LinkedIn Comment Keyword Triggers for DMs (2026)

A comment-triggered DM is a LinkedIn message sent automatically when someone comments a chosen keyword on your post. The best keyword is one short word tied to your resource, like GUIDE or HOOKS, set as a trigger in a comment to DM tool such as LeadShark.

In short:

One word, tied to the resource. HOOKS for a hook swipe file, AUDIT for an audit checklist.
Add variants as extra triggers: plurals, short forms and the misspellings you expect.
Or answer every comment when nearly everyone commenting wants the resource.
You decide who gets a DM. Keywords you set, or every comment, so there's no guessing.

What is a comment-triggered DM?

It's the "comment GUIDE and I'll send it" flow, run by software:

Your post asks readers to comment a keyword.
Someone comments it.
They get a short public reply under their comment and a DM with the resource, in under 10 minutes on average with LeadShark.

LinkedIn has no built-in setting for this, so a comment to DM tool does the matching and the sending. Commenters who aren't connections get a connection request first, and the DM goes out once they accept.

Keyword or every comment?

	Keyword trigger	Answer every comment
Who gets the DM	Only people who typed your word	Everyone who comments
Best for	Posts that also pull general comments	Posts where nearly every comment is a request
Risk of DMing the wrong person	Low	Higher, since "great post" gets a DM too
Setup	Set one or more keywords	Leave the keyword list empty

Most lead magnet posts should use a keyword. Answering every comment works for short, request-only posts, like "comment and I'll send it".

How to pick the keyword

Good keyword	Why it works	Weak keyword	Why it doesn't
HOOKS	Names the resource	YES	People type it anyway
CHECKLIST	Clear and easy to spell	INFO	Too generic
AUDIT	Short, one word	SEND ME THE GUIDE	Several words, easy to change
SEAT	Fits the offer (a session)	GREAT	Normal praise triggers a DM
PLAYBOOK	Says what they get	FREEGUIDE2026	Long and easy to mistype

Rules of thumb:

One word, easy to type on a phone.
Write it in capitals in the post so it stands out.
Make it specific to this resource, so ordinary comments don't match.
Use the same word in the post, the trigger and, ideally, the public reply.

Variants and misspellings

People type fast. Someone asking for your CHECKLIST may write "checklists", "check list" or "cheklist". In LeadShark you can add as many keyword triggers per automation as you need, so add the forms you expect:

Main keyword	Extra triggers to add
CHECKLIST	checklists, check list, cheklist
TEMPLATE	templates, templete
HOOKS	hook
PLAYBOOK	play book, playbooks
GUIDE	guides, giude

You decide who gets a DM

LeadShark uses the keywords you set, or answers every comment, so you always know who gets a DM and why. That keeps DMs to the people who asked, and it's easy to explain in the post: "comment HOOKS" means comment HOOKS.

Posts that are already live

You can attach an automation to a post that's already up. If you've already answered some comments by hand, turn on Partially Engage and LeadShark skips any comment with a manual reply from you, so nobody gets the same reply twice.

How to set a keyword trigger in LeadShark

Pick the post: live, scheduled or your next one.
Set the main keyword, the same word your post asks for.
Add variants as extra triggers, or leave the list empty to answer every comment.
Write the public reply and the DM. Both are templates you write.
Turn on Partially Engage if you already replied to some comments by hand.
Set your daily limit, 0 to 250 DMs a day (150 recommended max), and switch it on.

The full walkthrough is in LinkedIn comment to DM automation: the complete guide, and the shorter version is how to auto DM everyone who comments.

Keyword ideas by resource

Resource	Keyword ideas
Checklist	CHECKLIST, LIST, STEPS
Template	TEMPLATE, COPY, DOC
Swipe file	SWIPE, HOOKS, LINES
Guide or playbook	GUIDE, PLAYBOOK, PDF
Session or webinar	SEAT, LIVE, REPLAY
Calculator or sheet	SHEET, CALC
Course	COURSE, LESSONS
Product trial or demo	DEMO, TRIAL

The post copy that goes with each keyword is in 8 comment GUIDE post templates. For trial and demo keywords, see comment to DM for SaaS founders.

Try it on your next post

LeadShark has captured 3M comments and delivered 2.7M+ DMs for 1,500+ creators, across 26K+ automations, live since September 2024. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, no card. Compare plans on pricing. See the LinkedIn comment to DM tool.

FAQ

What is a comment-triggered DM on LinkedIn?

A LinkedIn message sent automatically when someone comments a chosen keyword on your post. The commenter gets a public reply under their comment and a DM with the resource they asked for.

Which keyword should I use for comment to DM?

One short word tied to your resource, like GUIDE, HOOKS or CHECKLIST. Avoid words people type anyway, such as "yes" or "great", and use the same word in the post and the trigger.

Can I use more than one keyword?

Yes. In LeadShark you can add as many keyword triggers per automation as you need, which is how you cover plurals and misspellings.

Can I DM everyone who comments, whatever they write?

Yes. Leave the keyword list empty and LeadShark answers every comment on the post. Use it on posts where nearly every comment is a request.

What if someone misspells the keyword?

Add the misspellings you expect as extra keyword triggers, such as "cheklist" for CHECKLIST.

Does it work on a post that's already live?

Yes. Attach the automation to the live post, and turn on Partially Engage to skip comments you already answered by hand.

How do I automate replies to LinkedIn post comments with a keyword?

Use a comment to DM tool. In LeadShark you pick the post, set the keyword and write the reply and DM templates, and every matching commenter gets both.

Comment-Triggered DMs on LinkedIn: How to Pick and Set Keywords