Instagram glossary: all the words you need to know

hashtag, Reach, Shadowban, Regram… Instagram has its own vocabulary.

This glossary provides you with clear definitions of every social media term, listed in alphabetical order, whether you're just starting out or already manage an account.

What does "Subscribers" or "Followers" mean?

The subscribers (Where followers (in English) are the users who follow your account Instagram to see your posts regularly. Their number appears at the very top of your profile page, next to the number of accounts you follow.

A follower who engages with your content (likes, comments, shares) is worth much more than just a number: they’re the ones who fuel your visibility. Want to increase that number easily? Check out our article on where to buy Instagram followers.

What does "ghost subscribers" mean?

The ghost followers are accounts that follow you but never interact with your posts. No like, no comments, nothing shared. Some people don't even see your content in their news feed ; others see it but ignore it.

In practical terms, a large number of ghost followers are dragging you down commitment rate downward. The algorithm relies on the real-world interactions to assess the quality of a publication. It’s better to have a smaller but active audience than a long list of inactive profiles.

What does "algorithm" mean?

L'algorithm is the system of’Instagram who decides on the order and the content visibility in your news feed. It analyzes your interactions: the accounts you view, your likes, your comments, and the time spent on each post.

Based on these signals, it ranks posts to prioritize showing you the ones most likely to interest you. From a creator’s perspective, the more engagement a post generates, the’commitment The sooner it is posted online, the more it reaches a wider audience. The first few minutes are therefore crucial.

What does "close friend" mean?

It's a shortlist of subscribers with whom you share private and exclusive Stories. People on this list see exclusive content that is invisible to the rest of your followers.

This feature is not recommended for an account Instagram Business : By limiting your audience, you automatically reduce the scope of your posts.

What does "Sponsored Ads" mean?

Sponsored ads are paid content by advertisers to promote their products or services on Instagram. They appear in the feed, between Stories, or in the Explore tab, always with the label “Sponsored”.

If you want Increase the reach of your posts, you can boost your account with these ads. The price of advertising depends on its duration and the size of the’audience targeted.

What does "Archives" mean?

The archives keep your Stories saved even after they've expired. The Story disappears from your feed, but it's not lost: you can find it at any time in a section private, visible only to you.

You can also archive a publication is still active. Basically, you remove a post or photo from your feed without deleting it. The content leaves your profile and goes straight into the archives of’Instagram.

What does "organic" mean?

The Bio is the short description that appears at the top of your profile. It introduces you in a few words, whether your account is personal or professional.

On a business account, it's best to polish up this section. Add a call-to-action phrase clear and a clickable link, the famous “link in bio,” which links to your website, your online store, or your other social media accounts.

What does "Boomerang" mean?

the Boomerang is a format of looping mini-video. It strings together a series of photos to create a short clip that plays forward, then backward, on a loop. You can create it right from Stories: open the camera, select the mode Boomerang (the infinity icon), then hold down the button for one second.

What does "Caption" mean?

The caption, this is the text that goes with your photo or video to provide context. On Instagram, it is also called the legend. It appears below your post and can contain text, emojis and hashtags. A good caption boosts the’commitment by making people want to respond in the comments.

What does "Carousel" mean?

A carousel is a publication that brings together several photos or videos in a single post. Users can scroll through the content with a simple swipe to the left.

It’s a widely used format for telling a story, showcasing a product from multiple angles, or publishing a mini step-by-step tutorial. Each image or video in a carousel can drive engagement, making it a popular type of content among’algorithm.

What does "Comment" mean?

A comment is a message that users leave on your posts Instagram. It is one of the main drivers of’interaction with your audience. The more engagement your photos and videos generate, the more your commitment climb.

Note: You can disable comments on a specific post if you don't want to receive messages about it. You can also buy Instagram comments if you want to boost your account quickly.

What does "Creator Account" mean?

It's a type of account Instagram Designed for influencers, artists, public figures and content creators. It gives you access to many more features than a standard account.

In practical terms, you get to enjoy the Instagram statistics to analyze your audience, track your followers' activity, and better understand which posts perform best. You can also sort your posts more easily.

What does "Business Account" mean?

A business account on Instagram is designed for businesses and brands. It unlocks detailed statistics on your audience and your posts, as well as promotional tools not available on a standard account.

Specifically, you can access the Insights : reach, impressions, subscriber data, and the performance of each piece of content. This type of account is primarily focused on sale and communication with your customers. It’s similar to a Creator Account, but is better suited for businesses and stores than for influencers.

What does "Creator Studio" mean?

the Creator Studio was a free platform created by Facebook to plan, publish, and manage your Instagram content from a computer. You could schedule your posts, track your stats, and reply to messages all from a single tool.

To note : Meta closed the Creator Studio. Its functions are now consolidated into Meta Business Suite, which manages both the Instagram and Facebook accounts.

What does "cross-posting" mean?

the cross-posting refers to the act of sharing the same post on several social media platforms or multiple accounts at once. On Instagram, you post the same content on two different profiles, and the views, likes, and comments are shared between the two posts.

