The chat screenshot format: text message and DM stories

A chat screenshot post tells a story through a text conversation styled like iMessage, WhatsApp or Instagram DMs. Viewers read it like they’re looking over someone’s shoulder.

It holds attention with almost no visuals, which is why both faceless pages and service businesses use it. The catch is honesty. A conversation on screen looks like evidence, so be clear about whether it is real.

What is a text message story?

It is a slideshow where the content of each slide is part of a chat thread. The first slide sets the scene: who, when and why it matters. The middle slides reveal the conversation a few messages at a time, and the last slide resolves it.

There are three honest versions:

Type	What it is	How to label it
Real	Actual DMs or texts, shared with permission, personal details blurred	“Shared with permission”
Dramatized	A conversation you wrote, usually based on real situations	“Dramatization” or “Based on questions we get”
Script	An example of what to text in a situation	Clear from context, like “What to text your landlord”

Are fake text stories OK to post?

Yes, as long as nobody could mistake them for real evidence. Skits and invented scenarios are everywhere on TikTok.

Labeling also costs you little. Green and Brock’s research found that calling a story fiction generally didn’t reduce how absorbed readers were.

Four rules keep a dramatized chat honest:

1. Label it twice. Put “Dramatization” on the first or last slide and in the caption.
2. Never fake a customer. A made-up DM presented as a real review is a fake testimonial. The FTC’s 2024 rule bans testimonials from people who don’t exist or never used the business.
3. Don’t borrow real identities. No real names, profile photos or brand accounts in an invented chat.
4. Label realistic AI images. If an AI tool generated realistic images in the post, TikTok requires an AI-generated label.

For real messages, ask the other person before posting. Blur names, photos and numbers.

When to use it

Use it when your expertise shows up in conversations. Accountants get panicked texts in April, trainers get “is this normal” messages, and photographers get the same five questions before every booking.

It also suits apps that live in messages or notifications, and brands with real customer DMs worth sharing. Skip it when the story has to be seen, like a renovation. Use before and after for that.

Second worked example: a dog trainer

Here is a composite chat for a puppy-training business. It is built from common client questions and labeled that way.

1. Hook: “Texts I get in week one of every new puppy. (Composite of real client questions, names removed.)”
2. Messages: “Client: he cried in the crate for 2 hours / Me: normal on night one. Is the crate next to your bed?”
3. Messages: “Client: …it’s in the laundry room / Me: there it is”
4. Messages: “Client: also he won’t let go of my socks / Me: he’s 9 weeks old. He’s teething, not plotting.”
5. Messages: “Client: night 3 update: he slept 6 hours / Me: told you”
6. Resolution: “Crate by the bed, a frozen washcloth for teething, and patience. That’s week one.”
7. CTA: “New puppy? Our 4-week starter class begins Saturday. Link in bio.”

The labeled hook costs nothing. The jokes still land, and nobody feels tricked later.

Variations

• Group chat. Three or more voices reacting to news. Good for launches and announcements.
• What they say vs what they mean. Each slide pairs a client message with its translation.
• Customer DM receipts. Real customer messages, shared with permission, as social proof.
• Notification stack. A lock screen filling up with messages tells a story in one or two slides.
• POV in texts. “POV: your mom just found your business on TikTok,” told in messages. See the POV format.
• Storytime in texts. A longer storytime where each turning point is a message.

How to make chat slides with your own photos

Build the chat in a mockup tool or a design app, or start from real screenshots. Pick one app style and keep it for the whole post. Make the bubbles bigger than on a real phone, since people are reading a slide, not their own screen.

Your photos go behind or around the chat. A blurred shot of your shop, desk or training field works as a background and quietly tells viewers who you are. A photo of a hand holding a phone with the chat on screen also works.

If you rebuild a chat-style post with TokCloner, it keeps the slide roles and rewrites the messages for your business profile. You can use your own photos as backgrounds. Review every slide in the editor before posting, and add your dramatization label as text.

For openers, try the hook library or start from a TikTok slideshow template.