The Instagram Reels algorithm decides which Reels are shown to which Instagram user — and even if you’ve already studied our guide to the overall Instagram algorithm, you should know that Reels play by its own rules.
Here’s how the Instagram Reels algorithm works in 2025, and what you can do to make the not-so-secret recipe work to your advantage:
Bonus: Claim your pack of free animated Instagram Reels templates created by Hootsuite’s professional designers. Easily customize them in Canva, and take your Reels game to the next level today.
How does the Instagram Reels algorithm work?
Instagram Reels, of course, are the short-form videos Instagram introduced in 2020 as a TikTok competitor. The platform offers simple editing tools that allow creators to use effects and filters, string together multiple shots, and incorporate music clips to craft fun, engaging Reels in just a few minutes (and unlike Instagram Stories, they don’t disappear after 24 hours).
You’ll see Reels from accounts you follow in your main feed, but there are two other places Instagram Reels from other creators and brands can be discovered:
- The Reels tab. This is basically Instagram’s version of the TikTok For You page. Tap the Reels icon at the bottom of the Instagram app’s home page for an endless, scrollable feed of Reels selected by the algorithm.
- The Explore tab. Reels are also heavily featured in Explore, alongside Instagram Posts and Stories. (Psstt: check out our guide to getting your content on the Instagram Explore page.)
There are multiple factors that go into determining when and where Reels appear.
Relationships
The Instagram algorithm isn’t just taking into account how you interact with content: it’s watching how you interact with other users.
Does someone follow you and search for you by name? Do you message each other, or leave comments? Do you tag each other in your posts? If you’re clearly closely connected to another Insta user, the platform is more likely to share your latest video with them.
Both Reels and Explore often serve up videos from creators you haven’t heard of, but if you’ve interacted with them in some way previously, Instagram takes that into consideration too.
Relevance of the content
Instagram tracks user affinity — a fancy way of saying “what you appear to like.”
If you’ve liked or engaged in some other way with a Reel or post in the past, Instagram takes note of the subject or topic and tries to serve up similar content.
How does the AI learn what a video is about? Through your Instagram Reels hashtags, of course, but also the video content itself (including the audio).
TLDR: Watching videos of dogs playing basketball begets more videos of dogs playing basketball. It’s the circle of life at work, and it’s a beautiful thing.
Timeliness
It’s pretty straightforward — the algorithm prioritizes new Reels over content from the archives.
You’re far more likely to see (and be interested in) Christmas Reels in December than in July.
Popularity
If you’ve got an engaged audience and make content that consistently receives likes and shares, that tells Instagram that you’ve got something special that other people might like, too.
Sure, it seems like a bit of a catch-22 that you have to already be popular in order to get popular, but Instagram is in the business of promoting quality content.
If you’ve already got a reputation for making great stuff, the app will reward you.
11 tips for working with the Instagram Reels algorithm
All of this is a long-winded way of saying that Instagram prioritizes Reels that it thinks people are going to like: content that’s new, fun, and relevant.
Instagram’s Creators account posted a carousel recently confirming just that.
Let’s break down the key takeaways here, shall we?
Create quality content
When people click on the Reels tab, they’re expecting content that’s funny, entertaining, and interesting. So that’s what the algorithm aims to deliver.
According to Instagram’s @creators account, Reels currently has live humans sifting through them to feature the best ones.
Creating a Reel that’s “the best” is a tall and very unquantitative order, but we’ve got 10 ideas for Instagram Reels to get you started.
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Do your best to make your viewers laugh, teach ‘em something cool, or deliver a surprise twist or challenge, and you’re headed in the right direction.
Make your Reels visually appealing
The algorithm favors videos with visual panache. At the very minimum, shoot vertically and avoid low-res photos and videos.
If you’re ready to get creative, test out all of Reels’ bells and whistles and learn how to get more views on Instagram Reels.
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Videos made with the app’s camera effects and filters tend to keep viewers engaged, and get an algorithmic boost in the process.
Avoid reposting TikToks
Instagram Reels may have started life as a TikTok dupe, but they don’t care to be reminded of this fact. If you’re reposting watermarked TikTok videos as Reels, you’re going to be dinged.
We’re not just speculating here, either!
“Content that is visibly recycled from other apps (i.e. contains logos or watermarks) makes the Reels experience less satisfying,” a post from the company explains. “So, we’re making this content less discoverable in places like the Reels tab.”
Use the right hashtags
Hashtags are a great source of discovery for creators, particularly on Reels, so make sure you’re adding at least a handful to each Reel’s description.
For the furthest possible reach, use hashtags that are accurate and descriptive: if the algorithm can compute just what your photo or post is about, it can more easily share it with people who are interested in that particular topic.
Plus, unlike Instagram ads, hashtags are free!