You can also post automatically to your accounts Facebook Where WhatsApp associated with the platform. In practical terms, this saves you time when you're managing multiple networks at the same time.

What does "DM" mean?

DM is the abbreviation for Direct Message. These are the private messages (Where MP Instagram) that you exchange with other users. To access it, the messaging feature is located in top right from the app's home screen, with all your conversations and message requests.

What does "double tap" mean?

the double-tap (by phone) or the double-click (on a computer) refers to the action of liking a post by tapping it twice. You no longer need to aim for the little heart To “like” a post: just double-tap the photo, and a heart-shaped animation will confirm your like.

What does "Commitment" mean?

L'commitment refers to user engagement with your content. It includes the likes, them comments, them shares and the game's recordings, all these interactions that gauge your audience's genuine interest.

The more engagement a post generates, the more the’algorithm pushes it up in the news feed, which leads to better scope for new accounts.

What does "Registration" mean?

Signing up allows you to save a post to find it later. Tap the icon shaped like a bookmark under the post, and it will be added to your saved content. No one can see what you save.

For an account, a large number of records is a real a strong signal of commitment. The algorithm interprets this action positively, and your posts with the most saves gain visibility in the feed and the Explore tab.

What does "Explore" mean?

«Explore» is the discovery tab in’Instagram, symbolized by a magnifying glass. There, you'll find content you don't follow yet: photos, videos, and Reels selected by the algorithm based on your interests. Each user sees a different Explorer feed, tailored to their browsing habits.

Appearing in the Explore tab gives you a considerable visibility. Your posts will then reach users who aren't yet familiar with your profile, which boosts your reach and engagement.

What does "Feed" mean?

the feed is the stream of photos and videos that users scroll through on Instagram. It also includes all the posts on your account—what's known as your grid.

What does “News Feed” mean?

the news feed brings together posts from the accounts you follow on Instagram. Posts appear in the order determined by the algorithm, which ranks content based on the engagement it generates and your preferences. In other words, the posts you like and comment on the most move to the top.

From any section of the app, you can return to the news feed by tapping the small house-shaped icon.

What does "Follow" mean?

Follow means “to follow” in English. It refers to subscribing to an account so you can see its content in your news feed. When you follow someone, you become their follower, that is, one of its followers. Conversely, unfollowing an account is called a unfollow.

Do you want to know who unfollowed you on Instagram ? We'll give you some tips in a separate article.

What does "Geolocation" mean?

The geolocation is a feature that combines a specific location to your post. When you tag a photo, Story, or Reel with a location, it appears right below your name on Instagram. This helps your content gain visibility among users exploring this space, which attracts new local subscribers.

If you want to know the locating someone on Instagram, check out our article on this topic.

What does "hashtag" mean?

A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the symbol #. It's used to group together posts that are about the same topic. When you click on a hashtag, you'll see all the posts that use it.

In practical terms, hashtags boost your visibility among users who search for these keywords. It's best to choose hashtags accurate and relevant rather than just piling up dozens of them at random.

What does "IGTV" mean?

IGTV was the format of long-form videos on Instagram, the ones that lasted more than a minute. In 2021, Instagram has merged IGTV along with the videos from the news feed to create a single tab called Instagram Video. Then in 2022, this tab was itself absorbed by the Reels.

All your videos are now posted as Reels. The term IGTV It no longer appears in the app, but you might still come across it in older articles.

What does "Impressions" mean?

The prints represent the number of times your content has been displayed on the screen. This figure counts each view, not each person. If the same user views your post three times, that counts as three impressions.

That's the key difference between this and the reach, which measures the number of single accounts After seeing your post. Tracking this metric in your statistics helps you measure the actual visibility of your content.

What does "Insights" mean?

The Insights include the statistics from your account Instagram. There, you can track the performance of your posts, your engagement rate, and changes in your follower count. Specifically, you can see the number of views, likes, comments, shares, and saves on each post, story, or reel.

Please note: Insights are only available on the business accounts and the game's start-up accounts, not on a traditional profile.

What does "Instagram shopping" mean?

Instagram Shopping enables brands and companies to label their products directly in their posts and Stories. It’s a feature built right into the platform: a user sees a photo, clicks on the product tag, views the price and description, and is then redirected to the online store to complete the purchase.

This tool transforms a simple profile into sales channel. It's widely used by business accounts that want to convert their audience into customers without having them leave the app.

What does "Like" mean?

You're doing a like when you like or comment on a post. Just click on the heart under the post, or by double-tapping the photo. This is a true sign of engagement: the content you like serves as a reference for the’algorithm, which uses this information to suggest similar posts to you.

From a creator's perspective, likes measure your audience's engagement with each post. The more likes a post gets, the more it gains in visibility. You can also buy likes on Instagram to highlight a post.

What does "Live" mean?

Make a live, is to stream a live video on your account Instagram. During the broadcast, your subscribers can react in real time via the comments and likes. It's the perfect way to interact directly with your audience.

