Updates to Instagram Metrics - April 2025

​Instagram Metrics Update: Transition from Plays and Impressions to Views​

As of April 21, 2025, Meta is streamlining Instagram's performance metrics by replacing "Plays" and "Impressions" with a unified "Views" metric. This change aims to simplify content performance tracking across various media types.​

Read the update from Meta here

What's Changing?

• Deprecated Metrics:

  • Plays: Previously counted when a Reel started playing after an impression.

  • Impressions: Represented the number of times content appeared on users' screens.

  • Video Views: Tracked video plays of at least 3 seconds.​

• New Metric Introduced:

  • Views: Counts each time content is displayed on a user's screen, including repeated views by the same user. This applies to all content types, including Reels, Stories, photos, and videos.​

Why the Change?

Meta's goal is to provide a consistent and straightforward metric for content performance. By consolidating various metrics into "Views," creators and businesses can more easily assess and compare the reach and engagement of their content across different formats.

Impact on Your Analytics

• Historical Data: Metrics like "Plays" and "Impressions" will no longer update with new data but will remain accessible for historical reference on posts where views have not been recorded.

• We will blend views with plays and impressions for historical periods where both metrics were recorded. This primarily affects long window look backs into early 2024.

What You Should Do

• Update Reports: Skeds Insights and reports are being updated to show Views

• Review Benchmarks: Understand that "Views" may yield higher counts than "Impressions" due to the inclusion of repeated views.

• Share the changes to any party you are sharing insights with, as new reports may not match historical versions.