How the Instagram Algorithm Works: Your 2025 Guide

An inside look at how the Instagram algorithm works for the feed, Explore pages, stories, and reels, the ‘signals’ that impact them most, and how to make them work for you.

The first rule of the Instagram algorithm means understanding that there is no single algorithm.

In fact, according to a blog post shared by the Meta-owned platform, “a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose,” ensure that IG users see the content that most interests them.

“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,” Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri wrote in the update.

Now, a “variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes” may sound a little confusing, but fear not — it’s not quite as intimidating as it sounds.

In this article, I’ll break down exactly how the platform ranks content and share tips for increasing your chances of getting your Instagram content in front of more people.

In short: Everything you need to know about the Instagram algorithm/s.

Different parts of Instagram are ranked by different algorithms

You’ll find a lot of opinions about how certain types of content are ranked higher on the platform than others.

A popular one: “Instagram Reels perform better than feed posts.” While that may be true in some cases (I’ll unpack why down below), statements like that give the impression that new posts and reels are weighed against each other by a single algorithm, and reels are given a leg-up — which is not true.

Instead, reels and the feed (and Instagram Stories and Explore) are all controlled by a different algorithm. Why? People’s behavior tends to differ in different areas of the app. “People tend to look for their closest friends in Stories, use Explore to discover new content and creators, and be entertained in reels,” Mosseri explains.

With that in mind: here’s how it works.

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