How does the Instagram algorithm actually work?
It's a common question amongst social media managers, creators, and anyone trying to grow on social.
So, we’re breaking down how the Instagram algorithm works in 2024 according to feed posts, Reels, Stories, and the Explore page.
Plus, discover our top tips to “hack” the Instagram algorithm, so you can get more engagement for your business or brand.
FYI: Later's Instagram management tools are trusted by 7M+ brands, creators, and marketers to "beat" the algorithm and boost engagement. Create a free account, today.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Instagram Algorithm?
- How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work?
- How the Instagram Algorithm Works for Feed Posts
- How the Instagram Algorithm Works for Instagram Reels
- How the Instagram Algorithm Works for Instagram Stories
- How the Instagram Algorithm Works for the Explore Page
- How the Instagram Algorithm Works for Business, Creator, and Personal Accounts
- Can You Reset the Instagram Algorithm?
- How to "Beat" the Instagram Algorithm
What Is the Instagram Algorithm?
You’ll often hear the Instagram algorithm referred to as a singular concept, but there are really multiple algorithms at play.
In fact, Instagram describes it as a "variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose. We want to make the most of people’s time, and we believe that using technology to personalize everyone’s experience is the best way to do that."
In other words, Instagram's algorithms have one goal: to make you stay on the app longer by delivering content you'll find relevant and interesting.
And if you work in social media, you can use this to your advantage.
How?
By tailoring your strategy to "hack" what Instagram's algorithm is prioritizing — so you can reach more users and build a community of engaged followers.
How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work in 2024?
As mentioned, there are multiple Instagram algorithms at play — each one for a different part of the app, whether it's feed posts or Reels.
In a recent Tweet, Instagram broke down exactly why you see what you see on the app:
Why do you see what you see on Instagram? 🧐
— Instagram (@instagram) May 31, 2023
Here’s a breakdown of how the rankings work ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/e9TGKsBNa8
The major takeaway? Each Instagram algorithm ranks content based on different factors:
The Instagram Feed algorithm: Your activity in-feed (likes, comments, shares, and saves), and info about the post and the person who posted.
The Instagram Stories algorithm: Stories you've viewed or engaged with in the past.
The Instagram Explore Page algorithm: Your activity in Explore (likes, comments, and shares), and info about the post and the person who posted.
The Instagram Reels algorithm: Your activity in Reels (likes, comments, shares, and saves), and info about the Reel and the person who posted.
Keep reading for a more in-depth breakdown of how each algorithm works, depending on the content type.
How the Instagram Algorithm Works for Feed Posts in 2024
The Instagram Feed algorithm has changed a lot over the last few years, pivoting to a model that favors interest.
But how does the algorithm know what content you're most likely to interact with?
According to Instagram's CEO Adam Mosseri, it's a complex process: "We add and remove signals and predictions over time, working to get better at surfacing what you’re interested in.”
These signals include:
Information about the post: Is it a photo or a video? When was it posted? How many likes does it have?
Information about the poster: How interesting are they to you? Are they your friend? How often do people engage with their content?
Your activity: Do you tend to watch a lot of videos? What type of content do you typically engage with?
Your interaction history: Do you typically like or comment on the poster’s posts?
The takeaway? The Instagram algorithm monitors every interaction you make on the app — from the posts you like to who you interact with — in order to serve you content.
What Else Can Impact Feed Post Ranking on Instagram?
There are some additional factors, beyond the interest score, that can impact where a post lands in someone's Home feed. These include:
Image or video quality
Originality (i.e. whether the post has been already shared on Instagram)
Watermarks
Violations of Instagram's Community Guidelines
Reported content
What Engagements Are Most Important to the Instagram Algorithm?
Engagement is key, especially when it comes to the Instagram algorithm.
It considers how likely you are to comment, like, save, spend time, or tap on a profile.
Keeping this in mind, as you plan your content and captions — ask yourself these questions:
Is this post likely to be liked or commented on?
Is this a post someone would save and come back to?
