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Add Reel video duration to Instagram analytic

Feature Request

Zernio already provides the average and total watch time for Instagram Reels, but it does not include the Reel’s duration.

Without the video duration, applications cannot calculate an estimated retention percentage. This forces developers to either leave retention unavailable or rely on unreliable workarounds such as temporary media URLs.

It would be very useful if Instagram Reel analytics included a video duration field whenever Meta provides it. This would allow creator dashboards to calculate retention accurately and honestly without requiring a separate Meta integration.

Posted by Juan Pablo Sikora ·
Status: Completed1 comment

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Comments1

  • Miquel Palet López changed status to Completed
    Team•

    Aug 2

    Pinned

    Hey Juan Pablo, this is live now.

    What’s new

    Reel analytics now include videoDurationSeconds alongside the existing watch-time metrics, so you can compute retention directly:

    retention = (igReelsAvgWatchTime / 1000) / videoDurationSeconds

    • igReelsAvgWatchTime is in milliseconds (Instagram’s format).

    • videoDurationSeconds is in whole seconds.

    Where to find it

    The field lives on the analytics object in:

    • GET /v1/analytics

      • For a single post

      • In the list response

    • On each entry of platformAnalytics for cross-posted content.

    Important details

    1. Nullable field

      • Instagram doesn’t expose duration for every reel (especially reels using copyrighted audio).

      • Treat null as “unknown”, not zero, and skip the retention calculation for those items.

    2. Backfill behavior

      • Existing reels will get videoDurationSeconds populated as each account runs its next analytics sync.

      • If you see null on older posts right after this rollout, wait for one sync cycle before assuming the duration is unavailable.

    No extra work on your side

    No separate Meta integration is needed. Just start using the new field when it’s present.

    If the retention numbers look off compared to what you see in Instagram’s own insights, let us know.