Listen to Learning Instagram part 1: the algorithm on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts 

The short answer: Instagram doesn’t have one algorithm. It has four. There’s a separate ranking system for your feed, your Stories, the Explore page, and Reels, and each one looks at different signals to decide what shows up. Feed and Stories show recent posts from accounts you already follow. Explore and the Reels tab surface content from people you don’t follow yet, ranked mostly by how many people engage and how fast they do it. So if you want the algorithm working for you as a creator, you need to know which algorithm you’re trying to rank in, then give it the signals it’s looking for: watch-time, comments, shares, saves, and profile visits, especially right after you post. Everything below comes straight from Instagram and Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, not my thoughts or my opinions.

Okay so, this is part one of a three-part series on learning Instagram (part two breaks down the biggest Instagram myths and shadow banning, and part three covers actually growing on Instagram). I wanted to start with the algorithm because there are so, so many misconceptions out there. And real talk: this one is a little dry, because at the end of the day the algorithm is a computer system and there’s only so much you can do to spice up a computer. But all of it is genuinely valuable to know, both as someone who scrolls Instagram and as someone building a business on it. I studied this straight from Instagram’s own articles and from Adam Mosseri so you’re getting the facts, not speculation.

Algorithm	Where it shows up	What it mainly ranks on
Feed	Posts from people you follow	Info about the post, info about who posted, your activity, your history with that person
Stories	Stories from people you follow	The same signals as feed, plus how much time you spend and whether you skip out
Explore	Photos & Reels from accounts you don’t follow	How many and how FAST people engage with the post, your history with the poster, your activity
Reels tab	Reels from accounts you don’t follow	Your activity, your history with the poster, info about the Reel (audio, quality), popularity

Is there really only one Instagram algorithm?

No. There are actually multiple algorithms on Instagram: an Explore page algorithm, a feed and Stories algorithm, and a Reels algorithm. So you need to know the strategy for each part of Instagram, because they work differently. There are similarities between them, but there are also some big distinctions to watch for if you want to rank in each place.

How does the Instagram feed and Stories algorithm work?

Feed and Stories show recent posts shared by people you follow, with the exception of ads and suggested posts. (Side note: you can mute suggested posts in your feed for up to 30 days at a time, which is nice, but you can’t mute ads.) Feed and Stories are grouped together because that’s how Instagram groups them when it explains the algorithm. This algorithm looks at signals to decide which content you see first, and there are four main ones:

1. Information about the post. How popular it is, how many people liked it, when it was posted, the format (Reel, carousel, Story), and the location attached to it. That location tag matters more than most people realize.
2. Information about the person who posted. Signals like how many times people have interacted with that account in the past few weeks.
3. Your activity. What posts you’ve liked in the past, and how many you’ve liked in general.
4. Your history of interacting with that person. Have you commented on each other’s posts? Are you interested in seeing their content?

A couple of things that aren’t in the four signals but are worth knowing: if you post something against Instagram’s community guidelines, it won’t be shown to people (you can check your account status under Settings to see if you’re in the clear). And if you post something Instagram considers misinformation, it can get taken down, and posting misinformation repeatedly can make all of your content harder to find.

In your feed specifically, there are five main interactions the algorithm watches: how likely you are to spend a few seconds on the post, comment on it, like it, reshare it, and tap through to the profile. The more likely you are to take those actions, the more heavily the algorithm weighs them, and the higher that post shows up for you.

What the feed and Stories algorithm means for you

Here are the three big takeaways:

1. Keep people on your posts as long as possible. Engaging hooks get people in, but you also need to keep them there, whether it’s a carousel, a Reel, or a live. On Stories it’s the same: if people swipe out or skip past your Stories quickly, that’s a negative signal, and your Story bubble gets pushed farther back in the tray.
2. Focus on Story interactions, not just polls. Getting someone to actually DM you, to step off your Story into a conversation, is so, so powerful. It’s a strong positive signal and it moves your Stories up in people’s feeds.
3. Watch the right numbers in your insights. Comments, shares, and profile visits are the signals that matter most, so those are the three to track.

How does the Instagram Explore page algorithm work?

The Explore page shows content from accounts you don’t follow, based on what you’ve liked, saved, and commented on in the past. For example: if you’ve liked posts about goldendoodles, you’re more likely to see other goldendoodle content (my Explore page is a wall of dog accounts because my mom and I DM each other funny dog videos all day). Once Instagram finds a batch of content you might like, it ranks it by how interested it thinks you are in each one. Over time, you actually curate your own Explore page by what you engage with. The four main signals here:

1. Information about the post. How popular it is, meaning how many people, and how quickly, are liking, commenting, sharing, and saving it. Straight from Instagram: these signals mean a lot more on Explore than they do in feed or Stories.
2. Your history of interacting with the person who posted. In Instagram’s words, the post was probably shared by someone you’ve never heard of, but if you’ve interacted with them before, that tells Instagram how interested you might be.
3. Your activity. What you’ve liked in the past and how much.
4. Information about the person who posted. Signals that help Instagram find compelling content from a wide range of people.

Instagram also avoids suggesting content that has gone against community guidelines, because it doesn’t want to put something offensive in front of people who don’t follow you.

So what does this mean for you? Two things. First, keep your content within community guidelines so it’s eligible to be suggested. Second, if you want to land on Explore, your community has to engage with your content fast, right after it’s posted. That’s really, really important, and it’s a big reason a consistent posting time matters: you want to post when your people are actually around to engage.