Does this post include a CTA (for example, “Click the link in my bio”) that will prompt someone to tap on your profile?
Creating content encourages this type of engagement can help you “hack” the Instagram algorithm for your benefit.
TIP: Use Later's Instagram Analytics to understand which posts deliver the highest engagement for your account and optimize your strategy.
How the Instagram Reels Algorithm Works in 2024
Knowing how to "hack" the Reels algorithm can be a huge advantage for anyone looking to grow on Instagram.
Much like feed posts, Instagram prioritizes Reels based on what it believes a viewer will be most likely to interact with, and uses a set of signals to help rank content.
According to Instagram, brands and creators should create Reels that are entertaining, inspiring, or experimental and use creative tools like text, camera effects, or filters.
You should also avoid posting Instagram Reels that are low-resolution, too blurry, have already been on Instagram, contain borders, or are visibly recycled from another app.
These types of Reels will be deprioritized — meaning they’ll be less likely to appear across the app.
For an additional boost, we recommend using relevant keywords and hashtags to increase discoverability, and including on-screen captions to make your Instagram Reels more accessible.
Psst, bookmark this blog for additional Reels tips: The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Reels.
How the Instagram Stories Algorithm Works in 2024
The Instagram Stories algorithm typically prioritizes content from the accounts you interact with the most, rather than the specific content of a story.
While Instagram says they look at a variety of signals for Stories, the most notable are:
Viewing history: How often you view an account's stories.
Engagement history: How often you engage with an account's stories.
Closeness: Your overall relationship with the author.
Due to their short-lived nature, timeliness is less important for stories — but it can have a slight impact on ranking once a story gets to 10+ hours.
With this in mind, it's a good idea to regularly share Instagram Stories that encourage engagement — poll, question, and quiz stickers are all great ways to drive interactions.
ICYMI: With Later, you can plan and automatically publish your Instagram Stories, add captions or links, and set a publish time.
NOTE: Due to API capabilities, auto publish does not support stickers, links, or audio. However, you can still schedule stories through notification publishing.
Start scheduling your Instagram Stories in advance with Later today — available on Growth and Advanced plans.
How the Instagram Explore Page Algorithm Works in 2024
The Instagram Explore page algorithm delivers content that it thinks you’ll be most interested in, based on your prior interactions.
While your Instagram Home feed is mostly made up of content from accounts you already follow, the Explore feed consists almost entirely of content from new accounts.
According to Instagram, “the most important actions we predict in Explore include likes, saves, and shares.”
And the most important signals they look at are:
Information about the post: How popular a post seems to be — like how quickly users are interacting with it. These signals matter much more here than they do for Feed and Stories.
Your activity in explore: How you've interacted with posts in the past.
Information about the person who posted: How many times people have interacted with them in the past few weeks, sometimes including you.
The Explore page is constantly evolving, with new topic categories and advanced search functionalities being introduced all the time.
For example, you can search by keywords, as well as hashtags, to discover relevant content in a one-of-a-kind For You feed.
This suggests that the Explore page algorithm also considers the visual content of your posts along with the words in your caption.
So, by continually sharing engaging content with strong captions, relevant keywords, and niche hashtags, you’re optimizing your posts for Explore page potential.
TIP: Write your Instagram captions in advance with Later's Instagram Scheduler. Get started today — it's free!
How the Instagram Algorithm Works for Business, Creator, and Personal Accounts in 2024
There have been rumors that the Instagram algorithm better serves certain accounts, with Business profiles being favored.
However, it can officially be put to rest as Instagram confirmed in a series of Stories, on the @creators account, that all account types are treated equal when it comes to the algorithms:
This means that regardless of whether you have a Personal, Creator, or Business account, it won’t make any difference to how the Instagram algorithm ranks your content.
That said, switching to an Instagram Business account does come with its own set of perks — including the ability to Auto Publish your posts with Later. Sign up now.
Can You Reset the Instagram Algorithm?
Short answer: No, you can't "reset" the Instagram algorithm.
