A startle reflex to a startle pulse is inhibited when preceded by a prestimulus. We introduced a key‐press action (self‐action) or an 85 dB noise burst as a prestimulus, followed by a 115 dB noise burst as a startle pulse. We manipulated temporal offsets between the prestimulus and the startle pulse from 30–1,500 ms to examine whether self‐action modulates the startle reflex and the temporal properties of the modulatory effect. We assessed eyeblink reflexes by electromyography. Both prestimuli decreased reflexes compared to pulse‐alone trials. Moreover, the temporal windows of inhibition were different between the types of prestimuli. A faster maximal inhibition and narrower temporal window in self‐action trials suggest that preceding self‐action inhibits the startle reflex and allows prediction of the coming pulse in different ways from auditory prestimuli.