Test your flow
Preview the conversation, test the saved draft through Instagram, and check the trigger before sharing it with your audience.
On this page
Two ways to test
Preview simulates the conversation with sample data without sending messages through Instagram. The live test runs your saved draft through Instagram with real DMs. Use an account you control and test data you are comfortable saving.
Use Preview while you’re shaping the conversation, and run one live test before you publish. Both work on drafts — you never have to publish just to find out.
Preview the conversation
Open Preview from the flow editor toolbar and step through the flow exactly as a contact would — tap the buttons, follow the branches, watch where the conversation leads. It’s the fastest way to catch a clunky message or a branch that dead-ends.
Run a live test
The live test gives you a temporary code. DM it to your connected account from a different Instagram account, and Ravela runs the latest saved draft. The code works during the test session, which lasts up to one hour or until you stop it.
- 1Save your draft — the test runs the latest saved version.
- 2Open Test in the flow editor and choose the connected account.
- 3Start the test and copy its temporary code.
- 4From another Instagram account you control — your personal one is perfect — DM the code to your connected account.
- 5Watch the conversation in Instagram and the run in Ravela. Finish or stop the current test run before trying again with your saved changes.
Check the comment entry too
Sending a test code is a DM: it opens the normal messaging window. That test does not prove a first-time commenter can receive the same opening message.
For a comment-triggered flow, check that the opening step is text with optional quick replies, or an Ask for Input question. Delivery must follow the person’s response. Review any comment-reply warning shown when attaching the trigger.
Before announcing the automation, publish the flow and scope an active trigger to a post you control. Test with another account that has not messaged the connected account within the last 24 hours. Confirm the opening DM arrives, then respond and check that the delivery step follows. This is a real run, so keep the test post and keyword limited to your test.
Good to know
A few details that save head-scratching:
- Keep the code private and stop the session when you are done. Anyone who sends a valid code to that account can start the test flow while it is active.
- Publishing is not required — the live test exists precisely so drafts can prove themselves first.
- If your test account ever sent STOP to the connected account, send START before testing — opt-outs are honored even for you.
- Live-test runs are marked as tests and excluded from flow analytics and goal tracking. They still send real messages and can create or update contact and conversation records.
- Running a raffle flow? Those are tested from Automations → Raffles instead.