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Three patient explainers: what to look for in a viewer of this kind, what to do when a lookup fails, and what a browser viewer can and cannot read.

• The plain mechanics behind an Imgsed search

  Pressing View passes your typed username to imgsed.net, and from there our server asks a data supplier run by another company; the supplier reads what a public profile shows and passes it back. The supplier sees the name, not your IP address; your account has no part in it. That chain explains what you get (stories that are live, highlight sets, newest posts, reels) and what stays out of reach: private accounts, and the list of who viewed any story.

• When a lookup on Imgsed fails, and what it means

  You reached this article, so imgsed.net is answering. What fails is a single lookup, and the viewer names the reason in a short notice; each of the five is read here on its own. Check the spelling, wait for the Try again button, then test a large public account.

• Choosing an Imgsed alternative, one risk at a time

  Start with the lookup box on Imgsed's home page: it opens Instagram profiles that anyone may see, free and without a login. A poor replacement costs you a wasted visit, an advert you must sit through or, at worst, the account you log in with. No viewer gets into a private profile, and Imgsed is no exception.