Instagram Reels can include up to 30 hashtags, but Instagram’s best practices suggest that 3 to 5 well-chosen tags will serve you better (our experiment, on the other hand, suggested the more hashtags you can use, the better).
Do your research, explore your niche communities, and use hashtags that really reflect what your post is about.
Learn more with our ultimate guide to Instagram hashtags or check out our list of copy-and-paste Instagram Reels hashtags here.
Feature people in your Reels
Hootsuite’s social media team has found that Reels that feature people perform exceptionally well. And if users like a video, then the algorithm will too.
Hyper-stylized product shots and illustrations can be fun, but ultimately, faces are what really delight the Insta audience.
Use trending music
Use a trending sound clip and the algorithm (or should we say algo-rhythm) will reward you by spreading your Reel far and wide.
Create content outside of Reels, too
The more Insta content you put out into the world, the more likely you are to be discovered.
After all, we know that the Instagram Reels algorithm is keeping track of your history with other users. If someone has been peeping at your other Instagram output, it’s a signal for the algorithm to deliver your latest Reel to them, too.
WAIT, in a surprise twist: did you know you can actually make Instagram Reels out of your old Stories Highlights? Watch our video to find out how:
Follow Instagram’s recommendation guidelines
Instagram spells out just how it decides what to recommend and who in its Recommendation Guidelines: consider this document your Social Media Commandments.
“We work to avoid making recommendations that could be low-quality, objectionable, or sensitive, and we also avoid making recommendations that may be inappropriate for younger viewers,” Instagram writes.
Content that promotes violence, self-harm or misinformation, for instance, won’t show up in someone’s feed as a recommendation. Keep it civil and play by the Insta-rules for maximum reach.
Give the people what they want
Use analytics to learn more about your audience and serve up content that’s hitting the spot. Instagram Insights allows both Business and Creator accounts to access Reels analytics, which include performance metrics like reach, comments, and likes.
But if you want even more detail, a third-party social media management app like Hootsuite can really take your number-crunching to the next level.
To see how your Reels are performing, head to Analytics in the Hootsuite dashboard. There, you’ll find detailed performance stats, including:
- Reach
Plays
Likes
Comments
Shares
Saves
Engagement rate
Engagement reports for all your connected Instagram accounts now factor in Reels data.
…and when they want it
Because the Instagram Reels algorithm prioritizes recent posts, it’s crucial to post fresh content when the maximum number of your followers are online. As we learned earlier, earning high engagement with your own followers is the first step towards getting a spot on the Explore page.
Check out our analysis of the best time to post on Instagram for your industry, look at your analytics, or use Hootsuite to determine the best time to post.
Here’s how to schedule a Reel at the best possible time using Hootsuite:
- Record your video and edit it (adding sounds and effects) in the Instagram app.
- Save the Reel to your device.
- In Hootsuite, tap the Create icon on the very top of the left-hand menu to open the Composer.
- Select the Instagram Business account you want to publish your Reel to.
- In the Content section, select Reels.
- Upload the Reel you saved to your device. Videos must be between 5 seconds and 90 seconds long and have an aspect ratio of 9:16.
- Add a caption. You can include emojis and hashtags, and tag other accounts in your caption.
- Adjust additional settings. You can enable or disable comments, Stitches and Duets for each of your individual posts.
- Preview your Reel and click Post now to publish it immediately, or…
- …click Schedule for later to post your Reel at a different time. You can manually select a publication date or pick from three recommended custom best times to post for maximum engagement.
And that’s it! Your Reel will show up in the Planner, alongside all of your other scheduled social media posts. From there, you can edit, delete or duplicate your Reel, or move it to drafts.
Once your Reel is published, it will appear in both your feed and the Reels tab on your account.
Note: You can currently only create and schedule Reels on desktop (but you will be able to see your scheduled Reels in the Planner in the Hootsuite mobile app).
Cultivate an active community
Want to get your Reels in front of juicy, juicy “lookalike audiences” on the Explore page? It starts with engaging your own brand community.
To be clear, we’re not talking about cringe-y shortcuts like joining Instagram pods or buying followers: we’re talking about rolling up your sleeves and starting conversations in the comments and DMs.
We know, we know: none of these tips for making the Instagram Reels algorithm work for you are exactly “hacks.” But if you want to build a social brand with a meaningful impact, it takes care and effort.
The good news is that while you’re taking the time to craft the perfect Reel or to engage with your perfect audience, a dashboard like Hootsuite can take the work out of
Easily schedule and manage Reels alongside all your other content from Hootsuite’s super simple dashboard. Schedule posts to go live while you’re OOO — and post at the best possible time, even if you’re fast asleep — and monitor your post’s reach, likes, shares, and more.
