Analytics Metrics Glossary
Plain-English definitions of every metric in Publlish Analytics: reach, impressions, engagement rate, save rate, FYP rate, watch efficiency, amplification, negative feedback rate and more — with the formulas behind them.
This glossary explains every metric you'll see in Publlish Analytics. Where a metric is calculated by Publlish rather than supplied directly by the platform (a derived metric), we show the formula.
Core Metrics (All Platforms)
Reach — The number of unique accounts that saw your content. One person seeing your post three times counts as 1 reach.
Impressions — The total number of times your content was displayed. One person seeing your post three times counts as 3 impressions. Impressions are always equal to or higher than reach.
Engagements — The total number of interactions with your content: likes, comments, shares, saves, clicks, and other platform-specific actions.
Engagement Rate — Engagements as a percentage of the audience who saw your content. Each platform uses the most accurate formula available:
- Instagram: engaged accounts ÷ reach
- LinkedIn: (clicks + reactions + comments + reposts + follows) ÷ impressions
- TikTok: (likes + comments + shares + saves) ÷ views
- Facebook and X: engagements ÷ impressions
Net Followers — Followers gained minus followers lost during the period.
Percentage points (pp) — How rate changes are shown. 5.9% → 6.8% is +0.9pp.
Content and Audience Metrics
Profile Visits — How many times people visited your profile or page.
Saves — How many times your post was saved. A strong signal of high-intent interest.
Shares — How many times your content was shared (including Story reshares and DM shares on Instagram).
Link Clicks / URL Clicks — Clicks on links in your posts.
Click-Through Rate (CTR) — Clicks ÷ impressions.
Best Time to Post — The hours and days when your followers are most active online.
Derived Metrics (Calculated by Publlish)
| Metric | Formula | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Reach Rate | Reach ÷ followers | How much of your audience a post reached |
| Save Rate | Saves ÷ reach (Instagram) or saves ÷ views (TikTok) | How "keepable" your content is |
| Share Rate | Shares ÷ reach or views | How likely people are to pass it on |
| Profile Visit Rate | Profile visits ÷ reach | How well a post drives curiosity about you |
| Follow-Through | Follows ÷ profile visits | How well your profile converts visitors to followers |
| Virality Score | Shares ÷ total engagements | How much of your engagement is sharing |
| Watch Efficiency | Average watch time ÷ video duration | How much of your video people actually watch |
| Click Rate | Clicks ÷ impressions | How well a post drives clicks |
| Viral Rate (Facebook) | Viral reach ÷ total reach | How much reach came from people sharing |
| Negative Feedback Rate (Facebook) | Negative feedback per 1,000 impressions | How often people hide or report your posts |
| Reaction Rate (LinkedIn) | Reactions ÷ impressions | Emotional response to a post |
| Repost Rate (LinkedIn) | Reposts ÷ reactions | How often reactions turn into reposts |
| Follow Rate (LinkedIn) | Follows per 1,000 impressions | How well a post wins new followers |
| View Rate (LinkedIn video) | Video views ÷ impressions | How many people chose to watch |
| Bookmark Rate (X) | Bookmarks ÷ impressions | Save-for-later interest |
| Amplification (X) | (Reposts + quotes) ÷ likes | How often approval turns into sharing |
| Conversation Rate (X) | Replies ÷ impressions | How much discussion a post sparks |
| Detail Expand Rate (X) | Detail expands ÷ impressions | How often people click to read more |
| Subscriber Conversion (YouTube) | Subscribers gained ÷ views | How well a video turns viewers into subscribers |
| Like / Comment Rate (YouTube) | Likes or comments ÷ views | Viewer response |
| Unique Viewer Rate (TikTok) | Unique viewers ÷ total views | How many views came from new people |
| Re-watch Rate (TikTok) | Repeat views as a share of total views | How often people watch again |
Platform-Specific Metrics
FYP Rate (TikTok) — The percentage of views that came from the For You Page. Higher means TikTok's algorithm is pushing your video to new audiences.
Full Video Watched % (TikTok) — Viewers who watched to the end. TikTok's completion signal.
Average Watch % / Retention (YouTube, TikTok) — The average percentage of a video that viewers watch.
Impressions CTR (YouTube) — How often people who saw your thumbnail clicked it.
RPM (YouTube) — Estimated revenue per 1,000 views (monetised channels only).
Organic / Paid / Viral Reach (Facebook) — Reach from your followers' feeds, from ads, and from people sharing your content.
Negative Feedback (Facebook) — Hides, spam reports and unlikes caused by your posts.
Fans (Facebook) — People who like your Facebook Page.
Exit Rate (Stories) — Exits ÷ reach. Lower is better.
Completion Rate (Stories) — The share of viewers who watched your story to the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my impressions higher than my reach? Because impressions count every view, including repeat views by the same person. Reach only counts each person once.
Why does engagement rate use a different formula on each platform? Each platform shares different data. Publlish uses the most accurate formula each API allows, so rates are reliable within a platform. Compare engagement rates across platforms as a guide, not a like-for-like score.
Why don't my numbers exactly match the native app? Platforms update their numbers over time and sometimes count slightly differently in their own apps. See Analytics troubleshooting →