# How do I build an email list from my Instagram followers?

> Ask for an email in the DM that delivers what people asked for. Replavia saves each reply as a lead you own, and every plan can download the list as a CSV file.

- Topic: Leads
- Plans: Free: limited · Pro: included · Scale: included. Free: download your oldest 1,000 leads. Pro and Scale: all of them.
- In the app: Open Lead Inbox — https://app.replavia.com/contacts
- Last checked: 2026-10-29
- Web page: https://replavia.com/help/turn-instagram-followers-into-an-email-list

Your followers live on Instagram, and Instagram controls how you reach them. An account can be hacked, locked or lose reach. An email list is a way to reach people that you hold yourself.

## The idea

People are most willing to share their email right after you give them something. So ask in the same DM that delivers the guide, the discount or the link they asked for.

## Steps

1. Create an automation, or open one you already have. See [How to create an automation](https://replavia.com/help/create-an-automation).
2. For a comment automation, turn on **Use a tappable button**. The capture choice appears only with the button on.
3. Under **Collect their contact info**, choose **Ask for email**.
4. Read the ready-made question, and change the words if you like.
5. Click **Save & activate**.

When someone replies with their email, Replavia saves it as a lead in your **Lead Inbox**. For more detail, see [How to collect emails and phone numbers from DMs](https://replavia.com/help/capture-emails-and-phone-numbers).

## One thing per automation

Each automation asks for an email or a phone number, not both. If you want both, use two automations with different keywords.

## Take your list with you

- **Every plan:** open **Lead Inbox** and click **Export CSV**. On Free, the file holds the leads you can see, which are your oldest 1,000.
- **Scale:** new leads can go straight to Google Sheets, HubSpot, Zapier or Make.

See [How to export leads](https://replavia.com/help/export-and-sync-leads).

## Follow up by email

On Pro and Scale, Replavia can send two short follow-up emails to leads who shared their email. They go about 24 and 72 hours later. See [How to send automatic follow-up emails](https://replavia.com/help/follow-up-emails).

## Good to know

- Replavia is not an email-marketing tool. It collects the emails and sends those two follow-ups. For newsletters, import your CSV into the email tool you use.
- Only email people who agreed to hear from you, and include an unsubscribe link. That is your job in your own email tool.
- If someone replies STOP on Instagram, comment automations skip them and follow-up emails stop. See [What happens when someone replies STOP](https://replavia.com/help/stop-and-unsubscribe).
- Exports never include the person’s Instagram user id.