To start a live stream from the Stories camera, swipe to select the option “Live”. Once you're done, you can share it in your Story or save it to your phone.

What does "Post" mean?

A post is an individual post that appears on your profile and in your followers' news feeds. It can contain a photo, a video or multiple images grouped together in a carousel. Unlike a Story, which disappears after its lifespan, each post remains visible permanently on your grid and generates likes, comments, and engagement.

What does "Reach" mean?

the Reach, is the total number of users who viewed your content on Instagram. We also talk about scope. This figure includes the single accounts : If the same person sees your post multiple times, the reach does not increase.

What does "Real" mean?

A Reel is a short, creative video about Instagram, with music, special effects, and fast-paced editing. The format is very similar to that of TikTok. The main benefit is visibility: your Reels can appear to users who aren’t among your followers, making them the ideal content for reaching a new audience. It’s also the format that the algorithm prioritizes the most for reach.

What does "Regram" mean?

the regram, is the act of reposting someone else's content on your own account. It's also known as repost or republication. Since 2025, Instagram manages the native sharing : A dedicated button lets you repost Reels and posts directly from the app, without using any third-party tools.

You can also republish a story or a post via external apps, which some people still use:

• Regram for Instagram
• Repost for Instagram
• INSTANT (Instasave, Repost, Regram)

What does "Restrict" mean?

To restrict an account means limit interactions with a specific user without blocking them. The person doesn't know they've been restricted, which helps manage the harassment discreetly.

In practical terms, her comments on your posts are visible only to her. Her messages appear in the message requests, and she can't see when you're online anymore.

What does "Shadowban" mean?

the shadowban is an invisible restriction imposed by the algorithm of’Instagram. Your account remains active, but your posts no longer appear in the tab Explore or in hashtag-related results. Your reach drops suddenly, without any notification.

This penalty often affects accounts that share content flagged as offensive or that abuse certain hashtags or who engage in behavior deemed to be automated. To minimize risks, vary your hashtags, avoid questionable third-party tools, and follow the community guidelines. A shadowban generally remains temporary and fades away after a few days.

What does "Sourdine" mean?

Don't want to see a user's posts and stories in your feed anymore, but don't want to unfollow them? Just mark them as mute. The person remains on your subscription list and does not receive any notifications.

You can hide only his posts, only its stories, or both. You can turn the display back on whenever you want from their profile.

What does "Featured Stories" or "Highlights" mean?

These are Stories saved to your profile for a extended visibility. They appear at the very top of your page, right below your bio. A regular Story disappears after 24 hours, but you can save it and post it as a story à la une Instagram so that it remains visible at all times.

You can also combine several old stories into a single Highlight. A handy way to organize your profile by topic: travel, products, customer reviews, etc.

What does "Story" or "Stories" mean?

A story is a photo or video that appears at the top of the news feed. This ephemeral post disappears 24 heures after it's posted. To view Stories from the accounts you follow, scroll down the banner at the very top of your feed and tap the profile picture of the account you're interested in. It's one of the most popular formats on Instagram to share a spontaneous moment.

What does "Swipe up" mean?

Swipe up literally means “swipe up.” This was the old gesture used to open a link from a story Instagram. Since 2021, this operation no longer exists: Instagram replaced it with the Link Sticker, a link sticker that all accounts can add directly to their Stories.

The result is the same for the user: they tap the sticker to open the target page. This term is still in use, so you may come across it in older articles.

What does "Swiper" mean?

Swiper, is the action of quickly scrolling through content with your finger on the screen. The gesture usually goes from right to left or from bottom to top. You swipe to move from one photo to another in a carousel, watch a series of Stories, or scroll through your feed.

What does "Tag" mean?

Tag on Instagram, it is identify an account or a person in a comment or on a post. You type the symbol “@” On your keyboard, your contact list appears, and you select the profile you want to tag. A tag creates a direct link to the tagged account, and each person tagged receives a notification. The post may also appear in the dedicated tab on their profile.

FAQs

What words are forbidden on Instagram?

The words provocative, indecent or that depict violence are prohibited on Instagram. Specifically, you cannot post nudity, make homophobic comments, or post insults and hateful messages on this social network.

What is the 5-3-1 rule on Instagram?

The 5-3-1 rule is a method for building genuine connections with your audience. It’s based on three actions to repeat every day:

• Like five posts by giving it a "like" to show that you enjoy the content.
• Comment on three publications with thoughtful words or a compliment.
• Follow an account that matches your values and tastes.

This method boosts your commitment and piques users' curiosity, which helps your profile stand out.

What is UGC on Instagram?

A UGC (user-generated content) refers to photos, videos, or reviews created by internet users rather than by a brand. Brands often repurpose this content because it inspires trust and seem more authentic than a traditional ad.

What is the engagement rate on Instagram?

the commitment rate measures engagement (likes, comments, saves, shares) relative to your number of followers. A high rate indicates a active community, an important signal for both the algorithm and potential partners.