How to Add a Comment Box on an Instagram Story

Looking for a way to add a comment box to your Instagram Story to spark more conversation? While Instagram doesn't offer a single sticker explicitly named comment box, it provides several brilliant tools that achieve the exact same goal: getting direct feedback, questions, and responses from your audience. This guide will walk you through the most effective method using the Questions sticker, share creative alternatives, and provide pro-level strategies to boost your Story engagement.

Understanding the Instagram "Comment Box"

First, let’s clear up a common point of confusion. Many users search for a "comment box" feature similar to what you’d find on a blog post or a YouTube video. On Instagram Stories, this kind of open-ended feedback is designed to be more conversational and private, funneled through interactive stickers or direct messages (DMs).

The functionality you're probably looking for is best served by the "Questions" sticker. It’s a versatile tool that you can customize to ask for comments, feedback, opinions, or anything else you can think of. Your followers can type their responses directly into the box, and you receive them privately. From there, you can choose to share their responses publicly on your Story, creating a powerful feedback loop that encourages more people to participate. We'll also cover other clever methods to get those valuable interactions flowing.

How to Add a "Comment Box" with the 'Questions' Sticker: Step-by-Step

The "Questions" sticker is your go-to tool for soliciting open-ended replies. It's incredibly straightforward to use and highly effective. Here’s exactly how to set it up.

Step 1: Open Your Instagram Story Creator

Open the Instagram app and tap the plus icon (+) at the top right of your screen or simply swipe right from your main feed. This will open the Story creation interface.

Step 2: Create or Upload Your Story's Background

You can either take a new photo or video right on the spot, or you can upload existing content from your camera roll. Select an image or video that is relevant to the topic you want comments on. A visually engaging background will grab attention and encourage people to stop and interact.

Step 3: Access the Sticker Tray

Once your background image or video is in place, tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen. It looks like a square smiley face. This will open up Instagram’s full library of interactive stickers.

Step 4: Select the "Questions" Sticker

In the sticker tray, find and tap the sticker labeled "Questions." It will appear on your Story, ready for you to customize. By default, it says "Ask me a question," but we’re going to change that.

Step 5: Customize Your Prompt

This is where you turn the sticker into your own personal "comment box." Tap on the text that says "Ask me a question" and type your own prompt. Your prompt should clearly tell your audience what you want from them. Instead of a question, frame it as a call for comments or opinions.

Here are some effective prompt ideas:

• "Leave your comments below!"
• "What are your thoughts on this?"
• "Tell me what you think!"
• "Drop your best advice here."
• "Hit me with your feedback."
• "Did you like today's announcement? Comment here."

You can also use the color wheel at the top of the screen to change the color of the sticker to better match your brand or the aesthetic of your Story.

Step 6: Place and Resize the Sticker

With your prompt written, you can now drag the sticker to position it anywhere on your Story. Pinch and zoom with two fingers to make it bigger or smaller. To make it more noticeable, consider placing it in a spot with a clear background where it won't obscure a critical part of your image or video.

Step 7: Share Your Story

When you're happy with how everything looks, tap "Your Story" at the bottom left to publish it. Congratulations, you've now got an active "comment box" for your audience to interact with for the next 24 hours!

How to View and Share the Responses

Adding the sticker is only half the battle. Actively engaging with the comments you receive is what truly builds community and makes followers feel heard. Here's how to manage the responses.

Viewing Your Comments

To see who has replied, open your active Story by tapping on your profile picture. From there, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This will reveal the Story's viewers and analytics. Any responses submitted through your "Questions" sticker will appear at the top under a "Responses" section.

You can scroll through all the comments submitted. Remember, these are only visible to you unless you decide to share them.

Replying to Comments Publicly

Sharing your favorite, funniest, or most insightful comments is a fantastic way to generate even more engagement. It shows your audience that you’re actively reading their feedback and can trigger others to participate.

To share a response:

1. Swipe up on your Story to view the list of responses.
2. Tap on a specific comment that you want to share.
3. A new Story creator will open up with the comment you selected displayed as a sticker.
4. You can add your own reply using text, a GIF, another photo, or even a video of yourself responding.
5. Resize and reposition both the user's comment sticker and your reply as you see fit.
6. When you’re ready, share this new Story. The original commenter’s username and profile picture will be kept anonymous unless they've tagged you in their original reply.

