Instagram chief Adam Mosseri is on a mission to bring transparency to how the platform ranks content. In June, he published an update on the company blog and his social media accounts to debunk misconceptions about Instagram’s algorithms, shadowbanning, and related aspects.
How does Instagram work? Or more specifically – why do I see what I see on Instagram? 🧐
In this video I cover:
– “The Algorithm”
– Ranking Feed & Stories
– Ranking Explore
– Ranking Reels
– "Shadow Banning"
– Influencing Your Experience pic.twitter.com/ZqffIy78Ap— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) June 28, 2021
“One of the main misconceptions we want to clear up is the existence of ‘The Algorithm,’” writes Mosseri. “Instagram doesn’t have one algorithm that oversees what people do and don’t see on the app. We use a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose.”
The article breaks down how Instagram recommends content across its various surfaces, including the feed, stories, Reels, and the Explore tab. Mosseri also shared that people may soon receive better in-app notifications to inform them when their posts go against Instagram’s Recommendation Guidelines.
“The truth is most of your followers won’t see what you share, because most look at less than half of their Feed,” he writes. “But we can be more transparent about why we take things down when we do, work to make fewer mistakes – and fix them quickly when we do – and better explain how our systems work.”