☰💬 DM menu (Persistent Menu)

What is the DM menu?

The DM menu (Persistent Menu) is a fixed menu that can be opened at any time during an Instagram DM conversation.

Unlike an inbox starter, which only shows when someone first opens the DM, the persistent menu stays reachable throughout the conversation. 🧭

👆 How to open the menu

• Tap the ☰ (three-line icon) at the top right of the DM screen to open the menu.
• This button is available at any point in the conversation.

🧩 What you can put in the menu

You can register up to 5 menu items. Each item can be one of the following:

• 📝 a text message
• 🃏 a button template message

Visitors can get to what they need by tapping a button, without typing anything.

🎠 Button templates & carousels

Just like inbox starters:

• Up to 3 buttons on each button template card
• Up to 10 cards arranged as a carousel

What people use it for

• 🍽️ A food menu
• 🛎️ Service categories
• 🛍️ A product list
• 📚 Help / FAQ navigation

⏰ Always within reach

The great advantage of the persistent menu is that it is always available:

• 📬 Inbox starter → shown once, when the DM is first opened
• ☰ Persistent menu → can be called up at any time during the conversation

It keeps people from getting lost inside the DM.

💡 How we suggest using it

For a better experience, we recommend the following:

• Introduce the main menu items first in your inbox starter.
• Add a line like “Tap the ☰ button at the top right to bring up the menu any time”.
• Put the same menu, or an extended one, in the persistent menu as well.