Tracking Instagram Competitors
Updated
Open Discovery > Competitor tracking to add Instagram accounts and compare their public metrics. You need Basic or above and an Instagram account connected through Facebook.
TikTok
Competitor tracking
Instagram username
Check Your Connection
- Open Competitor tracking.
- If prompted, click Open connections.
- Connect or reconnect Instagram using Connect via Facebook.
- Return to Discovery.
An Instagram Login connection does not support competitor tracking in Maeve. See Instagram for connection steps.
Add a Competitor
- Enter the account's Instagram username in the competitor field. You can include or omit
@. - Click Add competitor.
- Wait for Collecting history to finish. You can leave the page while collection runs.
- Open the competitor once data is available.
Instagram must make the account's public data available for discovery. If the account cannot be read or is already tracked in this workspace, Maeve shows an error. Check the username before trying again.
Check Limits and History
| Plan | Competitors per Workspace | Historical Collection |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 1 | Up to 90 days |
| Standard | 5 | Up to 365 days |
| Premium | 15 | All available history |
Historical collection depends on what Instagram returns. Follower history builds from daily observations; adding older posts does not provide earlier follower counts.
At the competitor limit, stop tracking an account to free a place or change your plan.
Compare the Accounts
Use the overview to compare tracked accounts and select your own connected Instagram account for comparison. Open a competitor to see its metrics for the displayed period.
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Followers | Latest follower count and change where earlier observations are available |
| Posts / week | Average weekly posting frequency and total posts in the period |
| Engagement rate | Average likes plus comments per post, divided by the latest follower count, as a percentage |
| Reels share | Percentage of collected posts in the period that were reels |
The follower chart appears once there is more than one observation. History starts today means there is no earlier follower count available for the comparison.
Review Their Posts
- Open a competitor and scroll to Posts.
- Sort by Newest, Most likes, Most comments, or Most views.
- Select All formats, Reels, or Feed posts.
- Review the collected posts and their available metrics.
The account detail also shows hashtag usage and average engagement. Repeated use of a hashtag tells you how often the account uses it; it does not establish that the hashtag caused the engagement.
Resolve Collection Issues
Read the status beside the affected competitor.
| Status | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Collecting history | Wait for historical collection to finish |
| Ready | Open the competitor to review collected data |
| Rate limited or Collection delayed | Wait for automatic retries, up to five attempts for historical collection |
| Refresh delayed | Review stored data while Maeve waits for the next daily refresh |
| Reconnect needed | Click Open connections and reconnect an eligible Instagram account |
| Collection stopped | Read the reason and use Retry now when available |
A delayed refresh can leave older data visible. Check the update time before using the figures in a comparison.
If provider access is unavailable, reconnecting will not fix it. Retry once access is restored. If Instagram no longer returns the competitor, check whether the account is still available.
Stop Tracking an Account
- Return to the competitor list.
- Open the account's three-dot menu.
- Select Stop tracking.
This removes it from your workspace's tracked list and frees a competitor slot.
Questions
What do I need to track competitors?
Basic or above and an Instagram account connected through Facebook. Use Connect via Facebook when connecting Instagram.
How do I add a competitor?
Open Discovery > Competitor tracking, enter the Instagram username, and click Add competitor. Instagram must make the account data available for discovery.
How many competitors can I track?
One per workspace on Basic, five on Standard, and fifteen on Premium.
How far back does the history go?
Historical collection covers up to 90 days on Basic, 365 days on Standard, and all available history on Premium. Follower history builds from daily observations.
What does the engagement rate measure?
Average likes plus comments per post in the period, divided by the latest follower count, expressed as a percentage.
Why does a competitor say history starts today?
There is no earlier follower observation available for comparison. Older collected posts do not supply historical follower counts.
Why has collection stopped on one competitor?
Read the collection status. Historical retries may have failed five times, Instagram may no longer return the account, or provider access may be unavailable. Use Retry now when available, or reconnect if the status requests it.
Are competitor reel views organic?
No. Reel view counts can include paid views.