Content metrics measure the lifetime performance of posts that were published during the selected date range, including any new activity since the selected date range.
Instagram offers content metrics natively in the Content section of its Insights tool. Many of these metrics are also available in Measure, in addition to metrics that aren't available natively.
Network rules
How much historical data is available for Instagram content metrics?
When you connect an Instagram channel for the first time, Measure will backfill all posts from the past 14 days and their data. Stories cannot be backfilled.
How often are Instagram content metrics refreshed?
Instagram content metrics will receive their first data refresh 15 minutes after a post's publication. Additional refreshes will continue at varying intervals for 14 days.
Instagram content metrics will also receive a data refresh 15 minutes after each new engagement on the posts. These refreshes will continue for up to 194 days.
Lifetime data collection for an Instagram post is complete at 194 days after publication.
Do Instagram content metrics include paid data?
Instagram content metrics will show paid data for promoted posts and organic data for non-promoted posts. Promoted posts will show a Promoted banner.
You must connect your Facebook ad account to view paid Instagram content or its data.
Tip: You can also view your paid Instagram content data via the linked Facebook channel: Viewing Paid Instagram Data in Measure
Can I see Instagram collaborative posts in Measure?
Instagram collaborative posts, or "collab posts," are posts that are published as a collaboration between two or more Instagram channels. One channel creates the post and invites the collaborator(s); then the post is published to all channels simultaneously.
Your Instagram collab posts will only be available in Measure if you were the creator, not a collaborator. However, the data will be a combined total from all channels to which the collab post was published.
Metrics rules
* = Metrics available in Measure but not natively
Metric | Definition | Post Types |
Average watch time* | The average amount of time, in seconds, spent playing a Reel. | Reel |
Comments | The number comments in your posts published during the selected period. Organic and paid totals. For Instagram, this value matches the number shown natively on the platform and may include additional comments beyond organic and paid due to viral distribution and cross-posted content on Facebook.
Note: Due to privacy restrictions, Story replies are not available for the regions of Europe and Japan. | Image, Carousel, Reel, Story |
Engagement rate (reach)* | Percentage of people who engage with your posts after seeing it.
Formula: 100 x (Reactions + Comments + Shares + Saves + Reposts) / Reach. | Image, Carousel, Reel |
Engagement rate* | Total engagements as a percentage of the Views. (Instagram replaced Impressions with Views as of January 2025.)
Formula: 100 x (Reactions + Comments + Shares + Saves + Reposts / Views | Image |
Engagements | The Reactions, Comments, Shares, Saves, and Reposts (for Organic IG) on a post. Clicks are not included. Organic and paid totals (if an ad account is connected). Paid engagements for Instagram might include deleted saves or shares. For Instagram, this value matches the number shown natively on the platform and may include additional engagements beyond organic and paid due to viral distribution and cross-posted content on Facebook.
Formula: Reactions + Comments + Saves + Shares + Reposts | Image, Reel |
Exits rate* | The ratio of the lifetime number of people who viewed a Story to lifetime number of people who exited a Story, represented as a percentage.
Formula: (Exits / Reach) x 100 | Story |
Exits* | The lifetime number of exits from a Story. | Story |
Frequency* | The ratio of the post's lifetime impressions to its lifetime reach, represented as an average.
Formula: Impressions / Reach | Image, Carousel, Story |
Impressions (deprecated) | This metric was deprecated and replaced with the Views metrics as of April 10, 2025. See Views as the current metric for Impressions data that was recorded on or after January 1, 2025. Instagram impressions data that was recorded before January 1, 2025 will remain available under the Impressions metric as historical data.
The number of times the post/story/pin was shown in a person’s screen. Impressions are equal to Views for Instagram and Facebook. Organic and paid for totals. For Instagram, this value matches the number shown natively on the platform and may include additional Views beyond organic and paid due to viral distribution and cross-posted content on Facebook. | Image, Carousel, Story |
Initial plays (deprecated) | The lifetime number of times a Reel was played for at least 1ms. This metric only includes the plays that start a watch session, not the auto-replays within a single session. Deprecated as of April 10, 2025. Existing Instagram initial plays data that was recorded before January 1, 2025 will remain available under Initial plays for historical data. For the current metric, see Views.
Note: Plays are the Reels equivalent to impressions. They represent the number of views, not the number of viewers. For unique viewers, please use Reach. | Reel |
Interactions | The Reactions, Comments, Shares, Saves, and Reposts (for Organic IG) on a post. Clicks are not included. Organic and paid totals (if an ad account is connected). Paid engagements for Instagram might include deleted saves or shares. For Instagram, this value matches the number shown natively on the platform and may include additional engagements beyond organic and paid due to viral distribution and cross-posted content on Facebook.
Formula: Reactions + Comments + Saves + Shares + Reposts | Image, Carousel, Reel, Video |
Interactions rate | The number of Engagements, during the period, as a percentage of the Views.
Formula: 100 * Engagements / Views | Image, Carousel, Reel, Video |
Interactions rate (Reach) | The number of Engagements, during the period, as a percentage of the Reach.
