternative is draft mode. Owners can switch between them at any time and take over individual threads.

Booked call

A calendar booking attributable to a conversation, confirmed by the booking tool — not a verbal yes.

Booking link

A URL (Calendly, Cal.com, Acuity, a clinic scheduler) where a lead picks a time. Best sent after qualification, not in the first reply.

Brief

In Setterr, the short description of what you sell, who it's for, how you answer the price question and which objections come up. Inferred from your DM history on connect and edited by you.

Broadcast

A message sent to many DM contacts at once, within Meta's messaging policies. Used to re-engage an audience rather than to reach strangers.

Click-to-DM ad

An Instagram or Facebook ad whose call to action opens a DM thread with your account. Also called click-to-message. See the click-to-DM guide.

Closer

The person who runs the sales call and asks for the sale. In a setter/closer model, the setter books the call and the closer closes it.

Comment-to-DM

Automation that sends a private reply when someone comments a keyword on a post. Allowed through Meta's API, once per comment.

Conversation (billing)

In Setterr's pricing, one unique lead the AI handles in a calendar month, however many messages that takes. Plans include 500 or 1,000 per month.

Draft mode

Setterr's default for new workspaces: the AI writes every reply and the owner approves each one with a tap before it sends.

Engaged lead

A person who sent at least one message and received at least one reply. The denominator for qualified and booked rates.

Engaged-to-booked rate

Booked calls divided by engaged leads. Industry average 1.94% (SetSmart 2026); Setterr's live pilot ran 9.7%. See the benchmarks.

First-reply time

Time from a lead's first message to the business's first reply, measured across all hours. The most predictive DM metric.

Flow builder

A visual tool for designing scripted chatbot conversations (ManyChat, Chatfuel). Runs the branches you built; unscripted questions fall to a fallback.

Follow-up

A message sent to a lead who has gone quiet. A four-touch sequence over two weeks is standard; see follow-up templates.

Hot lead

A lead showing strong buying signals — asked about price and availability, answered qualification, said 'let's do it'. Setterr pushes a notification when a thread turns hot.

Human agent tag

A Meta messaging tag that lets a human respond to a conversation for up to seven days after the person's last message, beyond the standard 24-hour window.

Instagram Messaging API

Meta's official interface for reading and sending DMs on a professional Instagram account, via Instagram login. The only legitimate basis for DM automation.

Instagram professional account

A business or creator account. Required for the Messaging API and therefore for any legitimate DM automation.

Lead magnet

A free resource (checklist, guide, template) offered in exchange for a reply or comment. On Instagram, best delivered by DM so it starts a conversation.

Meta 24-hour window

After a person messages your account, you may reply freely for 24 hours from their last message. Each reply of theirs re-opens it. Outside it, sends are limited to specific cases.

Playbook

In Setterr, the owner-editable rules the AI follows: conversation stages, qualification questions, objection answers, hard rules. Every change is versioned.

Promised follow-up

A follow-up the business committed to in conversation ('I'll check in Friday'). Setterr tracks and sends these on the promised day.

Qualification

Establishing whether a lead is worth a call: goal, fit and capacity, asked in conversation. See how to qualify leads in DMs.

Replay

Setterr's read-only feature that re-runs one of your past DM threads through the AI so you can see how it would have answered, in your voice, before anything goes live.

Sales-qualified lead (SQL)

A lead who has answered the qualification questions and meets the criteria to be offered a call. Industry average 22.9% of engaged leads (SetSmart 2026).

Show rate

Booked calls that actually take place, divided by calls booked. Reminders and a morning-of confirmation are the main levers.

Speed to lead

The general principle that contacting a lead within minutes multiplies contact and qualification rates. See DM response time.

Story reply

A DM sent by replying to a story. The warmest inbound message on Instagram; see story replies to sales calls.

Takeover

A human stepping into an AI-handled conversation. In Setterr it's one click on any thread and pauses the AI for that lead only.

Test drive

Setterr's onboarding step where you message your own setter as a lead would, to see how it qualifies and books before it meets a real lead.

Voice import

Setterr's import of up to 90 days of your DM history, booked-first, from which it learns your phrasing, offer and objection answers.

About this glossary