The Instagram algorithm determines which posts you see and in what order. Instagram uses multiple systems for this, not one fixed formula. Want to understand why your reach rises or falls? Start with three recent Reels or three photo posts. Look at which ones received attention and what you did differently. This way, you investigate your own posts without searching for one trick.
Below, you’ll read what distinguishes Feed, Stories, Reels and Explore from one another and how you can test your own posts.
The Instagram algorithm consists of multiple systems
According to Meta’s explanation of Instagram multiple systems work separately and sometimes together. The models and signals change. This earlier explanation does not describe exactly how Instagram orders posts in 2026.
Determining that order is called ranking. A signal is information that may be taken into account. There is no fixed calculation you can use to determine the reach of your next post in advance.
Review your results by post type. A Story that people reply to does something different from a Reel with many views. Comparing only those numbers does not tell you which post worked better.
Instagram Feed: what can you improve in your post?
The Feed is the overview you scroll through to view posts. With your own post, first look at what a viewer sees: is there a clear reason to stop for a moment? This helps you assess your post. It is not an official Instagram formula.
Check these three points for a photo:
- The photo: can you immediately see what you want to show?
- The first sentence: does it tell people something that is not already in the photo?
- The question: can someone give a specific answer to it?
A fictional example: you post a photo of your homemade bread. “My bread” adds little. With “The crust turned out well, but the inside is still doughy. What would you change?” you give people something to respond to. You make it clear what you want to talk about, but this does not guarantee greater reach.
Instagram Reels: where does your video hold attention?
With Reels, look at where your video holds or loses attention. Do not first search for an ideal length. Consider how much time you need to show your idea clearly.
Suppose you make a video about repotting a plant. You can start with the end result and then show the steps. Or you can show the problem first: roots growing out of the pot. You can test these two openings in comparable videos.
- Show immediately what your video is about.
- Cut out waiting and repeated explanations.
- Provide the information you promise at the beginning.
- View the available watch time figures alongside the length of your video.
Is the audio not working as expected? Investigate that separately from the question of why your reach is falling. For that, read what you can do if Instagram music is not working.
Instagram Stories and Explore require a different explanation
Stories are suitable for short moments and a series of updates. Explore is the overview where you discover posts. With a Story, consider whether someone can follow your story. For a post intended for Explore, ask yourself whether someone unfamiliar with you would understand it.
| Section | Question about your post | Possible example |
|---|---|---|
| Stories | Can every step of my story be followed? | On a bike ride, show the destination first, then a stop along the way and finally the arrival. |
| Explore | Is my post clear to someone who does not know my profile? | With a walking photo, write which place you are showing instead of just “here again”. |
These are ways to make your content clearer, not proven rules for greater reach. For example, try providing a little more explanation in your next series of Stories. Or make a standalone post understandable to someone who has not seen your earlier posts.
Which figures help you understand your Instagram reach?
The Hootsuite guide to the Instagram algorithm in 2026 describes different rankings for Feed, Stories, Reels and Explore. The guide names watch time, shares and saves as important practical signals.
This is Hootsuite’s explanation, not an official fixed top three from Instagram. Use the figures to investigate what happens with your posts. One number does not tell the whole story.
| Figure | What you can investigate | What to look at |
|---|---|---|
| Watch time | Do people keep watching my explanation? | Compare videos of roughly the same length. Also use the same measurement, such as average watch time each time. |
| Saves, also known as saves | Is my post useful for later? | A recipe has a different purpose from a holiday photo. |
| Shares, also known as shares | Does my post give people a reason to send it on? | The number of sharing actions is not the same as the number of different people who share. |
| Comments | What do people want to ask or talk about? | Also read what people write. Many replies from one person do not represent many different people. |
| Likes | Which posts receive a quick response? | Likes do not tell you how long someone watched. |
Reach and views also differ. Reach concerns unique accounts: each account counts once. With views, repeated plays may count. Therefore, always compare the same figure over the same period.
Less reach on one post does not prove that the algorithm has changed. Perhaps you chose a different subject, a different opening or a longer video. Note those differences before drawing a conclusion.
Do bought followers help with the Instagram algorithm?
A higher follower count does not prove that more people view your posts. It also does not show that Instagram recommends your content more often.
Are you considering buying Instagram followers? If so, keep that separate from your post testing. Bought numbers do not guarantee genuine attention, comments or reach that occurs naturally. Likewise, with bought likes, a higher number on its own does not prove that your post works better. To compare quantities and prices, explore our Instagram services, including packages for followers and likes.
So do not change your content and your numbers through a purchase at the same time. Otherwise, it becomes harder to determine what caused a difference.
Testing Instagram posts: change one thing at a time
Choose one question that you can investigate with a small change. For example: do people watch my videos for longer if I show the result immediately?
- Choose one type of post. Compare Reels with Reels, not with Stories.
- Change one element. For example, test the opening. Keep the subject, length and style as similar as possible.
- Choose in advance which figure you want to compare. With a different opening, that could be average watch time, if you can view it.
- Record figures after the same amount of time. For example, always do this three days after posting. That is your own arrangement for the test, not an Instagram rule.
- Repeat the test. Review multiple comparable posts before deciding which approach you want to continue using.
Use the statistics available for your account. Is a figure missing? Choose an available figure that suits your question. Write down what you measure so you can compare the same things later.
This fictional calculation example shows how you can compare sharing actions with reach:
- Reel A reaches 800 unique accounts and receives 16 sharing actions: 16 ÷ 800 × 100 = 2 sharing actions per 100 accounts reached.
- Reel B reaches 500 unique accounts and receives 15 sharing actions: 15 ÷ 500 × 100 = 3 sharing actions per 100 accounts reached.
So, you divide the number of sharing actions by the number of accounts reached. Then multiply the result by 100.
Reel A has greater reach and one more sharing action. Yet Reel B has more sharing actions in proportion to its reach. This does not mean that 3 per cent of people shared Reel B: one account can make multiple sharing actions. The figures also do not prove that the reach was caused by sharing.
Want to test the timing? Then keep your content as comparable as possible. Read more about the best time to post Reels.
Which claims about the Instagram algorithm can you skip?
A tip that always promises greater reach after one action does not give you a reliable test. Think of claims such as:
- “With exactly this number of hashtags, you will always get greater reach.”
- “Every Reel must be watched for at least this many seconds.”
- “More followers automatically means more recommendations.”
- “One poorly viewed post proves that Instagram is holding your account back.”
Instead, turn such a tip into a question you can investigate yourself. Not “this time always works”, but “do my comparable Reels perform better at this time more often?” For your next post, choose one change and note what happens.
