How does the Instagram algorithm for the feed work?
Instagram’s algorithm is a mystery to many users. But the platform is now giving more insights behind the scenes. So how does the Instagram algorithm work for your feed?
“There are a lot of misconceptions about how Instagram works,” writes CEO Adam Mosseri in a blog post. That’s why the company wants to “give people a better overview of how Instagram works”.
But how does the Instagram algorithm really work and how does the platform decide what users get displayed? We’ll show you how the meta daughter decides what ends up in your feed.
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Instagram and its algorithms
According to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, there is no “one algorithm” at all. A wide variety of algorithms, classifications and processes would decide what ultimately matters to the users.
Our goal is to provide people with meaningful, valuable experiences on our platform.
In order to obtain these “meaningful, valuable experiences” for users, Instagram uses technology-supported personalization.
Feed: How does the Instagram algorithm work?
Each area of the platform has its own algorithm. This is based on how users use the individual areas, such as the feed, stories or reels.
Here’s how Instagram composes your feed
Your homepage in the Instagram app consists of three different categories
- Content of the accounts you follow
- recommended content from accounts that you might like
- advertisements
In the feed, the Instagram algorithm includes in particular which accounts you follow and which content you have “Liked”. What is new here is that the respective format is also included. So if you primarily like photos, you will also see more of them.
According to Mosseri, Instagram works with “fact-based guesses” to find out how high the probability is that you will interact with a post.
In the feed, Instagram primarily includes five out of twelve possible types of interaction: “How likely it is that you view a post for several seconds, comment on it, like it, share it, or tap the profile picture.”
The more likely you are to take an action, and the more weight that action has, the higher the post will appear in your feed.
Instagram always tries to keep the balance – so don’t show you too many posts from the same person in a row. The platform also avoids showing too many suggested posts at once.
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