Instagram Highlights offer a way to extend the lifespan of ephemeral Stories, grouping them thematically on a profile. Visibility into viewer engagement with these collections provides insights into audience interest. Specifically, it is possible to identify the individuals who interacted with the Stories within a Highlight during the 48-hour window after each Story was initially posted. After this timeframe, only aggregate data, such as the total number of views, remains accessible.
Understanding audience interaction with Highlights is valuable for content creators and businesses. This data aids in tailoring future content strategies, identifying popular themes, and gauging the effectiveness of different Story formats. Initially, Instagram Stories lacked a permanent profile presence; the introduction of Highlights addressed this limitation, allowing users to curate and showcase content beyond the standard 24-hour expiration.