How to See Who Shared Your Instagram Post, Reels, and Stories

Introduction

"On Instagram, it is not just about who is liking your post, it is about who is sharing it behind the scenes."

In the wild world of social media, sharing is the silent applause. Someone found your post worthy enough to send to a friend, add to their story, or repost it, but the catch is that Instagram does not exactly ring a bell when it happens.

So naturally, you are wondering:

How to see who shared your Instagram post?

How can I see who shared my post on Instagram via DM?

How to see who reposted your Instagram post or story?

You are not alone in this curiosity. In fact, a 2024 survey by SocialPilot found that over 64% of users wished Instagram gave more transparency around post sharing. If you want to explore Instagram with more professionalism, you can partner with a social media marketing service to track your content performance better.

Whether you are a creator, business owner, or just someone curious, this guide dives deep into how to track shares, understand insights, and what you can and cannot see when it comes to your content being passed around.

Let’s decode the mystery.

Can You See Who Shared Your Instagram Post?

Can I see who shared my Instagram post? A question that most people are curious about.

Short Answer: Yes and No.

Long answer: It depends on what kind of Instagram account you have, how the post was shared, and whether the platform thinks it is your business to know.

Personal Account Limitations

If you are using a personal account, Instagram respects user privacy and does not show who exactly shared your post. You may notice high engagement, but have no clue if people are forwarding it through DMs or adding it to their stories.

"Privacy is not an option, and it should be the price we accept for just getting on the Internet." - Gary Kovacs

Business or Creator Accounts: Unlock Insights

Switching to a Business or Creator account opens an Insightful door: Instagram insights. While you still would not see exact usernames, you can view:

• How many people shared your post
• How they interacted with it (views, saves, likes, and shares)
• Whether someone added it to their story.

This means Instagram gives you qualitative insights, not quantitative ones. You will know how many people shared your post, just not who.

How can you see who shared your post on Instagram?

Alright, time to dig into the tools and tricks Instagram does offer. While you cannot get names and faces (thanks to privacy protocols), you can get insightful data.

How?

Method 1: Use Instagram Insights (Business/Creator Accounts Only)

If you haven’t already switched to a business or creator account, it is free and unlocks analytics that personal accounts do not have.

• Go to your Instagram profile
• Tap on the post you want to inspect
• Tap "View Insights."
• Look for the paper airplane icon. This shows the number of people who shared your post (via DM or story)

Pro Tip: Story shares are counted only if the user’s account is public or they have tagged you.

Note: You still won’t see who shared it,  only how many times it was shared.

Method 2: Check Mentions and Tags for Story Shares

You will get a notification if someone adds your post to their feed and tags you. This is the closest you get to knowing who reshared your post.

"In a world where content is currency, the reshared post is the greatest tip."

To keep an eye on these:

• Go to your Activity tab
• Tap on Mentions
• Or swipe up on your Instagram story, if it includes your post, you will see who added your post if they tagged you.

Method 3: Use Meta Business Suite (for Detailed Analytics)

If you are managing a brand page, consider using Meta Business Suite. It gives:

• Engagement Trends Over Time
• Breakdown of shares across posts and stories
• Comparative insights (which type of content gets reshared more)

While it still would not show usernames, it helps optimize content that gets shared more often.

Method 4: Manual Clues & Engagement Hints

Instagram might not notify you, but if you see a spike in:

• DMs
• Story Views
• Follower counts
• Post impressions

Someone likely shared your post. Correlating these spikes with your insights can offer some detective-level clues.

Did You Know: Instagram stories are shared more than 500 million times daily, and nearly 70% of users say they share posts they like via DM or story.

Increased engagement on your post increases the chances of your content to appear on the explore page. However, sometimes the Instagram explore page also shows content with the same pattern. In this case, you can reset your Instagram explore page.

Step-by-Step Guide to Checking Post Shares (Post, Stories, & Reels)

Instagram does not always hand over insights on a silver platter, especially when it comes to post shares. But once you are on a business or creator account, it gets much easier to track how your content travels.

Let’s break it down, one-by-one,  type by type:

A.) How to See Who Shared Your Instagram Post

Instagram Feed is the backbone of your profile. Here is how to see if people are seeing your photos or carousel posts:

• Go to your Instagram profile
• Tap the post you are curious about
• Tap on "View Insights."

Look for the paper plane icon - this indicates how many people shared your post via DM or story.

Along with shares, you will also  see:

• Reach
• Impressions
• Saves
• Profile Visits
• Follows from Post

Quick Tip: Posts that combine value + emotion (like motivational quotes or life hacks) get 2x more shares on average, according to Later’s 2023 content trends report.

While Instagram does not give you usernames, the bird’s eye view is enough to figure out what type of content gets shared - and what flops.

B.) How to See Who Shared Your Instagram Reel

Reels are where the magic happens - viral content lives here. Luckily, Instagram provides a breakdown of engagement on Reels, too. How do you see that?

• Find and click the Reels tab on your Instagram profile
• Select a specific reel
• Tap the three dots (top right)
• Choose "View Insights."

Here you will find:

• Shares
• Plays
• Saves
• Comments
• Reach

Fun Fact: According to Hootsuite, Reels have a 67% higher chance of being shared than regular feed posts in 2024. If your shares are going up, it is a strong sign that the algorithm is loving you, and viewers are too.

