The cold DMs on X that get answers are short, carry no link, and end on a question someone can answer in a few seconds. The twelve below follow that shape. You can send one script to a whole list, with each name filled in. In our users' campaigns up to October 2026, scripts got between 1 and 8 replies per 100 people.
The other thing that decides replies is who you send to, and no script can fix that. Pick the list first, then the words.
What every cold DM on X needs
X lets one message into a pending request until the person accepts it, so your first message has to earn the reply on its own. That is why every opener below fits in three lines and asks one small question.
Leave the link out of message one. X's spam rules name "direct messages consisting of links shared without commentary". Link previews in a message request also stay hidden until the person accepts. So the link earns you nothing yet, and it is better sent after they reply.
Each account also has a daily cap on first messages, 7 on a free account and 35 on Premium. X's cap on first messages, plan by plan has the full table.
Sending to a list also puts you under X's rule, which covers every tool, ours included: "You may not send unsolicited Direct Messages in a bulk or automated manner". What X allows when you DM a list explains the opt-in route.
The 12 scripts
Ten of these are openers, and the last two are for people who replied once and then went quiet. Each one works for a whole list: your tool fills in {{firstName}}, and the rest of the line fits everyone in one segment, such as founders who posted about the same problem.
Script 1: one clear offer. Say what you do in one line.
Hey {{firstName}}, we help founders get booked calls from X without posting more. Want the two line version?
Script 2: shared problem. You fixed what they posted about.
{{firstName}}, we hit the same wall you posted about. Reply rates falling off after week one. Fixed it in an odd way. Want the short version?
Script 3: question first. Ask what most of your list has in common.
{{firstName}}, quick question. Where do most of your new clients come from right now, referrals or outbound?
Script 4: easy yes or no. Make replying take two seconds.
Hey {{firstName}}, I have one idea that got our clients more replies on X. Want me to send it? Yes or no is fine.
Script 5: recruiter. Never say "exciting opportunity".
Hey {{firstName}}, we are hiring engineers who write about their work, and your posts came up. Open to a short chat? No job spec attached.
Script 6: job seeker. No CV, no link.
{{firstName}}, I saw the open role on your team. Before I apply: what is the one thing the last person in that seat got wrong?
Script 7: partnership. Terms come after a yes.
Hey {{firstName}}, our users keep asking for what you built. Have you done partner deals, or not yet?
Script 8: creator collab. Send it only where your audiences overlap.
{{firstName}}, a lot of the people who follow us follow you too. Want to write a joint thread on a topic we both post about?
Script 9: agency. Quote only results you can show.
Hey {{firstName}}, you post daily but the replies are thin. We fixed that for a client last month. Want to see the one change?
Script 10: founder to founder. No pitch after a yes.
{{firstName}}, we are about a year behind you on the same road. Can I ask one question about how you priced the first version?
Script 11: they replied, then went quiet. Wait three days or more.
Hey {{firstName}}, one more nudge and then I will leave it. Still happy to send that idea over. Yes or no is fine.
Script 12: close the loop. A week later. Then stop.
{{firstName}}, closing this out so I am not clutter in your inbox. If it is ever useful, the offer stands. Good luck.
Can you send the same DM to everyone?
Yes, and most of our users send the same few versions to their whole list. From 2 July to 5 October 2026, the median campaign on our software rotated 5 versions of one message, and a single version went out 8,058 times. X's spam rules list "sending identical direct messages", yet the usual stop was the daily cap: over half the days with an error 226 came right after about 35 first messages.
Rotating a few versions still pays, because it shows you which line works. It also keeps one weak sentence from reaching the whole list.
How to choose between two scripts
Send each script to 1,000 leads from the same list, then compare. At a 1% reply rate, 1,000 sends bring about 10 replies, so a few extra answers still move the rate a lot. Wait a full week before you judge, and give the winner another 1,000 sends before you call it settled.
If both scripts flop, look at the list before you rewrite the words. We saw this in our own outreach in September 2026. People who commented on a "drop your startup link" post replied with interest 3.0% of the time, against 0.3% for followers of big marketing accounts. Which X lead lists reply has the totals.
Xsender sends one script to a list of thousands, with each name filled in and anyone already messaged skipped.
FAQ
How long should a cold DM be?
We keep cold DMs on X to three lines. One line says who you are, one says why it matters to them, and one asks an easy question.
Should you put a link in a cold DM?
No. Link previews stay hidden until the person accepts your request, and X's rules count link-only DMs as spam. Send the link after they reply.
What reply rate should a cold DM script get?
Our users see about 1% to 8%, depending on the script. Cold DM reply rates, measured and claimed compares that with the largest public dataset.
Can you follow up on a cold DM on X?
Not until they accept. X lets one message into a pending request, so a follow-up only lands once the person has replied or accepted. Scripts 11 and 12 are for that case.
Try it on your own X accounts. See plans and the 7-day trial
Sources and method
Sources and dates
- Links without commentary and identical DMs as spam: X's Authenticity policy, archived 7 September 2026.
- One message into a pending request: observed by the founder; our sending has followed it since 1 October 2026.
- Caps by plan: X's Chat help page, read 5 October 2026.
- Previews hidden until accept: X's DM help page, archived 6 September 2026.
- Versions per campaign and sends per version: our production logs, all workspaces, 2 July to 5 October 2026.
- The 1% to 8% range: our users' campaigns by script, as reported by the founder on 5 October 2026. The list comparison: our own outreach, September 2026, 26 of 854 against 5 of 1,804.
- The scripts are our own, written in October 2026.