# Hidden Words on Instagram: how to set up a custom list for comments Canonical: https://instadot.ru/en/hidden-words-on-instagram-how-to-set-up-a-custom-list-for-comments/ Language: en ![A bouquet in a flower studio with paper comment bubbles: the flower-themed ones remain visible, while grey ones are set aside in a tray.](https://instadot.ru/assets/images/daily-2026-10-25-instagram-hidden-words-cover-e5bdcbd5.webp) Contents of article Under a bouquet photo, someone asks whether the flowers can be delivered in the morning. An unrelated advert for earning money appears alongside it, followed by several similar offers. Filtering out everything containing “delivery” would hide useful questions from the studio. Doing nothing leaves visitors searching for answers among unrelated adverts. A custom list in Instagram’s Hidden Words feature helps tailor filtering to this situation. Build it around recurring unwanted content, then check whether the list is too broad. ## What the list filters and what you still need to do [Meta describes Hidden Words](https://about.fb.com/news/2022/10/protecting-people-on-instagram-from-abuse/) as a tool for filtering unwanted content in comments and message requests. Alongside the platform’s built-in protection, users can create their own list of words, phrases and emojis. Here, we will focus on preparing a list for comments on a flower studio’s posts. Do not confuse this task with blocking an account. Meta discusses blocking separately in the same overview: it limits interaction with a particular person. The list specifies unwanted content, rather than people who are forbidden to ask questions. Uncomfortable criticism calls for a different response too. A comment such as “The bouquet arrived later than promised. Why?” raises an issue with an order. Check what happened and address it with the customer, rather than adding “later” to the filter. ## Collect examples before changing settings Read the discussions under your posts and note recurring offers from unrelated accounts. Text excerpts are enough; you do not need people’s names or personal details to prepare the list. Separately, keep the questions you want to preserve: about delivery times, the bouquet’s contents, payment and flower availability. Now compare the two groups. The word “delivery” can appear both in an unrelated service’s advert and in a customer’s question. “Price” is hardly a sign of a violation either: it is a normal topic for a shop. Look for a more distinctive phrase in the recurring adverts, rather than their most conspicuous word. An illustrative list for a studio receiving these particular unrelated offers: > profile promotion, earn without investing, promotion through direct messages This is an example of a list, not a universal set for every account. Add a phrase only if it fits your situation. If your page discusses promoting florists, even the first entry will need reconsidering. ![Two custom word lists compared: on the left, flower-themed comments are hidden along with spam; on the right, only the identical grey messages are separated out.](https://instadot.ru/assets/images/daily-2026-10-25-instagram-hidden-words-inline-17f0b7e8.webp) In the diagram, an overly broad list hides useful questions too, while a narrow one separates recurring spam. This explains the principle; it is not a screenshot of Instagram’s filter in use. ## Add the list and check the selected setting [Instagram’s official help page on hiding comments](https://help.instagram.com/700284123459336/) distinguishes comment settings from the custom Hidden Words list. Find “Hidden Words” in your profile settings and the option to add your own entries. In the Android instructions, entries are separated by commas. 1. Make sure you are configuring the studio’s intended account. 2. Copy in the prepared phrases and check that the entries are separated correctly. 3. Read the explanation for applying the list: choose the comment filtering you need, rather than assuming that adding text enables every other function. 4. After saving, review the list again and remove any general words added by mistake. Check the full menu path against the help instructions for your device. Do not apply an old toggle-based guide to every version of Instagram: automatic filtering and custom-list management may be in different sections. ## Check more than whether the spam disappears After setup, monitor both the regular discussion and the hidden comments available in the app. Look for meaningful questions first. If you find an enquiry about an order, deal with it, then identify the overly broad phrase in your list. Hidden does not mean deleted or completely inaccessible. Instagram’s help page states that comments hidden by this filtering can be opened in a dedicated section, including by other users. That is another reason to judge the setting by the quality of the discussion, rather than promising the team that every unwanted text will become invisible. Refine a specific entry instead of adding everything indiscriminately. For the studio, a useful check is: are questions about delivery and collection times still coming through? Are discussions about prices or flower substitutions disappearing? A quieter discussion alone does not prove that the filter is well configured. Hiding a comment does not resolve a customer’s problem. If a complaint concerns your work, keep the information needed to investigate and respond to the substance of it. A team should agree in advance who checks these enquiries and who handles questions about a particular order. ## Maintain the list as your content changes Review the list when your post topics change or new recurring adverts appear. A phrase that used to be irrelevant may become appropriate after you launch a new service. When handing the account over to another employee, explain why each questionable entry was added; otherwise, they will be maintaining a list whose purpose is no longer clear. [Meta’s overview of its protective tools](https://about.fb.com/news/2022/11/protecting-footballers-and-fans-during-the-fifa-world-cup/) notes that Hidden Words also applies to message requests. If you use that part of the feature, check it separately from comments. Do not expect a single list to stop every unwanted enquiry. For [a joint post with a partner](https://instadot.ru/en/joint-instagram-posts-how-to-prepare-a-collab-with-a-partner/) agree in advance who will handle the audience’s questions. And in your [Instagram growth plan without artificial boosting](https://instadot.ru/en/instagram-promotion-without-artificial-boosting-where-to-start/) make time for replies: filtering clears space for conversation, but does not conduct it for you. 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