DM Menu (Persistent Menu) ☰💬

What is the DM Menu (Persistent Menu)?

The DM Menu, also known as the Persistent Menu, allows visitors to open a menu inside your Instagram DM at any time.

Unlike Inbox Starters—which appear only when a user first opens your DM—the Persistent Menu can be accessed whenever the conversation is ongoing, making it a reliable navigation tool for your DM experience. 🧭

How Visitors Open the Menu 👆

The menu button is located at the top-right corner of the DM screen
It appears as a ☰ (three-line icon)
Tapping this icon opens the Persistent Menu

What You Can Display 🧩

You can add up to 5 menu items
Each menu item can trigger:
- 📝 A text message, or
- 🃏 A Button-Style Template message

This allows visitors to quickly find information without typing.

Button Templates & Carousel Support 🎠

Just like Inbox Starters:

Each Button-Style Template can include up to 3 buttons
You can add up to 10 button-style templates
Templates can be displayed as a carousel

This is ideal for:

🍽️ Menus
🛎️ Service categories
🛍️ Product listings
📚 Help & FAQ navigation

Always Available, Anytime ⏰

The biggest difference from Inbox Starters is availability:

📬 Inbox Starters → shown only when the DM is first opened
☰ Persistent Menu → can be opened anytime during the conversation

This ensures users never feel lost in the DM flow.

Best Practice: Use Both Menus Together 💡

For the best user experience, we recommend:

Showing key options in the Inbox Starter
Including a message such as:
“You can always access the menu from the ☰ button at the top right.”
Placing the same or expanded menu items in the Persistent Menu

This helps users learn that the menu is always accessible, even after the initial screen disappears.