Cold DMs on X, Instagram and TikTok: the rules compared
Three platforms, three sets of rules, all stricter than LinkedIn in practice. What each one says, and why a public reply usually beats a cold DM.
By the Programmable Social team ·
All three platforms restrict automated or unsolicited messaging, and none of them publishes a safe volume. X is the most explicit about messages. Instagram and TikTok focus their written rules on automated access and inauthentic behaviour. On all three, a public reply to something a person posted is a safer and usually better first move than a cold DM.
The rules side by side
| On automation | On unsolicited contact | |
|---|---|---|
| X | Automated replies to keyword-search matches aren't permitted. Automated replies are allowed only under conditions, including that the person engaged first. | Unsolicited messages are prohibited. Automated DMs are for people who messaged first, with an easy opt-out. |
| The Terms of Use bar accessing or collecting information in an automated way without permission, even while logged in. | Messages to non-followers may land in Requests. A 2023 report says only one message can be sent until the request is accepted. | |
| TikTok | The Terms bar scraping and extracting data, including with automated bots, unless TikTok approves in writing. | The Terms bar spam and inauthentic commercial behaviour. People control who can message them in their settings. |
We couldn't find a published daily DM limit from any of the three. Figures you'll see on tool vendors' sites are their own estimates.
X
X's automation rules are aimed at apps and bots, and they're unusually direct. Finding people by keyword and replying automatically isn't allowed. Automated welcome DMs to new followers count as unsolicited, even though the person chose to follow. Breaking the rules can mean account suspension or posts being removed from search.
What works better is what the rules leave room for: real replies, written and sent by you, to people whose posts you actually read. A reply is limited to 280 characters, so it has to make one sharp point. Ask nothing the first time. If they engage, a DM is no longer cold.
Instagram's Terms deal with automation under its users' commitments, and its help pages describe restricting accounts for activity that looks like automated collection. For a person doing outreach, two things matter most. First, your first message to a non-follower may be a request they have to accept, so that one message is all you get. Second, Instagram is about the content: a line about something specific they posted fits the place, while a pitch doesn't. Comment on a post before you message, keep DMs to a couple of short sentences, and leave out links.
TikTok
TikTok's Terms were updated in July 2026 and are direct about bots, scraping and spam. Messaging also depends on the other person's settings, and many people can't be messaged by strangers at all. Often, the comment section is the only place you can reach someone. Comments have to be short, so say one real thing about the video and don't ask for anything.
A sequence that fits all three
- Watch first. Follow people you actually want to talk to, and read what they post.
- Reply in public. Add something to a post. No ask, no link.
- Repeat if you have more to add. A second useful reply makes you familiar.
- Message once there's a reason. Refer to the exchange, and ask one question.
- Stop if there's no answer. Silence is an answer on these platforms.
In Programmable Social
All three are off by default, with lower default caps than LinkedIn: 10 actions a day and 3 an hour per account. The extension acts in your own browser, which doesn't change the rules above: X, Instagram and TikTok restrict automation and act on accounts quickly, and following their terms is your responsibility. If you're unsure, use the drafts and review queue and send by hand. Respecting a stop request across every platform takes a shared do-not-contact list.
Sources
Checked on October 31, 2026. Platforms change these pages, so check the originals before you rely on them.
Drafted with AI and reviewed against the sources above. This is general information, not legal advice.