Every Instagram term that matters, explained plainly.
Definitions written by people who grow Instagram accounts for a living — what each term means, why it matters, and the free tool to check it on your own account. No invented statistics, no recycled listicles: where Instagram doesn't publish a number, we say so.
Metrics
- Engagement rate — What is a good engagement rate on Instagram?
- Reach vs impressions — Reach vs impressions on Instagram: what's the difference?
- Accounts reached vs accounts engaged — Accounts reached vs accounts engaged: what do they mean?
- Saves — What do saves mean on Instagram?
- Profile visits — What are profile visits on Instagram?
- Vanity metrics — What are vanity metrics on Instagram?
Algorithm & reach
- Instagram algorithm — How does the Instagram algorithm work in 2026?
- Explore page — How does the Instagram Explore page work?
- Shadowban — What is an Instagram shadowban?
- Instagram SEO — What is Instagram SEO?
- Hashtag strategy — Do hashtags still work on Instagram in 2026?
- Banned hashtags — What are banned hashtags on Instagram?
Content & formats
- Instagram Reels — What are Instagram Reels?
- Trial Reels — What are Trial Reels on Instagram?
- Instagram Stories — What do Instagram Stories actually do for an account?
- Carousel posts — What is a carousel post on Instagram?
- Collab posts — What is a collab post on Instagram?
- Instagram Highlights — What are Instagram Highlights?
- Broadcast channels — What are Instagram broadcast channels?
- Notes — What are Notes on Instagram?
- Close Friends — What is Close Friends on Instagram?
- Pinned posts — What are pinned posts on Instagram?
- Alt text — What is alt text on Instagram?
- Geotag — What is a geotag on Instagram?
Growth tactics
- Organic growth — What is organic growth on Instagram?
- Instagram growth service — What is an Instagram growth service?
- Follow/unfollow method — What is the follow/unfollow method on Instagram?
- Engagement pods — What are Instagram engagement pods?
- Follower churn — What is follower churn on Instagram?
- Engagement bait — What is engagement bait on Instagram?
Followers & audience
- Fake followers — What are fake followers on Instagram?
- Ghost followers — What are ghost followers on Instagram?
- Bot accounts — What are bot accounts on Instagram?
- Influencer tiers — What are nano, micro, macro and mega influencers?
- UGC (user-generated content) — What is UGC on Instagram?
- CTA (call to action) — What is a CTA on Instagram?
Account & features
- Creator vs business account — Creator vs business account on Instagram: which should you use?
- Instagram Insights — What is Instagram Insights?
- Meta Verified — What is Meta Verified on Instagram?
- Link in bio — What does link in bio mean?
- Action blocked — What does 'action blocked' mean on Instagram?
- Instagram limits — What are Instagram's daily limits?