Admins, Managers and Contributors
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Updated Impression Data FAQ
Table of Contents
Q: What is the difference between Impressions and Potential Reach in Employee Advocacy reporting?
A: Potential Reach represents the total number of connections an employee had at the time they shared a post; it measures the theoretical size of the audience that could have seen the content. Impressions represent the actual number of times the shared post was viewed. Impressions will typically be a smaller number than Potential Reach, but they provide a more precise measure of real content engagement.
Q: How far back is historical Impressions data available for Employee Advocacy shares on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X?
A: Historical availability varies by network. Complete Impressions data is available for shares made after these dates: LinkedIn — January 1, 2026; Facebook — March 30, 2026; Instagram — January 1, 2019; X — January 1, 2019. Shares made before these dates will not have Impressions data.
Q: Why does a shared post in Employee Advocacy show 0 Impressions even though it was shared after the historical data availability date?
A: A share can show 0 Impressions if the original post was deleted on the social network or if the employee's connected social profile is no longer accessible to Sprout. This behavior is the same as how engagement metrics work today.
Q: Are Impressions available for Facebook and Instagram personal profile shares in Employee Advocacy?
A: No. Impressions are only available for shares made to Facebook Business pages and Instagram Business profiles. Personal profile shares on Facebook and Instagram are excluded as they are not available.
Q: Will CSV exports and scheduled report deliveries still include the new Impressions column for the Content Report and User Report?
A: Yes. The Impressions column is automatically included in both CSV exports available from the Content Report and User Report. If you have turned off Impressions under General Settings, the column will be hidden from exports as well.
Q: Can I hide Impressions from Employee Advocacy reports and only show Potential Reach, or vice versa?
A: Yes. Under General Settings in the Reporting section, administrators can independently toggle Impressions and Potential Reach on or off. When a metric is turned off, it is hidden from all report tables, CSV exports, and the expanded story/user drawers across Advocacy reporting.
Q: Is Impressions data available on the General Report, the Leaderboard, or in the Earned Media Value calculation in Employee Advocacy?
A: Not at this time. Impressions are currently shown only in the Content Report, User Report, and the Advocacy Network Overview widget in My Reports. The General Report, Leaderboard, and EMV calculation remain based on Potential Reach.
Q: I don't see the Impressions column in my Employee Advocacy Content Report or User Report, where should I check?
A: First, check whether Impressions has been turned off under General Settings. If the setting is on, the column may simply be off-screen. Try scrolling the data table horizontally, as the number of columns may require scrolling depending on your screen size. Impressions is available to all users with access to Advocacy reports; no additional permissions are needed.
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