Close Friends

Close Friends is an Instagram list of people you choose; content shared to it is seen only by them and marked with a green badge.

Also called: close friends list, CF, green circle

By Aulto · Last reviewed 23 Oct 2026

How do creators and artists use it?

As a VIP space: early snippets, behind-the-scenes, presale codes and personal updates for the most engaged fans.

You add them. Many creators add people who join their email list, buy merch or turn up early, which gives fans a reason to do those things.

An artist shares the unreleased chorus to Close Friends a week early, and adds everyone who pre-saved.

Owned audience
An owned audience is the people you can reach directly, like your email list or opted-in WhatsApp contacts, without depending on a platform's algorithm.
Snippet
A snippet is a short clip of an unreleased song shared to build interest before release, usually 10 to 30 seconds of the catchiest part.
Collab post
A collab post is a single Instagram post or reel published by two or more accounts together, shown on each profile with shared likes and comments.
Auto-reply
An auto-reply is a message sent automatically in response to a DM, comment or keyword, so people get an answer without waiting for someone to type it.
Carousel post
A carousel post is an Instagram post with several photos or videos that people swipe through, up to 20 in one post.
Comment-to-DM
Comment-to-DM is when someone comments a keyword on an Instagram post and automatically receives a direct message with a link or reply.

Smart links, pre-saves, bio pages and Reply Drop for Instagram, in one place.