Glossary / Instagram

Industry terms

Follow gate

A follow gate sends a reward, like a link, download or code, only after the person follows your account.

Also called: follow to unlock, follow-to-get, reward your followers

By Aulto · Last reviewed

Why use a follow gate?

It turns interest in one post into a lasting connection: everyone who wants the thing becomes a follower first.

Does it annoy people?

It can, if the reward isn't worth it. Use it for something genuinely valuable, and keep the first message friendly: what they'll get, and one tap to follow.

Example

A creator offers a free preset pack: comment PRESET, follow, then the download link arrives in DMs.

Doing it with Aulto

Reply Drop's "Reward your followers" mode sends the link only once they follow you; if they don't yet, they get a nudge to follow and tap again.

See how it works →

  • Reply Drop

    Reply Drop is Aulto's Instagram comment-to-DM feature: when someone comments your keyword on a post, they get your message and link in their DMs instantly.

  • Tap to send

    Tap to send is a Reply Drop mode where the first DM is a short message with a button, and the link is sent when the person taps it.

  • Keyword comment

    A keyword comment is a single word you ask people to comment on a post, like SONG or RECIPE, which triggers a reply sent to their DMs.

  • Auto-reply

    An auto-reply is a message sent automatically in response to a DM, comment or keyword, so people get an answer without waiting for someone to type it.

  • Carousel post

    A carousel post is an Instagram post with several photos or videos that people swipe through, up to 20 in one post.

  • Close Friends

    Close Friends is an Instagram list of people you choose; content shared to it is seen only by them and marked with a green badge.

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