The Instagram Explore Page Algorithm in 2023

Omar BorkanSeptember 25, 2023

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The Instagram Explore Page Algorithm in 2023

For the Explore section, the algorithm looks at previous posts you’ve liked or interacted with and prepares a collection of photos and videos from related accounts you don’t follow (yet!).

These photos and videos are then ranked by what interests you most based on how likely you are to like, save, or share a post. This is what matters:

Information about the publication. The algorithm evaluates the overall popularity of a post, using criteria such as the number of people who like, comment, share, and save and how quickly these activities occur.
Your interaction history with the person who posted. Most of the content in Explore will be from accounts new to you, but accounts you’ve interacted with in the past get a little support here.
Your activity. What posts have you liked, commented on, or saved in the past? How have you behaved previously on the Explore page? Your activity history influences what Instagram assumes you might be most interested in.
Information about the person who posted. If an account has had a lot of interaction with users in recent weeks, it’s a signal to Instagram that there is engaging content that others might also like. How To Increase Organic Reach By Hashtag?

Changes to the Instagram algorithm in 2023

One of the greatest joys (read: one of the most maddening features) of the Instagram algorithm is that it changes constantly, so creators and social media managers need to be flexible and keep an eye on updates. These are some of the most recent changes to the IG algorithm.

Equal attention will be paid to photos and videos

In 2022, many Instagram creators expressed displeasure (and, in some cases, anger) that Instagram – an app originally created for photo sharing – seemed to favor videos much more than still images. Users believed that videos got many more views, likes, comments, and shares than photos and blamed a change in the algorithm.

In fact, a petition was launched to argue that the algorithm should focus more on photos (and it got over 300,000 signatures). Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri addressed this question in early 2023. In a Q&A on his Instagram Stories, Mosseri said, “I think we’re focusing too much on video in 2022, and we’re pushing the rankings too far. far away, and we basically show too many videos and not enough photos.”

He followed this statement by assuring creators that Instagram has been working to make the algorithm treat videos and photos more equitably and that statistics have indicated that the changes are taking effect: “Things like how often someone likes photos vs. videos, and the frequency with which someone comments on photos vs. videos are about the same, which is a sign that things are balanced,” Mosseri said.

Instagram will emphasize showing users something new

In an Instagram Reel posted on December 28, 2022, Mosseri announced Instagram’s goals for 2023. One of its top priorities is to “help people discover things they love.” He said it’s not just about videos (probably referring to the previous point) and stressed that “Instagram should be a place where you discover amazing things every time you use it.”

From this statement, we can assume that Instagram’s algorithm updates will prioritize showing users new content from creators they haven’t necessarily seen before. In other words, know that your content isn’t just being shown to your followers: IG wants to show your posts to a new audience.

Instagram will promote content that inspires conversations

In the same Reel cited above, Mosseri alluded to the competition (he didn’t name names, but TikTok and BeReal are the platforms that have taken the social world by storm recently). He said Instagram helps “create connections between people through what they find,” and that IG sets itself apart from its competitors by not being a “passive experience.”

In other words, Instagram doesn’t just care about the number of views a post has. The platform (and algorithm) will favor content that inspires conversations, so we can expect comments to be very important to the success of a post in 2023.

Original content will take priority over forwarded or reshared content

Mosseri has also announced that original content will now rank higher in Instagram’s algorithm. “If you create something from scratch, you should get more credit than if you’re re-sharing something you found from someone else,” the CEO said in an Instagram Reel. “We are going to do more to try to value original content, especially compared to forwarded content.”

In 2023, original content will be favored more than reposted content: the more creative you are, the better your post will perform. How to Get Upvotes on Reddit