Creative Alternatives for Getting More Comments

The "Questions" sticker is great for open-ended comments, but it's not the only tool at your disposal. Here are other methods you can use to encourage conversation and feedback in your Stories.

The Classic: Encourage Direct Message Replies

The simplest method of all is to just ask for a DM. Every Instagram Story has a "Send Message" bar at the bottom by default. Sometimes, all you need is a strong call to action to remind people it’s there.

Simply use the text tool to write a prompt like:

• "My DMs are open! What do you think?"
• "Reply to this Story and let me know your thoughts."
• "Curious to hear from you. Slide into my DMs."

You can even add a GIF that points down to the message bar to draw extra attention to it. This approach feels very personal and can be great for starting one-on-one conversations with your most engaged followers.

Generate Quick Opinions with Polls and Sliders

Sometimes, an open text box can feel like a lot of work for a viewer. The "Poll" sticker (with two customizable options) and the "Emoji Slider" sticker are low-friction ways to get a quick pulse check on your audience's sentiment.

• Poll Sticker: Ask a direct, two-choice question. For example, show a new product and ask, "Love this color?" with "Yes!" and "Not for me" as options. The results are a form of feedback, and users who feel strongly might follow up with a DM to explain their vote.
• Emoji Slider: This sticker lets you ask a "how much?" question. For example, with an image of a new feature you launched, you could ask, "How excited are you to try this?" with a heart-eyes emoji slider. It’s a fun, visual way to gauge excitement levels.

Start a Dialogue with the Quiz Sticker

While designed for trivia, the quiz sticker can be cleverly repurposed to start a conversation. You can pose a question related to your content or brand and see how people answer.

For example, a fitness coach could post, "What's the best way to grow your glutes?" with options like "Squats" and "Hip Thrusts." Regardless of the answer, it opens the door for a teaching moment. You can share the quiz results and then start a broader discussion in your next Story, inviting more detailed comments via the "Questions" sticker or DMs.

Pro Tips to Maximize Story Comments and Engagement

Ready to take your Story engagement to the next level? Here are a few strategies used by top creators and brands.

1. Be Specific With Your Prompts

The more generic your question, the more generic your responses will be (if you get any at all). Instead of "Ask Me Anything," narrow the focus. Specificity inspires better, more creative comments.

• Instead of: "What do you want to see more of?"
• Try: "What's one topic about social media marketing you're confused by right now?"
• Instead of: "Any feedback?"
• Try: "What’s one thing we could improve on our new website font?"

2. Make It a Regular Feature

Consistency trains your audience to engage. Consider creating a weekly series where you actively ask for DMs or use a comment box. "Feedback Fridays," "Q&A Tuesdays," or a weekly "Suggestion Box" can become content pillars your audience looks forward to. When people know you’ll regularly be asking for - and featuring - their input, they’ll be more likely to participate.

3. Share the Best and Most Interesting Responses

People love to feel seen and heard. By sharing their comments publicly (and replying thoughtfully), you accomplish two things:

• Social Proof: It shows others that people are actively engaging with you.
• Positive Reinforcement: It encourages the original commenter and others to share their thoughts again in the future.

Always try to add your own valuable insight or a personal reaction when you share a response. Don’t just post the sticker on its own.

4. Use Strong Visual Cues

Never underestimate the power of a simple arrow or a GIF. When you use a "Questions" sticker or are asking for DMs, add an animated arrow or draw one with the pen tool pointing directly to the area you want them to tap. This small visual nudge can significantly increase your interaction rate because it instantly tells your followers' brains exactly what to do.

Final Thoughts

Mastering a "comment box" on your Instagram Stories is all about understanding the available tools - like the versatile Questions sticker, Polls, and classic DMs - and using them to create direct lines of communication with your audience. By asking specific questions and actively sharing replies, you transform passive viewers into an active community that feels connected to you and your brand.

Once you get used to inviting dozens or hundreds of Story replies, you’ll find that keeping up with engagement can become a big challenge. Inside Postbase, we designed a unified engagement inbox where all your Instagram DMs and Story replies appear right alongside comments from your Reels, TikToks, and other platforms. This way, you can easily filter, track, and respond to every conversation without ever letting a great comment get lost in the shuffle.