← DictionaryReel
also called short video
A short vertical video format built for feed discovery.
Short vertical video.
What It Is
You will find Reel in the Content layer, alongside the rest of Formats. The canonical meaning is a short vertical video format built for feed discovery.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. Once it is defined that clearly, arguments about it usually stop.
How It's Used
Reel earns its keep in editorial planning, briefs and the day-to-day work of publishing. It is usually discussed together with Short-Form Content, Video Script and Algorithm. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
The cost of being vague about Reel shows up later, not today. When it is unclear, output goes up and effect goes sideways. It is worth pinning down before anyone builds on top of it.
Think of it as a name on a box. Open the box and this is what is inside: Short vertical video.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Practitioners use Reel as shorthand and expect no explanation — a short vertical video format built for feed discovery.
Outside the industry, most people would just say: short vertical video.
The Bottom Line
If you only keep one thing about Reel: short vertical video. Everything after that is detail.