However, there are a couple ways you can refresh the content shown in your feed:
By clearing your search history
By tapping "Not Interested" on suggested posts
The good news? There's plenty you can do to boost the chances of others seeing your content (keep reading).
7 Ways to "Beat" the Instagram Algorithm in 2024
If you want to improve your ranking with the Instagram algorithm, the best thing you can do is drive as many interactions (likes, comments, saves, and clicks) as possible.
And by building momentum with your existing community, you’ll soon find your content surfaced to new audiences.
Here are seven ways to improve your algorithmic ranking and reach new audiences:
#1: Consistently Share Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels are still being heavily promoted by Instagram's algorithm across the entire app experience.
Plus, Reels get twice as much real-estate in the Instagram Explore page — making them a major tactic for discovery and growth.
#2: Encourage More Interactions with Instagram Stories Stickers
Instagram Stories stickers are a great way to encourage audience engagement — and the more engagement your posts get, the higher they’ll be boosted by the Instagram algorithm.
There are lots of Instagram stickers, but the best ones for driving engagement are the poll, emoji slider, and question stickers.
TIP: Include a sticker on your first story for an added boost!
#3: Drive Conversations with Engaging Captions
Instagram has confirmed comments and likes are important when it comes to feed ranking — so it’s a good idea to encourage as many as possible for your posts.
One of the best ways to do this? Write strong captions that drive engagement.
This could be as simple as asking your followers to share their thoughts, double-tap if they agree, tag a friend in the comments, or click the link in your bio.
TIP: TIP: With Later's AI Caption Writer, you can create on-brand captions in seconds — no brainstorming required.
#4: Add Hashtags and Keywords to Your Posts
Adding hashtags and keywords to your posts is an effective way to reach more people on Instagram, which means more “views” for the Instagram algorithm to take into account.
In a Later study, we discovered that feed posts with 20 hashtags get the highest level of engagement on average.
However, it's still important to focus on quality, hyper-relevant hashtags — even using 5 or 10 hashtags is better than zero.
TIP: Use Later's Hashtag Suggestions tool to automatically find relevant hashtags for your posts based on your caption and other hashtags you search. Work smarter, not harder.
#5: Ask Followers To Add You to Their Favorites Feed
A tried-and-true way to have the Instagram algorithm work in your favor? Ask your followers to add you to their Favorites Feed!
The feature lets users add up to 50 accounts to a personal, curated chronological feed.
The best part? According to Instagram, posts from accounts in the Favorites Feed will also show up higher in users' Home feeds (indicated by a star).
That way, loyal followers can engage with your content and signal the Instagram algorithm to share your content with even more people. Win-win.
#6: Cross-promote Your Instagram Content
If you’re looking for a quick and easy engagement win to help boost your algorithm ranking, cross-promoting your Instagram content is a great place to start.
Instagram Collabs posts (with co-shared authorship) are an incredible new way to reach new audiences.
You’ll share views, likes, and comments — allowing you to leverage and engage with each other’s communities.
#7: Use Instagram Analytics to See What’s Working
Tracking and monitoring analytics is one of the most reliable ways to take on the Instagram algorithm.
Having a better understanding of what’s working (and what isn’t) will help you come up with a finely-tuned marketing plan, saving you time and effort in the long run.
But diving into your Instagram Analytics means more than just finding out which photo, video, or Reel performed best.
Truly understanding how your content performs — by tracking key metrics over time — is vital to knowing what helps improve your ranking.
The easiest way to do this? Later’s Analytics feature:
The tool lets you track up to 12 months' worth of Instagram feed posts, Stories, and Reels so you can see exactly what's performed best — and filter by key metrics like engagement, followers, reach, likes, and more.
Plus, you can export your Instagram analytics directly to your desktop (in a CSV file) making it easy to keep all of your numbers in spreadsheet format.
In Summary
The best way to gain an advantage with the Instagram algorithm in 2024?
Know your niche, create engaging content, and be consistent. The Instagram algorithm will do the rest.
TIP: Plan your Instagram content in advance so you can have an organized content calendar (and save time!). Create an account, today.