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