Formula: 100 * Engagements / Reach | Image, Carousel, Reel, Video |
Likes | The lifetime number of likes on the post. | Image, Carousel, Reel |
Organic comments | The number of comments in posts of your page (excluding ads) published during the selected period. For Instagram, Organic comments exclude comments from paid promotion and cross-posted content on Facebook. | Image, Carousel, Reel |
Organic engagements | The number of engagements (reactions, comments, shares, saves, and reposts) in posts of your page (excluding ads) published during the selected period. For Instagram, organic engagements exclude engagements from paid promotion and cross-posted content on Facebook.
Formula: Reactions + Comments + Saves + Shares + Reposts | Image, Carousel, Reel |
Organic impressions | This metric was deprecated and replaced with the Views metrics as of April 10, 2025. See Views as the current metric for Impressions data that was recorded on or after January 1, 2025. Instagram impressions data that was recorded before January 1, 2025 will remain available under the Impressions metric as historical data.
Impressions delivered through unpaid means. Organic Impressions shows Organic Views for Facebook and Instagram. For Instagram, Organic views exclude views from paid promotion, viral distribution, and cross-posted content on Facebook. |
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Organic interactions | The number of interactions (engagements + clicks) in posts of your page (excluding ads) published during the selected period. For Instagram, Organic interactions exclude interactions from paid promotion and cross-posted content on Facebook. | Image, Carousel, Reel |
Organic reactions | The number of reactions or likes on posts published on your page (excluding ads) during the selected period. For Instagram, Organic reactions exclude reactions from paid promotion and cross-posted content on Facebook. | Image, Carousel, Reel |
Organic views | The number of times the post was viewed or displayed through organic means. Organic views exclude views from paid promotion, viral distribution, and cross-posted content on Facebook. | Image, Carousel, Reel |
Plays (deprecated) | The lifetime number of times a Reel was played or replayed for at least 1ms. Deprecated as of April 10, 2025. Existing Instagram initial plays data that was recorded before January 1, 2025 will remain available under Initial plays for historical data. For the current metric, see Views.
Formula: (Initial plays + Replays) | Reel |
Profile activity* | The lifetime number of user actions taken in your profile after engaging with your post. User actions include: clicking on your profile's Bio, Call, Direction, Email, Text, etc. | Image, Video |
Profile visits* | The lifetime number of visits to your profile from the post. | Image, Video |
Reach | The lifetime number of people who viewed the post.
Discrepancies: Meta reports your content-level reach data separately for each post, and Measure adds these post totals together to calculate the total reach for your selected content. This means a unique user may be counted multiple times if they viewed multiple posts from the selected date range, giving Measure a higher number than Instagram's. To avoid this effect, please use reach avg., which shows your average reach per post instead. | Image, Carousel, Story, Reel |
Reactions | The number reactions or likes in your posts published during the selected period. Organic and paid totals. For Instagram, this value matches the number shown natively on the platform and may include additional Likes beyond organic and paid due to viral distribution and cross-posted content on Facebook. | Image, Carousel, Reel |
Reels skip rate | The percentage of views from people who skipped during the first 3 seconds of your reel. This is calculated as the number of views that skipped your reel during the first 3 seconds divided by the number of initial views. An initial view is when your reel starts to play for the first time in a reel session. | Reel |
Replays | The lifetime number of times a Reel was auto-replayed for at least 1ms within a watch session. | Reel |
Reposts | The number of times your post was reposted. | Image, Carousel, Video, Reel |
Saves* | The lifetime number of saves on the post. | Image, Carousel, Reel |
Shares | The lifetime number of shares on the post. | Image, Carousel, Video, Reel |
Taps back* | The lifetime number of taps on a Story to see the previous Story. | Story |
Taps forward* | The lifetime number of taps on a Story to see the next Story. | Story |
User follows* | The lifetime number of fans gained from the post. | Image, Video |
Video view rate* | The ratio of the post's lifetime video views to its lifetime impressions, represented as a percentage.
Formula: (Video views (3s) / Impressions) x 100. | Video |
Video views | The lifetime number of views on a video post.
Note: For Reels views, please use see the Views metric instead. Instagram categorizes a post as a video instead of a Reel when it exceeds 90 seconds. The video must play for at least 3 seconds to be counted as a view. | Video |
Views | Total number of times the post/reel has been seen. For Instagram, this value matches the number shown natively on the platform and may include additional views beyond organic and paid due to viral distribution and cross-posted content on Facebook. For Instagram Stories, the Impressions value is shown.
Videos and Reels must play for at least 1 millisecond, and replays are not counted. | Reel, Story, Posts, Videos, Live Videos, Ads |
Watch time* | The lifetime amount of time, in minutes, spent playing or replaying a Reel. | Reel |
Weighted eng. rate* | The ratio of the post's lifetime weighted engagements to its lifetime impressions, represented as a percentage.
Formula: ((Reactions + (Comments x 2) + (Shares x 3)) / Impressions) x 100 | Image, Carousel, Reel |