How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work?

Posted on 9th May, 2025.

TL;DR (The Short Version)

The algorithm is what determines which posts are and aren't shown to users.
The algorithm bases what content it shows on engagement, what you've interacted with previously, location, demographics, and a few other factors.
Get boosted in the algorithm by buying engagement for a headstart, posting consistently over time, and encouraging interactions.

We've all been there. If you're a creator on Instagram, you've likely asked yourself, “Why did this post flop?” or “How did that one go viral?” The answer often lies in how the Instagram algorithm works.

The algorithm can feel mysterious, even frustrating, but it’s not out to get you. In fact, it’s designed to help users find content they’ll love. If you understand how it works, you can use it to your advantage, grow your reach, and build deeper engagement. To ensure you can create content that's loved by your audience and the algorithm, we've got a handy guide. Let's get into it.

What Is the Instagram Algorithm and How Does it Work?

The Instagram algorithm isn’t a single system - it’s a set of multiple algorithms, each tailored to a specific part of the app: the Feed, Stories, Reels, Explore, and Search. Each of these areas ranks content differently, depending on user behaviour and intent.

Instagram's goal is simple: to show users what they’re most likely to engage with, based on what they’ve done in the past. The algorithm works by feeding users more of what they interact with and less of what they don't interact with, in order to keep users on the app for longer. Nobody knows the exact formula, but engagement plays the biggest role, as well as location and demographics.

What Boosts You in the Algorithm?

Here are a few things that give your content a lift:

✅ High Engagement (Especially Saves and Shares)

Instagram sees these as strong indicators of value. The more people save or share, the more likely Instagram is to show your post to others.

✅ Consistency Over Time

Posting regularly, even if it's just 2–3 times a week, helps you stay top of mind (and top of Feed). It also gives Instagram more data to work with.

✅ Meaningful Interactions

Encouraging replies, comments, or DMs tells Instagram you’re building community — and it rewards that.

✅ Original Content

Unique content created in the app (or at least not watermarked from another platform) is preferred.

What Hurts You in the Algorithm?

These things can reduce your visibility:

⚠️ Engagement Drops

If people stop interacting with your content, Instagram assumes it’s not relevant and shows it to fewer people.

⚠️ Reposted Content

Especially if it’s from another app with watermarks (e.g. TikTok). Instagram has openly stated that it deprioritises recycled content.

⚠️ Baiting or Spammy Tactics

“Like for part 2” or “Tag 3 friends” posts can backfire if overused. The algorithm detects engagement bait and may throttle your reach.

⚠️ Shadowbanning (or Limited Visibility)

This can happen if you violate community guidelines (e.g. using banned hashtags, posting misinformation, or triggering too many reports). There’s no official “shadowban” label, but your content may quietly stop showing up on Explore or hashtags.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to get picked up by the Instagram algorithm?

To get picked up by the Instagram algorithm, creators need to focus on producing content that generates meaningful engagement. The algorithm is designed to surface posts that people find valuable, so it pays close attention to how users interact with your content.

This includes likes and comments, but also deeper engagement signals like saves, shares, profile visits, and direct messages. The more a post encourages these interactions, the more likely it is to be recommended or shown more widely. You can buy engagement for a head start, but others methods include posting consistently, encouraging comments using your captions, and working within your niche.

How does Instagram decide what to show you?

Instagram decides what to show you based on a set of algorithms that operate across different parts of the app, including the Feed, Stories, Explore, Reels, and Search. Each area works a little differently, but all deliver content that matches your interests by analysing your behaviour and predicting what you’re most likely to engage with, based on what you've engaged with in the past. It all makes sense when you remember Instagram tries to keep its users scrolling for as long as possible.

In your Feed and Stories, the algorithm prioritises posts from people you’ve built a relationship with, whether through frequent likes, comments, DMs, or profile visits. It also looks at how recent the content is, and how similar it is to the types of posts you normally enjoy. The goal here is to maintain relevance and connection with the people and accounts you care about most.

On the Explore page, things work a bit differently. Here, Instagram surfaces content from accounts you don’t follow, basing its suggestions on the types of posts you’ve interacted with recently. If you’ve been engaging with photography accounts, for example, you’ll likely see more creative or visual content from similar creators in Explore.

If you want to make it big on Instagram and get noticed, you'll need to work with the Instagram. You can start by purchasing engagement - this shows the algorithm that you're receiving likes and views, which, in turn, ensures the algorithm will promote your content.