How to See How Many Shares on an Instagram Post

You’ve crafted the perfect Instagram post, the likes are rolling in, and the comments are buzzing, but you’re left wondering about a more potent, often invisible metric: shares. Seeing how many people liked your content is simple, but understanding how many found it valuable enough to send to a friend or share with their own audience is the real measure of impact. This guide will walk you through exactly how to find the number of shares on your Instagram posts and, more importantly, how to use that data to create even better content.

First Things First: You Need a Professional Account

Before you can see detailed insights like shares and saves, you need to switch your Instagram profile to a Professional account. If you’re already using one, you can skip to the next section. If you’re still on a Personal account, making the switch is free, reversible, and only takes a minute. It’s the key to accessing all the data you need to grow your brand.

There are two types of Professional accounts: Creator and Business. For most individuals, influencers, public figures, and content producers, the Creator account is the best fit. For brands, retailers, local businesses, and service providers, the Business account is ideal. Functionally, they both provide the insights we need for this tutorial.

How to Switch to a Professional Account:

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile page.
2. Tap the hamburger menu (the three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings and privacy from the menu.
4. Scroll down to the "For professionals" section and tap on Account type and tools.
5. Tap Switch to a professional account.
6. Follow the on-screen prompts. Instagram will ask you to select a category that best describes what you do (e.g., Artist, Blogger, Digital Creator). Choose the one that fits you best and decide if you want to display it on your profile.
7. Confirm your choice, and you’re all set! You've now unlocked Instagram Insights.

How to Check Shares on an Instagram Feed Post

With a Professional account activated, finding your share count is straightforward. It’s important to know that Instagram’s terminology can be a little confusing. Within Post Insights, the "share" metric is technically represented by a paper airplane icon and is primarily counted when a user sends your post to someone via Direct Message (DM).

Step-by-Step Guide to Viewing Post Insights:

1. Navigate to the specific feed post (photo or video) you want to analyze.
2. Below the image and an excerpt of your caption, you'll see a button that says View insights. Tap it.
3. This will open a detailed performance screen for that specific post.

On the insights screen, you'll see a breakdown of key engagement metrics. Look for these icons:

• The Heart icon represents Likes.
• The Speech Bubble icon represents Comments.
• The Paper Airplane icon represents Shares (primarily DMs).
• The Bookmark icon represents Saves (also called Collections).

The number next to the paper airplane icon is your share count. This indicates how many times users have pressed that share button and sent your post directly to another user or group chat. This is a powerful form of word-of-mouth marketing, as it’s a direct, personal recommendation from one person to another.

A quick note: Unfortunately, Instagram does not show you a list of who shared your post via DM, it only provides the total number.

What About Shares to Instagram Stories?

Here’s where it gets a little different. When someone shares your feed post to their own Instagram Story, it significantly increases your reach, but tracking it isn't part of that same paper airplane "share" metric. This action is tracked separately, especially for Reels.

For Regular Feed Posts and Photos:

Currently, for a standard photo or video post, Instagram doesn't provide a single, clear number in Post Insights that indicates how many times it has been shared to Stories. The best way to estimate this is through notifications. If a public account shares your post to their Story and tags you (which happens automatically unless they remove the tag), you'll receive a notification and a DM with a preview. Although imperfect, this method gives you a qualitative sense of how many people are resharing your content via Stories.

For Instagram Reels: A Clearer Picture

Instagram gives Reels preferential treatment in its insights, which benefits video creators. Reels insights include a specific metric called "Reshares." This counts how many times your Reel has been shared to someone else's Story.

How to find Reel Reshares:

1. Go to the Reel you want to analyze.
2. Tap the three dots (...) in the bottom-right corner.
3. Select View insights from the menu.
4. Here, you'll see the standard Likes, Comments, DMs, and Saves. You'll also see an additional metric: Reshares. This shows the total number of times your Reel has been shared to Stories.

This specific metric makes it much easier to identify which of your Reels are successfully encouraging viewers to share it publicly with their own audience, a key driver for reaching new followers.

From Data to Action: How to Get More Shares

Knowing your share count is only the first step. The real value comes from analyzing that data to understand why some posts are shared more than others. Use your insights to build a content strategy focused on shareability.

Here are some actionable strategies to boost your shares:

1. Identify Your Most-Shared Content Pillars

Review your top 10-15 posts with the highest share counts. Look for patterns. Is there a recurring theme?

• Is it educational? Posts that teach something new - like quick tutorials, "how-to" carousel guides, or valuable tips - are highly shareable because they provide direct utility.
• Is it relatable? Memes, funny anecdotes, or posts that capture a shared human experience often get sent with a "this is so us" message. This content fosters community and connection.
• Is it inspirational? Powerful quotes, success stories, or motivational content can inspire people to share positivity with their friends.
• Is it newsworthy or timely? Content that taps into current events, industry news, or trending topics can become a go-to resource that people share to keep others informed.

Once you identify your key sharable content pillars, create more posts centered around them.

2. Create Content Designed Specifically for Saves &, Shares

Don’t just post and hope for shares - design your content with sharing in mind.

• Infographics &, Checklists: These visual aids condense complex information into an easy-to-digest, highly practical format. Someone might share a "10 Step Morning Routine Checklist" with a friend trying to be more productive.
• Quote Graphics: Turn impactful quotes into visually appealing graphics. People love sharing quotes that resonate with their values or feelings on their Stories.
• Mini-Tutorials in Carousels: Break down a process into simple, numbered steps in a carousel. This format is easy to follow, saves easily, and is shareable.

3. Use Explicit Calls to Action (CTAs)

Sometimes, asking directly is the easiest way to encourage a share. Don't hesitate to guide your audience. A simple prompt can significantly increase your share metrics.

Some example share-focused CTAs:

• "Share this with someone who needs to hear it today."
• "Send this to a friend who would love this tip!"
• "Tag your workout buddy in the comments and share this to your story."
• "Know someone planning a trip? Share this guide with them!"

4. Stay Engaged with Your Community

When someone shares your content, especially if they tag you in a Story, take a moment to respond! Send a quick DM to thank them or re-share their Story on your own. Recognizing your audience's support builds a stronger community and encourages future shares.

Final Thoughts

Checking how many shares your Instagram posts receive is a straightforward process once you have a professional account, but the true benefit lies in using those insights to shape your content strategy. Understanding what makes your audience want to pass your content along allows you to create more shareable material, fueling organic growth and deeper community engagement.

Tracking individual post performance is valuable, but gaining a comprehensive view involves analyzing all your platforms. At Postbase, we built an analytics dashboard to cut through the noise and provide a unified view of your key metrics. This helps you quickly identify which content pillars drive the most engagement across Instagram, TikTok, and beyond - so you can focus more on creating content that gets shared.