To show customer reviews on Instagram, turn them into Stories and save those Stories to a Highlight named something like "Reviews" or "Customers." Instagram's Help Center says Stories disappear from your profile, Feed and messages after 24 hours unless you add them to your profile as Highlights, and that a Highlight stays visible until you remove it. That makes Highlights the part of your profile built to keep Stories, and the customer proof inside them, on show for as long as you want. This guide covers five social proof Highlights to build, how to add and update them, and what Instagram says about who can see them.
Why Highlights suit social proof
A Highlight sits on your profile as a row of circles, so a visitor sees it without scrolling your grid. Instagram describes Highlights as Stories you add to your profile "even after they disappear," and says they remain visible until you remove them. A review posted to a Story for 24 hours is gone the next day; the same review in a Highlight is still there for the next person who visits.
One limit is worth knowing before you plan anything. The Help Center describes adding Stories you have shared yourself, so plan on turning a customer's review or photo into a Story on your account before it goes into a Highlight, for example a screenshot of a review or a customer photo you share with their permission. Asking the customer before you show their name, photo or message is our suggestion, not an Instagram step, and it keeps the relationship good.
Highlight 1: Reviews
Name it "Reviews" or "Love." Fill it with screenshots of written reviews, direct messages that thank you, and short comments from customers. Keep each Story to one review so it reads in a few seconds. Crop out anything you do not want shown, such as order numbers, full names or contact details, before you post the Story.
If you sell on a site with its own review page, a short Story that shows a review and points to that page gives visitors a way to check it. Do not invent or edit reviews; a Highlight of real, specific reviews is more convincing than a long list of vague praise.
Highlight 2: Customer photos
Name it "Customers," "In the wild" or "Your photos." This is where photos and videos of people using what you sell go. When a customer tags your account in their own Story, ask their permission, then add their content to your own Story if Instagram shows you that option, or ask them to send you the photo. Then add it to this Highlight. Instagram's Help Center page on adding Stories to Highlights does not say whether you may reuse a customer's content, so get a yes first and credit them.
Keep the Highlight tidy by removing blurry or off-brand items. Instagram lets you take a single Story out of a Highlight without deleting the whole collection.
Highlight 3: Fan of the month
Name it "Fan of the month" or "Wall of fame." Each month, choose one customer or follower whose content or messages stood out, post a Story that thanks them and says why, and add it to the Highlight. Over time the Highlight becomes a record that you notice and reward your audience, which is itself a reason to follow you.
Our suggestions for running it:
- Pick the same day each month so it becomes a habit.
- Ask the person before you feature them.
- Say what they did, not only that they are a fan.
- Tag them in the Story so they can find it.
Highlight 4: Ambassadors and partners
Name it "Ambassadors," "Team" or "Partners." Use it for creators, customers or partner brands who speak for you. One Story per person works well: their photo, a line about how they use your product or service, and their handle. If someone shares your work to their audience, a Story that thanks them and shows what they shared fits here too.
Highlight 5: Results
Name it "Results," "Before and after" or "Wins." Show what changed for a customer: a finished project, a result a client shared, a milestone you reached together. Keep the claim specific and true, and show only what the customer has agreed to share.
How to add the Stories to a Highlight
Instagram's Help Center gives these steps on iPhone and Android:
- Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
- Tap New. If you don't see New, tap Story highlight.
- Tap to select the Story or Stories you want, then tap Next in the top right.
- Tap Edit cover to choose a cover photo and enter a name, then tap Add in the top right.
To add a current Story to a Highlight you already have, tap your profile picture in the top left of your profile to see your Story, tap More in the bottom right of the Story, tap Highlight and choose which Highlight. You can also tap and hold the Highlight on your profile and tap Edit highlight. For the cover and naming side, see our guide to Instagram Stories Highlights and our 10 highlight cover design tips.
Keep the archive on so you can build Highlights later
Instagram says Stories you share are saved to your Stories Archive after 24 hours unless you turn that setting off, and that if you turn it off, any stories you share from then on are deleted after 24 hours. Leave the archive on and you can collect customer Stories during the week and choose which to add to a Highlight when you have time.
Instagram also warns that to keep Stories Archive working, some archived stories may be changed when saved: music can be muted and videos or GIFs can be frozen. Instagram says these changes are permanent. If a review Story depends on music or an animation, check how it looks in the archive before you rely on it.
Who can see your Highlights
Instagram's Help Center says that those you have allowed to see your Story can also see your Highlights. Before you add a Story that was first shared to a limited audience, such as a Close Friends list, check who it will now be visible to. Do not put anything in a social proof Highlight that a customer would be unhappy to see on your profile.
Update and remove
Instagram's Help Center describes how to edit or delete a Highlight: tap and hold it on your profile, then tap Edit Highlight or Delete Highlight. To remove one Story, open the Highlight, tap More at the bottom right of that Story and tap Remove from Highlight. The same page describes deleting several Highlights at once from Menu, Your activity, then Highlights.
Set a monthly reminder to open each social proof Highlight, remove anything out of date, and add the newest review or customer. Our Highlight maintenance guide gives a simple schedule, and the best free Highlight cover makers list tools for matching covers.
What Highlights cannot do
Highlights only work on visitors who already reached your profile. They do not bring in new people. If you want more of the right people to find your profile, UpGrow's Instagram growth service targets people you choose and does not need your Instagram password. A strong set of Highlights then gives those visitors a reason to follow.
FAQ
How many customer review Highlights should I make?
Start with one called "Reviews." Add "Customers" for photos and "Fan of the month" once you have material for it. Five is a ceiling for this guide, not a rule; the Help Center gives no required number.
Can I add a customer's post to my Highlight directly?
Instagram's Help Center describes adding Stories you have shared to Highlights. A customer's content would first need to become a Story on your account, with their permission.
Do Highlights expire?
No. Instagram says Stories you add as Highlights remain visible until you remove them, even after the original Story has disappeared.
Who can see my Highlights?
People you have allowed to see your Story can also see your Highlights, according to Instagram's Help Center.
Can I add old Stories to a Highlight?
Yes. Instagram's Help Center says you can add stories to your profile as Highlights even after they disappear. It saves your Stories to your Stories Archive unless you turn that setting off.
