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How to calculate engagement rate
Engagement rate is the share of people who saw the content and left a reaction such as a like or comment. Add the number of likes and comments, divide by views (or follower count), and multiply by 100.
Updated · By the TRYIT team
Engagement rate calculator
Two ways to calculate it
| Method | Divide by | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Views-based | Views | You're comparing content that shows view counts, such as videos, Shorts, and Reels |
| Followers-based | Followers (subscribers) | You want to see how much the account as a whole gets a response |
Calculating by reach
For your own account, you can see reach (the number of people who saw the content) in Insights. Add up likes, comments, saves, and shares, then divide by reach. The result is the share of people who actually saw the content and reacted, not the share of followers. You can't see reach on someone else's account, so use the views-based or followers-based method.
Example
If a video with 10,000 views got 450 likes and 50 comments, that's 500 interactions. Divide 500 by 10,000 and you get 0.05, so the engagement rate is 5%.
Things to watch out for
- Compare using the same method. Views-based and followers-based numbers can be very different.
- Compare within the same platform. People react differently on each platform.
- Don't look at just one piece of content. Use the average of several recent posts so one viral video doesn't mislead you.
- Consider account size too. Smaller accounts tend to show higher engagement rates.
By platform
| Platform | Divide by | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | Views | Likes and comments are visible. Compare Shorts and long videos separately. |
| Instagram posts | Followers | If an account hides like counts, focus on comments. |
| Instagram Reels | Views | Reels also reach people who don't follow the account, so a views-based rate fits. |
| TikTok | Views | Likes, comments, and shares are all visible. |
Calculating many accounts at once in Excel
Put likes in column A, comments in column B, and views (or followers) in column C. Enter =(A2+B2)/C2 in column D, then set the cell format to percentage. Drag it down to get the engagement rate for each account.
Spotting fake followers with engagement rate
- The account has many followers but very few likes and comments.
- Comments are emojis or the same phrase repeated.
- The number of reactions is suspiciously similar on every post, or followers jumped suddenly one day.
How to raise your engagement rate
- End your caption with an easy question to answer.
- Reply to comments quickly.
- Include information people want to save (lists, steps, comparisons).
- Post when your followers are most active.
You don't have to calculate it yourself
YouTube channel analysis and influencer search show the engagement rate for each channel and account right away, and you can sort by engagement rate.
What engagement rate is considered good?
It varies by platform and account size, so there's no fixed benchmark. Compare accounts of similar size on the same platform and see whether yours is above average.
How is Instagram engagement rate calculated?
For posts, add likes and comments and divide by the follower count; for Reels, divide by views. For your own account, adding saves and shares and dividing by reach is more accurate.
Is engagement rate related to sponsorship cost?
Yes. Even with the same follower count, accounts with a higher engagement rate tend to get better ad response and charge more. When making an offer, look at the engagement rate as well as the follower count.
Should I include saves and shares too?
If you can see the value, you can include it. However, for other people's accounts you can often only see likes and comments, so when comparing several accounts it is fairer to use only the likes and comments visible to everyone.
What if views are high but engagement rate is low?
It can be a sign that the video spread widely by chance but the bond with viewers is weak. When proposing an ad, look at views and engagement rate together.