[FAQ]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been seeing the “Collab” feature more and more on Instagram posts where two usernames are listed at the top. I’m interested in using this for some upcoming partnerships.

Could someone give me a clear explanation of how it actually works behind the scenes in 2025, especially when it comes to visibility and reach? For instance, does the post show up natively on both creators’ profile grids and in their followers’ feeds? And are all the engagement metrics, like likes and comments, combined into one shared total? I’m just trying to understand if it’s an effective way for both creators to get genuine exposure to each other’s audiences.

Any insights on the mechanics of this would be great, thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

The Instagram “Collab” feature is a powerful tool designed for creators to co-author content, and it works by sharing the post’s visibility and engagement metrics between both participants for mutual benefit.

Here is how it functions. First, one creator will create a standard Feed post or a Reel. Then, just before publishing, on the screen where you would normally tag people, there is an option to “Invite Collaborator.” The original creator sends an invitation to the other account.

Second, the post will only appear on the profile of the creator who originally made it until the second creator accepts the collaboration invitation from their notifications.

Third, once the invitation has been accepted, the post will then appear on the profile grid and in the feed for the followers of both creators. The post header will display both usernames, making it clear that it is a joint piece of content.

The impact on visibility and engagement is significant. First, by being distributed to a portion of both creators’ followers, the post’s initial potential reach is effectively combined. This provides both creators with direct exposure to the other’s community, which is the primary benefit.

Second, all of the engagement metrics are shared and synchronised across the post, regardless of whose profile it is being viewed on. This means the like count, the view count (for Reels), and the entire comment thread are identical and update in real-time for both creators. It is one single post that lives in two places.

Third, this shared engagement can be a very strong positive signal to the Instagram algorithm. A post that receives high levels of interaction from two distinct audiences simultaneously is more likely to be identified as high-quality content. This can lead to it being promoted more widely on discovery surfaces like the Explore page or the Reels tab, further increasing its reach beyond the creators’ combined follower bases.

The core purpose of the feature is to allow two creators to leverage each other’s audience and credibility for a shared outcome, resulting in potentially much greater reach and engagement than if either had posted the same content individually.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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