How does the Instagram Reels algorithm work?

This is the algorithm for Reels that show up on the Reels tab, not Reels from accounts you follow (those fall under the feed and Stories algorithm). Because Reels on the tab come from people you don’t follow, Instagram shows you Reels it thinks you’ll like and orders them by how interesting it predicts they’ll be. The very first Reel you see is the one it thinks you’re most likely to engage with. The four main signals:

1. Your activity. Which Reels you’ve liked, commented on, and engaged with recently.
2. Your history interacting with the person who posted. Even watching the first few seconds of their Reel tells Instagram you might want to see them, and similar accounts, again.
3. Information about the Reel. Signals about the content itself, like the audio you’re using, video quality and clarity, and popularity.
4. Information about the person who posted. Popularity helps Instagram surface compelling content and give everyone a chance to find their audience.

So what does this mean for you? Instagram avoids recommending Reels that are low-resolution, watermarked, muted, bordered, majority text, or focused on political issues. Beyond that, get people to watch your Reel all the way through. That’s really, really important, and it’s how Reels perform well consistently. Even better is when people watch it more than once. A rewatch doesn’t count as an extra view, but it’s a strong signal that people love the content. It’s why you see short, looping Reels with a long block of text: the text takes a few loops to finish reading, so people watch two or three times without realizing it. And use audio other people are also using or saving, because when your Reel inspires someone to go make their own, that’s a positive signal, the same way saves and shares are.

Other things Instagram has told us about the algorithm

A few extra notes that aren’t tied to one algorithm:

• Avoid back-to-back posts for a better ranking. You can still post twice a day, just don’t stack them right on top of each other. Instagram’s way of saying: focus on quality, not cramming in volume.
• Original content ranks higher than reposted content. Instagram announced this at the end of 2022, and it’s one of the last big, concrete updates we’ve gotten.
• Location tags matter. They keep coming up in the signals, so tag your location.
• Go to the source. Follow Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) and @creators, and read Instagram’s own article on how the algorithm works. When someone claims “this just changed in the algorithm,” ask where they got it. We only really know what Instagram tells us.

What the Instagram algorithm means for you as a creator

Across all four algorithms, the pattern is the same: engagement is the currency, and fast engagement right after you post is the strongest signal of all. Here’s the checklist:

• Hook people fast, then keep them on your post (or Reel, or Story) as long as possible.
• Get people to watch Reels all the way through, and ideally rewatch.
• Drive real Story interactions, especially DMs, not just poll taps.
• Post at a consistent time when your community is around to engage right away.
• Track comments, shares, and profile visits in your insights.
• Tag your location, use audio others are using, and post original content.
• Stay within community guidelines so your content is eligible for Explore and Reels.
• Don’t stack posts back-to-back.

If you want the full system for turning these signals into actual growth, not just understanding the algorithm but using it to get in front of the right people, that’s exactly what I walk through in my guide to Instagram marketing for digital product creators. And if hooks are where you get stuck, my free 100 Hooks guide (linked below) is the fastest place to start.

Instagram algorithm FAQ

How many algorithms does Instagram have?

Four. There’s a separate ranking system for the feed, Stories, the Explore page, and Reels, and each one uses different signals to decide what you see. Instagram groups feed and Stories together when it explains them.

How does the Instagram feed algorithm decide what to show?

It shows recent posts from accounts you follow, ranked by four signals: information about the post (popularity, timing, format, location), information about who posted it, your activity, and your history with that person. In the feed it also watches five interactions: whether you spend a few seconds on a post, comment, like, reshare, or tap to the profile. The more you do those, the higher that account ranks for you.

What does the Instagram Explore algorithm look at?

Explore shows content from accounts you don’t follow, based on what you’ve liked, saved, and commented on before. The biggest factor is how popular a post is, meaning how many people and how fast they engage. Straight from Instagram, that speed and volume matter more on Explore than in feed or Stories. Your history with the poster and your activity also count, and content that breaks community guidelines won’t be suggested.

What Reels does Instagram avoid recommending?

Instagram avoids recommending Reels that are low-resolution, watermarked, muted, bordered, majority text, or focused on political issues. To rank on the Reels tab, get people to watch all the way through (rewatches are an even stronger signal) and use audio other people are also using.

Does original content rank higher on Instagram?

Yes. Instagram announced at the end of 2022 that original content ranks higher than reposted content, and it’s one of the last major algorithm updates Instagram has confirmed.

Should you post back-to-back on Instagram?

No. Instagram says to avoid back-to-back posts for a better ranking. You can post twice in a day, just don’t stack them right on top of each other. The point is to focus on quality over cramming in volume.

Resources & Links:

• Follow Adam Mosseri on Instagram @mosseri
• Follow The Creators on Instagram @creators 
• Article from Adam: Shedding More Light on How Instagram Works
• Creators Algorithm Truths + Tips
• IG University
• 100 Hook Ideas – FREE GUIDE

Connect with Mya:

• Follow on Instagram @myanichol 
• Join my email list
• Check out my website

Related Episodes 

• Ep 5: 10 quick tips you can apply to your Instagram
• Ep 11: Building a tight-knit community on IG w/ Nicole Jaques

More about the Radical Disruption podcast: 

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