What are Instagram highlights?
Highlights are saved Stories that sit in a row of circles under your bio. Unlike regular Stories, they don't disappear after 24 hours. For many accounts they work like a menu: the first thing new visitors tap to learn who you are, what you sell or what people say about you.
Each highlight has a cover image and a short name underneath. The name tells people which one to tap.
How long can a highlight name be?
Instagram allows up to 15 characters for a highlight name, and an emoji counts toward that. Long names can be cut off under the circle on smaller screens, so the shortest names read best.
One or two words is the sweet spot: Shop, Reviews, Start here. If a name needs three words, it's probably trying to do two jobs.
Which highlights to make first
Most people only see the first four or five circles without swiping. Put the ones that answer a new visitor's questions there:
- About or Start here: who you are and what the account is for.
- Shop, Menu or Services: what you offer.
- Reviews or Results: proof from real people.
- FAQ or Info: prices, shipping, hours, booking.
Picking a style
Plain names are the easiest to read. Lowercase feels softer and suits lifestyle accounts. Emoji add color but can look busy next to designed covers, so they work best with simple ones. Aesthetic styles with small symbols suit minimal profiles.
Whichever you pick, use it across the whole row so it reads as a set. If your covers have icons, match the names to them: same words, same case, same look.
Making covers to match
Covers are the images inside the circles. Simple icons, or a plain color with a small symbol, read best at that size. The circle crops the image, so keep the important part in the middle.
When you edit a highlight, you can pick its cover from your camera roll, so you don't have to post the cover to your Story first.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters can an Instagram highlight name have?
Up to 15, including spaces and emoji. Shorter names are less likely to be cut off under the circle.
How do I rename a highlight?
Open the highlight from your profile, tap the three dots or More, then Edit highlight. Change the name and save. Menu labels can shift a little between app versions.
What should my first highlight be?
Usually an About or Start here highlight, so new visitors learn who you are. After that, whatever people ask you most: your shop, prices, reviews or FAQ.
Can I use symbols or fonts in highlight names?
Yes. Symbols and Unicode fonts paste in like normal text, but each one counts toward the 15-character limit, and a few may not show on every phone.