Difference between DMs and Partnership DMs
Last updated: May 13, 2026
Overview
Partnership DMs let you send Instagram direct messages to creators you haven't previously interacted with — a capability not available through normal Instagram DMs.
Normal Instagram DMs require the creator to have messaged your brand first (or commented on one of your posts), and you must reply within a limited time window. Partnership DMs remove both of those restrictions: you can reach out to creators cold, and the messages land in a dedicated "Partnerships" folder in the creator's Instagram inbox — separate from their regular messages.
Normal DMs vs. Partnership DMs
Normal DMs | Partnership DMs | |
|---|---|---|
Prior conversation required | Yes, the creator must have messaged you or commented on your post first | No, you can reach out cold |
Messaging window | 7 days from the creator's last interaction (with human_agent tag) or 24 hours without a tag | No time window, you can message at any time |
Where messages land | Creator's regular Instagram inbox | A dedicated "Partnerships" folder in the creator's Instagram inbox |
Creator opt-in | Not required: any creator who messaged you is available | Required: the creator must have enabled "paid partnership messages" in their Instagram settings |
Available from | Social Listening (starting a new conversation) Direct Messages section (replying to existing conversations) | Creator Discovery |
Bulk send | Not available | Yes: you can message multiple creators at once with personalized variables |
Sending limits | No daily cap. Limited only by existing conversations | 250 unique creators/day; max 2 messages per creator per 30 days |