At least 3 posts in that hour, and those 3 must be at least a tenth of all the posts sprkly looked at. Below that, sprkly still shows a best hour, but it adds a note: "Based on very few posts. Treat it as a hint, not a rule."
Why so few can mislead you
- One lucky post can pick the winner.
- If you posted at 9pm once and it took off, 9pm looks like your best hour. It may just be that post.
- More posts in more hours is what turns a hint into a pattern.
The two checks sprkly runs
- Enough posts in that hour: at least 3.
- Enough of your total: at least a tenth of all posts analysed.
- Why the second one? 3 posts out of 105 is a blip, not a best hour.
- Best day works the same way.
What you can do to get there faster
- Post at a few different hours on purpose, not always the same one.
- Keep going for a few weeks before you trust the chart.
- Check if the note is still there. When it goes away, the hour has enough behind it.
Which posts count
- Posts on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X and Bluesky.
- Threads and Facebook share no numbers with sprkly yet, so those posts do not count.
- On Instagram, reach and views need the insights permission. Without it, only likes and comments count.
Times and plans
- Hours are in your timezone. If you have not set one, they are in UTC, and the chart says so.
- Numbers update every 3 hours. Press Sync now to update them sooner.
- X numbers update once a day.
- Best hour and best day are on Creator, Power and the trial. Free does not show them.
Do it in sprkly: Open Analytics, find the "When your posts do best" chart, and look for the "hint, not a rule" note before you change when you post.
Docs: sprkly Analytics guide