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Quick start

Get from an empty workspace to your first AI reply in about 5 minutes. We'll connect one customer account, give an assistant a job and send a test message.

What you'll need
A DMtoLead account (free, no credit card), and admin access to one of: an Instagram Business/Creator account, a WhatsApp Business number, a Facebook Page or a Telegram bot.

1. Create your workspace

Head to app.dmtolead.com/register and sign up with email. You'll land in an empty dashboard with the Free plan active (100 credits/month, no credit card).

2. Connect your first channel

From the dashboard, open AI Assistants, choose Connect account and pick the customer account that matters most. Each connection takes about 1–2 minutes:

  1. 1

    Instagram

    Click Connect Instagram, log in to Facebook, and select the Instagram Business or Creator account linked to your Facebook Page. We'll subscribe to message webhooks automatically. (Full guide: connect Instagram.)

  2. 2

    WhatsApp

    Click Connect WhatsApp, log in to Facebook Business, pick the Business Account, then the phone number to use. (Full guide: connect WhatsApp.)

  3. 3

    Telegram

    Talk to @BotFather on Telegram, run /newbot, copy the token, paste into DMtoLead. (Full guide: connect Telegram.)

3. Give an AI Assistant a job

Return to AI Assistants, choose the connected account and select exactly what DMtoLead should handle. Keep distinct work distinct: Instagram DMs and comment-to-DM campaigns can be separate jobs.

  • Job — the customer-facing outcome this assistant owns, such as answering DMs, qualifying leads or handling comments.
  • Training — shared knowledge, voice and approved corrections for the business. Start with a few trusted facts such as returns, shipping and opening hours.

Add live business data when the job needs it. Shopify and Ikas can ground commerce replies; calendars can support booking; CRM and built-in sources can power follow-up actions. See all data sources.

4. Review, activate and test

Review the account, job and Training shown in the assistant setup, then activate it. From another account, DM your Instagram account, message your WhatsApp number or message your Telegram bot. The message and reply should appear in Conversations in real time.

No reply within 10 seconds?
Check the conversation in your inbox — there's usually a status row showing why. Common causes: the AI couldn't find a relevant answer (extend the knowledge base), or webhook subscription failed (reconnect the channel). See troubleshooting.

5. Go live (when you're ready)

Connecting an account does not start customer-facing AI by itself. The assistant must be activated after review. To pause the job, open the assistant and switch it off; to take over one conversation, move that thread to manual handling in Conversations.

From here:

  • Add more accounts and give each assistant a clear, bounded job.
  • Link your Shopify store so the AI can quote prices and check stock.
  • Embed the chat widget on your website — see embed the chat widget.