> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.indm.social/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Validate an automation > A dry run. Checks a proposed comment-to-DM automation against the rules the engine enforces and returns the normalised version together with anything that would make it misfire: a keyword with a space in it, a button label Instagram would cut off, a DM that promises a link it was never given. It writes nothing, needs no post, and works with a `read` key, so you can check copy before you have anywhere to put it. Needs a `read` or `full` key. ## OpenAPI ````yaml post /automations/validate openapi: 3.1.0 info: title: inDM API version: 1.0.0 summary: >- Build, launch and read Instagram comment-to-DM automations from your own code. description: > The inDM API gives your code the same reach as the inDM app: list the posts and reels inDM has synced, pull in new ones, build automations on them, set them live and read how they are doing. Every request is authenticated with an API key created in **Settings → API keys**. Keys belong to one workspace and carry a scope, `read` or `full`. Keys are server-side secrets: the API sends no CORS headers, so a browser can't call it directly. Nothing sends through this API. No DM, broadcast or public reply leaves Instagram by this path, and every automation it creates starts as a `draft`. Setting one `live` is the only call that changes what people on Instagram receive. contact: name: inDM support email: support@indm.social url: https://docs.indm.social servers: - url: https://api.indm.social/v1 description: Production security: - apiKey: [] tags: - name: Workspace description: The workspace and API key behind a request. - name: Accounts description: Connected Instagram accounts, their health, and content refreshes. - name: Media description: Posts and reels inDM has synced from Instagram. - name: Automations description: Comment-to-DM automations. Created as drafts; set live when you're ready. paths: /automations/validate: post: tags: - Automations summary: Validate an automation description: > A dry run. Checks a proposed comment-to-DM automation against the rules the engine enforces and returns the normalised version together with anything that would make it misfire: a keyword with a space in it, a button label Instagram would cut off, a DM that promises a link it was never given. It writes nothing, needs no post, and works with a `read` key, so you can check copy before you have anywhere to put it. Needs a `read` or `full` key. operationId: validateAutomation requestBody: required: true content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/AutomationDraft' example: goal: Send the spring guide to anyone who comments GUIDE keyword: GUIDE dm_message: Here's the spring planting guide. Enjoy it. button_label: Send me the guide link_url: https://example.com/spring-guide language: en responses: '200': description: The check. `ready` is true when nothing would stop it working. headers: X-Request-Id: $ref: '#/components/headers/X-Request-Id' RateLimit-Limit: $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit' RateLimit-Remaining: $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining' RateLimit-Reset: $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset' content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/AutomationDraftResult' '400': $ref: '#/components/responses/BadRequest' '401': $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized' '429': $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited' '500': $ref: '#/components/responses/ServerError' components: schemas: AutomationDraft: type: object description: A proposed automation to check. Nothing is saved. required: - keyword - dm_message properties: goal: type: string description: What you want to happen, in your own words. example: Send the spring guide to anyone who comments GUIDE keyword: type: string description: The one word a fan comments to trigger it. Case-insensitive. example: GUIDE dm_message: type: string description: The direct message the fan receives. example: Here's the spring planting guide. Enjoy it. button_label: type: string description: The opt-in button's label. Up to 20 characters. example: Send me the guide public_reply: type: string description: A public reply posted under the fan's comment. link_url: type: string description: The link the DM delivers. example: https://example.com/spring-guide language: type: string description: >- The two-letter code of the language the copy is written in, such as `en`, `es` or `ko`. example: en AutomationDraftResult: type: object required: - specification - ready - problems - notes properties: specification: type: object description: The normalised automation, as inDM would build it. properties: trigger: type: string example: comment keyword: type: string description: The keyword, uppercased. example: GUIDE public_reply: type: string button_label: type: string description: >- The button label, with inDM's default filled in when you sent none. example: Send me the guide dm_message: type: string example: Here's the spring planting guide. Enjoy it. link_url: type: string example: https://example.com/spring-guide language: type: string example: en status_when_created: type: string description: Always `draft`. example: draft ready: type: boolean description: True when `problems` is empty, so nothing would stop it working. example: true problems: type: array description: >- What would make it misfire, in the order found. Empty when `ready` is true. items: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Problem' example: [] notes: type: array description: Facts about how it will behave once live. items: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Caveat' example: - code: keywords_case_insensitive message: >- Keywords are case-insensitive, so GUIDE also matches guide and Guide. - code: created_as_draft message: Created as a draft. Nothing sends until it is set live. Problem: type: object description: One thing that would make a proposed automation misfire. required: - code - message properties: code: type: string description: >- A stable code, listed on [Errors](/errors). The same code a create would be refused with, where one applies. example: button_label_too_long param: type: string description: The request field at fault. Left out when no single field is. example: button_label message: type: string description: What's wrong and how to fix it, in a sentence. example: >- The button label is 26 characters. Instagram shows up to 20, so it would be cut off. Caveat: type: object required: - code - message properties: code: type: string description: A stable code for what was adjusted. example: followup_goes_to_everyone message: type: string description: What it means, in a sentence. example: >- The follow-up goes to everyone who received the first message, including people who already tapped the link. Error: type: object description: Every error has this shape. required: - error properties: error: type: object required: - type - code - message - doc_url properties: type: type: string description: The family of error. Each maps to one HTTP status. enum: - invalid_request - authentication_error - permission_error - plan_limit - not_found - conflict - rate_limited - api_error code: type: string description: > A stable, specific code. Branch on this, never on `message`. Every code is listed on [Errors](/errors). example: dm_message_too_long message: type: string description: >- A sentence for a person, saying what happened and what to do next. It may change; don't parse it. param: type: string description: >- The request field the error is about. Left out when no single field is. example: dm_message doc_url: type: string format: uri description: A link to this code on the [Errors](/errors) page. example: https://docs.indm.social/errors#dm_message_too_long headers: X-Request-Id: description: >- A unique id for this request. Include it when you write to support and we can find the request at once. schema: type: string example: req_8Qm2ZcY4vN7tLp1K RateLimit-Limit: description: >- Requests this key may make per minute, across every route. Sent once the key is accepted. schema: type: integer example: 120 RateLimit-Remaining: description: >- Requests left in the current one-minute window. `0` when a write is refused for the write limit. schema: type: integer example: 117 RateLimit-Reset: description: Seconds until the current window resets. schema: type: integer example: 42 Retry-After: description: Seconds to wait before trying again. schema: type: integer example: 18 responses: BadRequest: description: >- The request can't be processed as sent. `param` names the field when there is one. headers: X-Request-Id: $ref: '#/components/headers/X-Request-Id' content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' example: error: type: invalid_request code: button_label_too_long message: >- The button label is 26 characters. Instagram shows up to 20, so it would be cut off. param: button_label doc_url: https://docs.indm.social/errors#button_label_too_long Unauthorized: description: The API key is missing, malformed, expired or revoked. headers: X-Request-Id: $ref: '#/components/headers/X-Request-Id' content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' example: error: type: authentication_error code: api_key_expired message: >- This API key expired on 3 Feb 2027. Create a new one under Settings → API keys. doc_url: https://docs.indm.social/errors#api_key_expired RateLimited: description: >- This key went past its rate limit. Wait for `Retry-After` seconds, then try again. headers: X-Request-Id: $ref: '#/components/headers/X-Request-Id' Retry-After: $ref: '#/components/headers/Retry-After' RateLimit-Limit: $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Limit' RateLimit-Remaining: $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Remaining' RateLimit-Reset: $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit-Reset' content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' example: error: type: rate_limited code: rate_limited message: >- That's more than 120 requests a minute on one key. Wait 18s and try again. doc_url: https://docs.indm.social/errors#rate_limited ServerError: description: > Something failed on our side. Retrying with backoff is safe for reads. The same body comes with `503` when inDM briefly can't reach its database. headers: X-Request-Id: $ref: '#/components/headers/X-Request-Id' content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' example: error: type: api_error code: internal_error message: >- Something went wrong on our end. Try again; if it keeps happening, quote request req_8Qm2ZcY4vN7tLp1K to support@indm.social. doc_url: https://docs.indm.social/errors#internal_error securitySchemes: apiKey: type: http scheme: bearer bearerFormat: indm_ API key description: > An API key from **Settings → API keys** in the inDM app, sent as `Authorization: Bearer indm_...`. Keys belong to one workspace and carry a scope: `read` for GET routes and the validate dry run, `full` for everything. Keep keys on your server; never ship one to a browser or a mobile app. ```` This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.