---
title: "Reach vs impressions: the difference and the formula"
canonical: "https://weekbird.app/glossary/reach-vs-impressions"
language: "en"
type: "glossaryTerm"
updated: "2026-10-11T18:03:23.583Z"
---

# Reach vs impressions

Reach vs impressions comes down to people against views. Reach counts the unique accounts that saw your post. Impressions count every time it was shown, repeat views included. Divide impressions by reach to get frequency: 10 impressions across 5 accounts gives a frequency of 2.

## Reach vs impressions defined

**Reach** is the number of unique accounts that saw a post. Each account counts once.

**Impressions** are the number of times the post appeared on screen. An account that scrolls past it twice adds two.

Impressions are equal to or higher than reach.

## Frequency formula

Frequency = impressions / reach. It tells you how often the average account saw the post.

| Reach | Impressions | Frequency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 | 10 | 2.0 |
| 1,000 | 1,800 | 1.8 |
| 1,000 | 1,100 | 1.1 |

## Example

Example: a post reaches 1,000 accounts and gets 1,800 impressions. Frequency = 1,800 / 1,000 = 1.8. On average each account saw it close to twice. If your next post reaches 1,000 accounts with 1,100 impressions, frequency drops to 1.1: the same audience size, fewer repeat views.

## What platforms call them

Names and counting rules vary by platform, so read each definition before you put two networks in one report.

| Network | Unique audience | Total views |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Instagram (developer insights) | Reach | Impressions |
| LinkedIn (post analytics) | Members reached | Impressions |

## Related terms

- Impressions: the times content was shown.
- Organic reach: accounts reached without paid promotion.
- Engagement rate: interactions divided by followers, reach or impressions.

## Use it in your week

Weekbird analytics shows metrics for each connected network and exports them as CSV or HTML. It keeps each network's numbers separate, so you compare reach with reach on the same network. Feed the numbers into the engagement rate calculator to see which denominator moves your rate.

## Questions

### Which number is higher?

Impressions are equal to or higher than reach, because each account counts once in reach and once per view in impressions.

### Do all platforms use these names?

No. LinkedIn reports impressions and members reached. Instagram's developer documentation lists reach and impressions. Check each platform's definition before comparing.

### Which should I report?

Report reach to show audience size and impressions to show total exposure. State which one you use.

## Plan next week and see what it reached

[See Weekbird plans](https://weekbird.app/)

## Reach vs impressions

Reach counts the unique accounts that saw your content. Impressions count every time it was shown, including repeat views by the same account.

## Formula

Frequency = impressions / reach

## Example

Example: 5 accounts each see a post twice. Reach = 5. Impressions = 10. Frequency = 2.

## Which number is higher?

Impressions are equal to or higher than reach, because each account counts once in reach and once per view in impressions.

## Do all platforms use these names?

No. Names and rules vary. LinkedIn reports impressions and members reached. Instagram's developer documentation lists reach and impressions. Check each platform's definition before comparing.

## Which should I report?

Report reach to show audience size and impressions to show total exposure. State which one you use.

## Related terms

| Term |
| --- |
| Impressions |
| Organic reach |
| Engagement rate |

## Related documents

| Document |
| --- |
| [/guides/how-to-calculate-engagement-rate](/guides/how-to-calculate-engagement-rate) |

## Product tie

Weekbird reports metrics per connected network and exports them as CSV or HTML, so you can calculate frequency from each network's own reach and impressions.