What data does PostSnag capture from each post?

PostSnag captures a consistent set of details from every public Facebook post you scroll past: its type, its full engagement numbers, the exact date and time it was posted, its caption, its media (including the real video file for videos and Reels), and who posted it.

Here's exactly what that includes, how PostSnag decides some of it, and what it leaves out entirely.

Post type

Every post is classified as one of six types: text, photo, video, reel, album, or link. PostSnag looks at the whole post to decide, not just its URL. If a post has video, it's classified as a video or reel even if the caption also includes a link. The check runs in this order: is it a reel, then a video, then multiple photos (an album), then a single photo, then an external link, and if none of those apply, it's a text post.

Engagement numbers

• Reaction total, the combined count of all reactions on the post.
• Reaction breakdown, shown in the app: like, love, haha, wow, sad, and angry. Facebook's "Care" reaction isn't tracked as a separate type today.
• Comment count. PostSnag captures how many comments a post has, not the text of the comments themselves or who left them.
• Share count.
• Video views, for video and reel posts.

Date and time

The exact date and time the post was originally published, not the date you captured it. PostSnag reads this from Facebook's own post data where it's available, or converts it from whatever relative time Facebook is displaying on screen, like "2h" or "3d," when the exact timestamp isn't.

Caption

The post's full text, as written, preferring Facebook's own caption field over anything else on screen.

Media, including the real video file

Photos and album images are captured as image files. For video and reel posts, PostSnag now saves the actual playable video file, plus a cover image and the video's duration. This is a real change from how PostSnag used to work: it once saved only a cover image for video-style posts. Now, scrolling past a video or a Reel captures the file you could actually press play on, not just a preview picture. Albums are capped at 20 images per post. Because Facebook serves media through temporary links, exporting soon after capturing keeps media looking and working its best; a long gap between capturing and exporting can occasionally affect a file.

Who posted it, and where to find it

• The author's public name and profile link.
• The original post's URL, so you can always click back to see it live on Facebook.

[SCREENSHOT: A captured video post on the dashboard showing its cover image, duration, reaction total, comment and share counts, date, and author]

What PostSnag never captures

• Private or friends-only posts.
• Messenger messages or direct messages.
• Stories or live video.
• The text of comments or who left them, only the total count.
• Anything behind a login you don't have access to.

PostSnag only captures public posts: the same content anyone visiting that profile could already see, read from your own logged-in Facebook session as it loads on your screen.

If the data looks incomplete or slightly off

A few things are expected, not a sign something's broken:

• A photo, album image, or video didn't show up: media loads separately from a post's text and can be slower to finish, especially for albums and video files. See Why didn't photos, albums, or video thumbnails capture?.
• A profile's name or picture looks wrong on a captured post: PostSnag reads whatever is rendered on the page at the moment of capture. See Why does a profile's name or picture look wrong?.
• The reaction total looks different from what Facebook shows: Facebook's own displayed counts can be rounded or cached; PostSnag reports what it actually read from your screen. See Why do post counts look different across the panel, dashboard, and Facebook?.

Where this data ends up

Capturing while you scroll only ever saves to your own device. Clicking Export To Dashboard in the panel sends everything to your PostSnag account, where the full reaction breakdown, comment and share counts, and every other field above show in the app. From your dashboard, you choose how to pull that data back out: Data as Markdown or Data as CSV carry the reaction total only, not the like, love, haha, wow, sad, and angry breakdown, while Media only or Data plus media package up the real captured files, including the video itself. See What is included in a PostSnag export? for the full breakdown of formats.

Common questions

Does PostSnag save the actual video file?

Yes. For every video and Reel, PostSnag saves the real playable video file, a cover image, and the video's duration, not just a preview picture.

Does PostSnag track the "Care" reaction?

No. PostSnag tracks like, love, haha, wow, sad, and angry. Care isn't captured as a separate reaction type.

Does PostSnag capture the text of comments, or just the count?

Just the count. PostSnag doesn't capture individual comment text or who left them, only how many comments a post has.

How many images does PostSnag save from an album?

Up to 20 images per album post.

Does an exported file include the reaction breakdown?

Only in the app. Every exported format, including the data file inside a Data plus media download, carries the reaction total only. The full like, love, haha, wow, sad, and angry breakdown is available in the app.

Related articles

• What is the PostSnag panel?
• Can I capture Facebook Reels?
• How do I capture posts from a Facebook profile?
• What is included in a PostSnag export?
• How do I export a profile, and what are the formats?

PostSnag is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Meta Platforms, Inc.