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Prepare for Instagram DM Sending

Please make sure to review this preparation guide before sending DMs to creators on Instagram!

 These are mandatory requirements, not optional.

  1. For new accounts,

    1. After creating the account, perform at least 30 days of warm-up activities before sending any DMs.

    2. Please register the account on Spray only after 30 days from creation.

    3. After 30 days, start sending DMs only in a mobile environment.

    ※ Sufficient warm-up activity is essential.

  2. For existing accounts,

    1. Check the account creation date and whether the basic setup has been completed.

    2. If more than 30 days have passed since creation and the basic setup is complete, begin sending DMs in a mobile environment.

Tip You can send a higher number of DMs per day when sending through mobile rather than PC.

Why should DMs be sent via mobile?

Instagram is fundamentally designed as a mobile-based platform.Its spam-detection and automation-prevention logic uses mobile behavior as the standard for “normal human activity.”

  • Mobile app usage = Recognized as natural human behavior

  • Various network/IP environments (4G/5G/LTE/Wifi)

  • PC/web or automation tools = Higher likelihood of being flagged as abnormal

Therefore, even with the same message, mobile-sent DMs achieve higher deliverability.


  • Complete profile setup

    • Profile photo, username, bio, website/link

  • Upload a minimum of 6 posts to your feed

  • Perform basic activities to avoid being flagged as spam/bot (follow, like, read feed posts)

Tip To increase credibility, switch your account type to a professional account.

Warm-up increases Instagram’s Trust Score for your account.

  • Warm-up activities must be done on mobile(Best environment for improving account condition)

  • Engage actively (likes, follows, DMs, comments)

    • Maintain natural user patterns

    • Increase feed/story consumption (views & time spent)

Tip If your work requires creator research, do this using accounts that need warm-up.


  1. Write and copy your first message including any campaign links(Spray proposal link or Google Form)

  2. Open Instagram mobile app → Search for the creator ID

  3. Paste and send the message via DM

DM Agent uses AI to schedule and send large numbers of DMs automatically.

Important Notes

Using the DM Agent increases the risk of account restrictions.

  • Do NOT use DM Agent unless the account has completed 30 full days of warm-up.

  • Prefer manual sending, and use DM Agent only during weekends or holidays.

Spray Notice Before Using DM Agent (Source: Spray.io)

Connect Your Instagram Account to Use the DM Agent

  • 1) Before Connecting: Turn Off Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

    • Instagram’s 2FA is a security feature that requires extra verification.

      To allow Spray to access your account, please disable it.

How to disable 2FA

  1. Open More (bottom left) → Settings

  2. Select Account Center

  3. Go to Password and SecurityTwo-Factor Authentication

  4. Choose Instagram

  5. Select the method used to receive login codes

    (SMS, WhatsApp, or an authentication app)

  6. Turn off the enabled login code method

  7. When asked “Turn off two-factor authentication?”, select Turn Off/Disable

* Note: Removing a device from 2FA does not log that device out of the Instagram account.

  • 2) Check the following checklist, then add your account in

Connection Checklist

ㅤㅤ☐ Basic setup complete

ㅤㅤ30 days passed since account creation

ㅤㅤSufficient warm-up completed

ㅤㅤ☐ 2FA disabled

Set Up DM Agent Sending Rules

DM Agent Sending Settings Screen (Source: Spray.io)

Required Maximum 5 messages per hour(Sending too many quickly is flagged as automation)

  • Optional Send only during daytime (9 AM–6 PM UTC)

  • Optional Choose specific accounts per campaign instead of using all connected accounts

About DM Agent Sending Behavior

  • The Agent sends DMs at irregular intervals to avoid being detected as automated

  • If Spray AI detects risk, sending will temporarily pause or slow down.

    • Completion time may be later than expected

    • This is normal and requires no action


Recommended daily volumes depend on account age assuming sufficient warm-up.

  • Do NOT send any DMs within 1–30 days after account creation

    • → Doing so significantly lowers Instagram Trust Score

Important Notes

  • The following guidelines are estimated values based on Spray Team’s operational expertise.

    • They assume sufficient warm-up activity and manual sending, and results may vary depending on the condition of each account.

  • Accounts aged 30 days to 3 months

    • Up to 30 DMs/day

  • Accounts aged over 3 months

    • Up to 50 DMs/day

      • If the account has active, healthy interaction history, you can send 60–70 DMs/day

  • Accounts aged over 2 years BEST

    • Up to 200 DMs/day

      • With consistent engagement and sufficient warm-up activity over 2 years, you can safely send up to 200 DMs/day


  • When using DM Agent, Spray logs in on your behalf to send DMs.

    Because of this, you may see login attempts from a different location.

  • Please verify your identity and reconnect your account before continuing.

  1. If you receive a “Suspicious login attempt” alert on mobile, select This was me

  2. If you changed your password afterward, delete the previously connected account in Spray and reconnect it.

    • Settings → Sending Account Management

Reference Screen: Sending Account “On hold” Status (Source: Spray.io)

  • On hold means Spray AI has detected potential risk based on platform policies.

    • The status will automatically return to Active after a certain period (typically around 3 days).

  • If DMs are scheduled in Spray, they will continue sending once the status returns to Active.

    • Even if you can still send DMs manually in the Instagram app during this time, please do NOT send any, as this may extend the suspension period.


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