C.) How to See Who Shared Your Instagram Story

Stories are temporary, but their impact isn’t.

Here is how to find out if people are resharing your story (or your post through their story):

• Go to your active or archived story
• Swipe up to view "Story Insights."
• Look for "Shares" or "Reshares."

Now, here is the twist: you will only know who shared your story if they tagged you in the reshare. If they do not tag you and their account is private, you will never know.

"Some of the loudest support comes from silent resharing."

Can You See Who Sent Your Instagram Post

The most curiously asked question these days:

"Can I see who sent my Instagram post to someone else?"

The honest answer? No. Instagram keeps Direct Message activity fully private. Even if your post is blowing up in DMs, you will never get a notification or insight revealing who shared it or to whom.

What You Can See?

An increase in post shares (via insights)

A spike in profile visits or follows shortly after a post went live.

New DMs or engagement you were not expecting

So while you cannot trace who sent your post where, you can interpret the aftermath.

"Privacy is the new luxury in the digital age, and Instagram knows it."

For now, the best thing you can do is keep an eye on engagement trends. If shares are high and DMs start trickling in, take that as a sign your content’s being passed around.

How to See Who Reposted Your Instagram Post

When it comes to reposts, Instagram does not give you a direct blog, but there are a few clever workarounds.

Method 1: Check Mentions & Tags

If someone is using a repost app or manually shares your content and tags you, you will be notified in your Mentions. You can then:

• Thank them
• Repost it to your story
• Engage with their audience

This is the simplest way to see who is resharing your post with credit.

Method 2: Use Third-Party Tools

While these third-party tools are not officially endorsed by Instagram, platforms can help you monitor repost activity, track mentions, and even measure earned media value from user-generated content. These tools include:

• Not Just Analytics
• Brand24
• Repost App
• Metricool

Just remember that these tools may require a public profile or business account to function accurately.

Method 3: Use Instagram Search

Do a quick scan frequently:

• Type username in the search bar
• Navigate to the "Tags" section

This is where you might find your post shared by others, with or without credit.

This is not a perfect way, but it is a way that requires low effort to uncover unknown shoutouts.

Is There a Way to See Who Shared Your Instagram Post Without a Business Account?

Kind Of. It involves manual observation and some educated guesswork.

If you are using your personal Instagram account, you cannot access Insights. This means:

• No data on shares
• No analytics on post performance
• No knowledge of story reshares

What You Can Do?

A.) Watch Your Story Views

If you share a post to your own story and tag it with a link using "Add Post to Story", you can swipe up and see who viewed your story.

If you are getting new viewers or non-followers, this could mean that someone else shared it too.

B.) Monitor Profile Actions

Did your post suddenly get more saves or unexpected comments, or attract new followers?

If yes, then these are indirect signs that your post has been shared, even if you cannot pinpoint the source.

"Sometimes, knowing who shared your post is not that important, but what’s important is knowing that your content was worth sharing."

Can People See If You Share Their Instagram Post?

Let us flip the question: If you share someone’s post, will they know?

What Happens?

If You Share Via DM: Nope, that is totally Private.

The person whose post you shared won’t be notified or mentioned.

If You Add to Your Story and tag them, they will get a notification.

If you don’t tag them, they would not know unless they stumble upon it.

Pro Tip: Tag the original creator while you reshare a post. This is not only ethical but also boosts reach for both parties.

This transparency is a part of Instagram’s balance between user privacy and creator awareness.

Pro Tips to Encourage Shares and Monitor Them

You might want more users to share your posts. Right? It is one part creativity and one part psychology. What can you do to increase shareability organically?

1. Make Emotionally Resonant Content

You can write inspirational quotes, create relatable memes, and use powerful storytelling, which also works best. People share the content with which they can emotionally connect.

As said by Jonah Berger, author of Contagious, "People do not share content, they share feelings."

2. Add a CTA in the Caption

Add simple phrases like, "Tag someone who needs this.", or "Share this with a friend.", or "Know someone who would relate?"

These phrases can significantly boost shares as people respond when they are prompted.

3. Use Engaging Formats

Carousels, Reels, and Infographics have higher share rates than single-image posts. Just keep those visual and scannable.

4. Track Performance Every Now and Then

Tools like Instagram Insights, Meta Business Suite, Later, or Hootsuite help you spot patterns in your most shared posts and recreate their success.

What Can You See vs. What You Wish You Could

Instagram is doing a great job of keeping the users' data close to its chest when it comes to tracking post shares. While you cannot exactly see who shared your post in a detailed, specific way unless they tag you, you still get a clear sense of the impact of your content through insights.

Key takeaway - While Instagram does not give you a complete log of every share, what is really important and valuable is to understand the engagement patterns. By monitoring shares, saves, and other valuable interactions, you can gain useful insights into what resonates with your audience and what makes them share your post. If your content is actually meaningful, entertaining, or provides value to the user, they will for sure share it, even if you do not always know who is doing it.

As you create more content, continue to experiment with what works best for your audience;  the ability of your content to be shared will speak volumes about its value and relevance in the digital space.

While Instagram has some limitations that may be frustrating, it also reminds us of creativity and authenticity. In the end, it is not always about who shared your post, rather, it is about creating something that people feel compelled to share. If you want to increase your Instagram’s reach, hire social media marketing experts like WEDOWEBAPPS.