Instagram glossary
Every term you'll meet while building on Instagram, defined plainly — no jargon left standing.
API rate limit
An API rate limit is the ceiling a platform places on how many requests an app may make in a period. Meta applies per-account mess
Full definition →Comment-to-DM
Comment-to-DM is an Instagram automation pattern where a comment on a post or reel triggers an automatic direct message to the com
Full definition →Creator account
A Creator account is Instagram's professional account type designed for individual creators — artists, coaches, athletes, writers,
Full definition →DM automation
DM automation is software that sends and manages Instagram direct messages on an account's behalf through Meta's official API. It
Full definition →DM funnel
A DM funnel is a conversion path that runs inside Instagram direct messages: engagement triggers a DM, the DM delivers value and a
Full definition →Email capture
Email capture is the practice of collecting email addresses from an audience, usually in exchange for something useful like a guid
Full definition →Engagement rate
Engagement rate measures how actively an audience interacts with content, usually calculated as likes, comments, saves, and shares
Full definition →Follow gate
A follow gate is an automation step that checks whether the person in a conversation follows the account before delivering the pro
Full definition →Generic template
A generic template is a structured message card in Meta's messaging API. Instead of plain text, it combines an image, a title, an
Full definition →IGSID
An IGSID, or Instagram-Scoped ID, is the stable identifier Instagram assigns to a person for their conversations with a specific a
Full definition →Impressions
Impressions count the total number of times content was displayed on screens, including repeat views by the same account. One pers
Full definition →Instagram Business account
An Instagram Business account is one of Instagram's two professional account types, built for brands and businesses. It adds conta
Full definition →Keyword trigger
A keyword trigger is a word or phrase that starts an automation when it appears in an Instagram comment, story reply, or direct me
Full definition →Link in bio
The link in bio is the single clickable URL Instagram allows on a profile page. Because links in captions and comments aren't tapp
Full definition →Messaging window
The messaging window is Meta's rule that a business account may send standard messages only within 24 hours of the person's last m
Full definition →Meta Tech Provider
A Meta Tech Provider is a company Meta has vetted to build tools on its platforms — including the Instagram API — on behalf of bus
Full definition →Opt-in
An opt-in is a person's explicit action agreeing to receive messages — commenting a keyword, tapping a button, or replying to a st
Full definition →Postback
A postback is the event Meta's messaging API sends to an app when someone taps a button in a DM — for example, a button on a gener
Full definition →Private reply
A private reply is a feature of Meta's Instagram API that lets a business or creator account send one direct message in response t
Full definition →Reach
Reach is the number of unique accounts that saw a piece of content or a profile at least once during a given period. Unlike impres
Full definition →Story reply
A story reply is a direct message someone sends in response to an Instagram story. Replies land in the account's DM inbox and open
Full definition →Superfan
A superfan is a follower who engages with an account far more than average — watching stories, commenting, replying, saving, and b
Full definition →UGC
UGC (user-generated content) is content made by customers, fans, or hired UGC creators rather than the brand itself — reviews, unb
Full definition →Webhook
A webhook is a notification one system sends another the moment something happens, delivered as an HTTP request to a URL the recei
Full definition →