Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri explained in a blog post about how the ranking algorithm on Instagram works. While trying to clear up some misunderstandings in his article, he stated that Instagram does not actually have a single algorithm used to rank content. He said that each area of the application has its own algorithm, and these algorithms work in different ways depending on the features.
Mosseri states that Stream, Stories, Explore, Reels, Search, and other areas use their own algorithms and ranking systems to meet users’ needs and recommend the right content.
For Feed, for example, data such as your activities, information about the post, information about the person who posted it, and your interaction history are used to feed the algorithm. Stories, on the other hand, use your viewing history, interaction history, and affiliation with the story’s author to determine which story is shown first.
The time the company made this announcement is quite significant. Because rumors are circulating that a new service to rival Twitter will be launched at the beginning of next month. This led Elon Musk to open source the recommendation algorithm a few months ago.