# How post tracking works Source: https://www.seedinfluencers.com/help/how-post-tracking-works Updated: 2026-09-24 Plan: starter How Seed checks Instagram and TikTok for a gifted creator's post, and what each status means. (Starter+) Post tracking is what powers the [Results](https://www.seedinfluencers.com/help/results) tab: Seed checks each gifted creator's Instagram and TikTok for you, so you don't have to go looking yourself. ## When checking starts The clock for a gift starts the day it's marked delivered. If Seed doesn't have a confirmed delivery yet, it uses a conservative estimate instead (based on when the order shipped, or when it was placed) so checking still starts on time. ## How often Seed checks Daily for the first 14 days after delivery, then twice a week (Monday and Thursday) until day 60. More often than any other gifting tool. After day 60, Seed stops checking that creator automatically. The creator can still send you their post link anytime after that; it's only the automatic checking that stops. A post's view/like/comment counts refresh on the same schedule while it's being tracked. Once day 60 passes, the numbers on an already-found post are frozen at their last check. they stay visible, they just won't update further on their own. ## Two ways a post gets found **The creator sends it to you.** A reminder email (see below) includes a link where they paste their post URL directly. This always counts immediately, it's the most certain way Seed knows about a post. **Seed finds it automatically.** Seed checks whether the creator tagged your account in the post, @-mentioned your handle in the caption, or typed your handle into the caption text. Any of these count right away. Seed also looks for your brand or product name written in the caption without a tag. See "Likely match" below for why that one needs your confirmation. If more than one post could match a gift, Seed keeps the one it's more sure about, a creator-submitted link always wins over an automatic find. ## What each status means Every gift you've sent shows one of these on the Results tables: - **Pending · day N**. Delivered within the last 14 days, being checked daily. Nothing to do yet. - **Not posted yet · day N**. Delivered more than 14 days ago, still being checked twice a week (up to day 60). Nothing found so far. - **Posted**. A post was found or submitted and counted. This is the goal state. - **Likely match**. Seed found something that might be about you but isn't sure. See below. - **No handle**. The creator didn't give you an Instagram or TikTok handle at checkout, so there's nothing for Seed to check automatically. They'll still get reminder emails asking for their link directly, and adding a handle to their shipping address later lets automatic checking pick them up. - **Removed**. A post that was previously found is no longer live on the platform (deleted or taken down), or you marked it "Not their post" yourself. ## Likely match: confirm or reject A "Likely match" is a caption that mentions your brand or product name without a tag or @-mention. Seed can't fully rule out a coincidence (another brand with a similar name, for instance), so it doesn't count automatically. You'll see **Confirm** and **Not theirs** buttons on the row. Confirming counts it as Posted, rejecting dismisses it. ## Reminder emails Seed can automatically email a creator asking for their post link if they haven't posted yet. At day 7, day 14, and day 30 after delivery. Each step is on by default and can be turned off independently in Settings → Emails → Post reminders, where you can also edit the subject and message. Reminders stop automatically once a post is found, no reminder goes out after that. ## "+N yesterday" The small green line under Views and Engagement on the rollup card compares yesterday's numbers to the day before, summed across your tracked posts. It only appears when there's fresh day-over-day data to compare, it's never shown as "+0." ## Milestones A one-time celebratory banner appears on Results the first time you hit a real milestone. your first automatically-found post, a campaign passing 10,000 views, your shop passing 100,000 total views, or half your last month's creators posting. Each one only ever shows once. ## When checking is temporarily paused If you see _"Instagram and TikTok checks are paused for a few hours,"_ Seed has hit a temporary limit on its own checking capacity, not anything to do with your shop. Links creators send you directly still work, and automatic checking resumes on its own. > **Tip:** Want fresh numbers right now instead of waiting for the schedule? Use **Refresh now** on Results, see [how to refresh post metrics](https://www.seedinfluencers.com/help/how-to-refresh-post-metrics). ## FAQ **How does Seed know a creator posted?** Either the creator sends you their post link directly (from a reminder email or on their own), or Seed automatically finds a post where they tagged you, mentioned your handle, or wrote your brand name in the caption. **How often does Seed check?** Daily for the first 14 days after a gift is delivered, then twice a week (Monday and Thursday) until day 60. After day 60, automatic checking stops for that creator, but they can still send you their link anytime. **Why does a post show as 'Likely match' instead of 'Posted'?** Seed found your brand name or product name in the caption, but without a tag or @-mention it can't be fully sure it's about you. Someone else could use the same words. You confirm or reject it before it counts.