Engagement rate calculator, all four formulas
The same post has four different engagement rates, and the only thing that changes between them is the number you divide by. Type in the interactions and whichever bases you have in front of you, and all four come out at once, which is the only honest way to decide which one you show.
The interactions
Interactions397
The sum of the four deliberate actions, and the numerator of all four formulas. A view does not belong here: it is a base, not an interaction.
The bases
Fill in the ones you have. Any you leave at zero gets no result, because dividing by zero is not a number.
The count on the day of the post, not today.
Distinct accounts that saw it. These are people.
Times it was shown, repeats included.
For video. On some networks it is all you get.
The four engagement rates
Over followers
4.73%
Interactions ÷ followers
Over reach
7.63%
Interactions ÷ reach
Over impressions
5.59%
Interactions ÷ impressions
Over views
6.30%
Interactions ÷ views
Reach is people and impressions are times, so impressions are never fewer than reach and the rate over reach always comes out the same or higher than the rate over impressions. Switching from one to the other without saying so is the most common misreading of this metric, and the one that has started the most arguments in a meeting.
You will not find what counts as a good engagement rate here, because that figure does not exist: it changes with the network, the size of the account and the sector. The comparison that does work is the account against itself, on one formula, month after month.
- The network. TikTok and LinkedIn give no per-post reach and YouTube gives no impressions, so on those three you will not be able to fill all four bases even though the formula exists.
- Saves, which Facebook does not report. Compare a Facebook account against an Instagram one on the same formula and the numerator is no longer the same thing.
- The period. An engagement rate over several weeks is recomputed from the components of the whole period; averaging each day's percentage gives a quiet day the same weight as a busy one.
- The format. A reel, a carousel and a story do not compete for the same base, and folding them into one average leaves a number that describes none of the three.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the rate over reach higher than the rate over impressions?
Because reach is people and impressions are times. One person can see the post more than once, so impressions are always equal to or greater than reach; dividing by a bigger number gives a smaller percentage. Show one this month and the other next month and the account will look like it got worse when nothing happened.
What counts as an interaction?
Likes, comments, saves and shares: the four actions somebody chooses to take. A view is not an interaction, and folding it into the numerator inflates the percentage without anyone noticing. If your account is missing one of the four, say so when you show the number rather than leaving the gap unmentioned.
Which of the four do you show a client?
The same one every month, named out loud. Over impressions is the most comparable across networks; over followers is the easiest to understand and also the most misleading once the account grows, because the denominator rises even when the content performs exactly as well.
What is a good engagement rate?
There is no figure that holds everywhere, and any loose number you find without a network, an account size, a sector and a date attached is worth very little. What you can read is the account's own series, always computed with the same formula: if it rises something improved, if it falls something is worth looking at.
Fourteen days to decide
Connect one account, schedule a week and see whether it fits. If it does not fit, cancel before day 15 and nothing is charged.