Send Images, Videos and PDFs Automatically: Media and File Guide

To send a customer an image, video or audio clip automatically, add the Media component to your flow. To send a PDF, add the File component. Both work the same way in Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger. Once the file is sent, the flow moves on to the next connected step by itself.

When are Media and File useful?

Some of the most common DM questions are hard to answer with text alone. A size chart, a product video, a setup guide or a price list are good examples. Upload this content once, connect it to your flow, and the customer gets the file as soon as they ask.

• Media: a size chart image, a product video, a short voice greeting.
• File: PDF documents such as a catalog, price list, user guide or order form.

Media component settings

When you drop the Media component on the canvas, you first pick a type: Image, Video or Audio. Then you drag and drop a file, or use Browse from Library to pick one you uploaded before.

Type	Accepted formats	Max size
Image	PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF	8 MB
Video	MP4, OGG, AVI, MOV, WEBM	25 MB
Audio	AAC, M4A, WAV, MP4	25 MB

These limits come from Instagram's messaging rules. The panel applies the same limits to Facebook Messenger, so one flow works on both platforms.

A few details:

• A newly added file is uploaded when you press Save on the flow. Until then, the component says "Ready · uploads on save".
• Once a file is selected, you can't change the type. The editor says "Clear the current file to change the media type". Remove the file first, then change the type.
• If the format or size doesn't fit, the file is rejected and the supported types are listed.
• If video and audio aren't in your plan, those types show Upgrade your plan.

File component settings

The File component only accepts PDFs, because Instagram only allows PDF as a file type in messages. The upload area says "PDF only · Max 25 MB".

1. Drag and drop your PDF, or pick one with Browse from Library.
2. Check the uploaded file inside the component with Preview.
3. Save the flow. The file is uploaded at that point.

Sending PDFs isn't included in every plan. If it's off in your plan, a lock appears on the component.

Sample flow: size chart and catalog

Here is a flow that sends the right file when a customer types "size chart" or "catalog":

1. Add two condition sets to the Trigger. Give one the words "size" and "size chart", and the other "catalog" and "price list".
2. Connect the size condition to a Text Message: "Here's our size chart. Send us your measurements and we'll tell you which size fits."
3. Connect a Media step to the Text Message output, set the type to Image and upload your size chart.
4. Connect the catalog condition straight to a File step and upload your PDF catalog.
5. Add End Conversation at the end of each branch.

The flow skeleton:

Trigger

size, size chart

Text Message

Media

End Conversation

catalog, price list

File

End Conversation

What the customer sees:

Could you send me your catalog?

📄 Autumn Catalog.pdf

Media and File don't wait after sending, so any text you connect after them goes out right away. If you want the file to load and the customer to see it first, put a short Wait in between.

Sending images and PDFs privately from comments

Comment automation has no separate Media or File step in the component list. Instead, choose Media or File in the Message Type field of the Private DM step. Formats, sizes and plan rules are the same as in DMs.

For example, you can send a PDF catalog privately to anyone who comments "catalog". Meta's rule applies here: you can send only one private message per comment, and it has to go out within 7 days of the comment. A Private DM also carries just one file. If you want to send both an image and a PDF, set the Message Type to Button Menu, add Link Message Automation to the flow, and send the files from the message automation that runs when the customer taps the button.

The same settings apply on Instagram and on Facebook Page comments.

Common mistakes

• Uploading a phone photo as is. iPhone photos are often in HEIC format, which isn't accepted. Save the image as JPG or PNG.
• Videos that are too large. Videos over 25 MB won't upload. Trim or compress the video.
• Word or Excel files. The File component only sends PDFs.
• Can't change the type. The type picker is locked while a file is selected. Clear the file first.
• Saving without a file. A Media or File step with no file won't save. The editor shows "No file selected yet."

If you haven't built your first flow yet, start with our first message automation guide. For an example of sending private messages from comments, see our post on auto DMs for price comments.