--- title: Understanding Instagram Data Limitations description: Discover what Instagram data Analyse can access—from public mentions to DMs—and what’s restricted by Meta’s API, including Stories, private profiles, and hashtag-only posts. --- [Skip to content](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/understanding-instagram-data-limitations#main-content) [![](https://dataeq.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DataEQ_Logo_FOR%20USE%20ON%20DARK%20BACKGROUND.png?width=200&height=150&name=DataEQ_Logo_FOR%20USE%20ON%20DARK%20BACKGROUND.png)](https://www.dataeq.com) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Contact us Contact us How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Knowledge Base](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base) 2. [Data Source Information](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/data-source-information) 3. [What can we collect?](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/data-source-information#what-can-we-collect) # Understanding Instagram Data Limitations ## Learn which types of Instagram data are available in Analyse and what restrictions apply due to Meta’s API policies. Instagram offers valuable customer experience and brand insights, but only from authorised Business or Creator accounts. Knowing the platform’s data limitations helps you set accurate expectations and build cleaner dashboards. ### **What Instagram Data Is Available?** Once you authorise an **Instagram Business or Creator account**, Analyse can collect: - **Comments** on your owned posts - **Mentions** of your handle in **public posts or captions** - **Direct messages (DMs)** if the account is authorised with messaging permissions - **Post metadata**, such as publish time, media type (image/video), and engagement count Only **Business** and **Creator** accounts are supported. Personal Instagram profiles are not compatible with Analyse. --- ### **What Instagram Data Is Not Available?** Due to Instagram Graph API constraints, the following types of data are **not supported**: - Mentions in **Instagram Stories** - Comments or tags on **non-owned posts** - Hashtag tracking (unless your handle is explicitly mentioned) - Historical data from **before the date of profile authorisation** - Mentions from **private profiles** unless they directly engage with your account --- ### **Best Practices for Instagram Integration** - Always connect a **Business or Creator** account—not a personal one - Reauthorise regularly to avoid losing access due to token expiry - Use other channels (e.g. X, TikTok) for broader campaign coverage - Filter dashboards to separate **DMs**, **mentions**, and **comments** for more precise analysis - [Analyse](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#main-content) - [Metrics and Drill Downs](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#metrics-and-drill-downs) - [Exploring Authors](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#exploring-authors) - [Alerts and Notifications](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#alerts-and-notifications) - [The Reports Panel](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#the-reports-panel) - [Getting Started on Analyse](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#getting-started-on-analyse) - [Visualising Conversation Topics](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#visualising-conversation-topics) - [Mentions Panel](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#mentions-panel) - [Labelling Data](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#labelling-data) - [Filtering and Analysing Data](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/analyse#filtering-and-analysing-data) - [Engage](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/engage#main-content) - [User Roles & Permissions](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/engage#user-roles-permissions) - [Reporting and Analytics](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/engage#reporting-and-analytics) - [Additional Features](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/engage#additional-features) - [Tips & Troubleshooting](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/engage#tips-troubleshooting) - [Ticket Management](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/engage#ticket-management) - [Getting Started](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/engage#getting-started) - [Working with Tickets](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/engage#working-with-tickets) - [Publish](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/publish#main-content) - [Multi-Platform Publishing](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/publish#multi-platform-publishing) - [Getting Started with Publish](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/publish#getting-started-with-publish) - [Creating and Managing Content](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/publish#creating-and-managing-content) - [Campaigns and the Content Calendar](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/publish#campaigns-and-the-content-calendar) - [Approval Workflows](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/publish#approval-workflows) - [Reporting & Logs](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/publish#reporting-logs) - [Glossaries](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/glossaries) - [Data Source Information](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/data-source-information#main-content) - [What can we collect?](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/data-source-information#what-can-we-collect) - [Platform FAQs](https://dataeq.com/knowledge-base/data-source-information#platform-faqs) [![Chill listening crop-3](https://dataeq.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DataEQ_Logo_FOR%20USE%20ON%20LIGHT%20BACKGROUND.png%20(1)-1.png?width=90&height=32&name=DataEQ_Logo_FOR%20USE%20ON%20LIGHT%20BACKGROUND.png%20(1)-1.png "Chill listening crop-3")](https://25676464.hs-sites-eu1.com/) Copyright © 2025, DataEQ