Facebook uses a complex algorithm to determine which Reels to show users in their feeds. The goal is to show each user Reels that are most relevant and engaging to them. There are a number of factors that go into these recommendations.
Relevance
One of the main factors is relevance. Facebook wants to show you Reels that are related to your interests and the accounts you already follow and interact with. Here are some of the signals they use to determine relevance:
- Pages and accounts you follow
- Your friends and the content they engage with
- Keywords from your profile and past activity
- Any topics you’ve explicitly expressed interest in
If you follow a lot of food accounts and often like or comment on cooking Reels, you’re likely to see more food and recipe Reels. By understanding your tastes, Facebook can recommend content it thinks you’ll enjoy watching and engaging with.
Popularity
Another key factor is the general popularity of a Reel. Reels that are going viral and being heavily engaged with will get amplified by the algorithm. Signals of popularity include:
- Number of reactions, comments, and shares
- How much watch time it’s getting
- If it’s been re-shared by multiple accounts
So even if a viral Reel isn’t closely tied to your interests, you still might see it because of how widely it’s resonating with other users. Facebook wants to show you timely, culturally relevant content.
Engagement
Facebook also looks at your personal history of engaging with Reels. This includes:
- How long you watch each Reel
- If you react, comment, share, or save it
- Any hashtags or audio you use in your own Reels
The more you demonstrate an interest in certain types of Reels, the more Facebook will default to showing you similar content. And if you consistently skip past certain Reels quickly, you’ll see less of that type going forward.
Newness
Facebook prioritizes showing users the latest, most recent Reels first. This introduces you to fresh content and accounts you may not have discovered yet. Signals of newness include:
- How recently the Reel was posted
- If the account is new or recently posted its first Reels
- If you haven’t interacted with the account before
So brand new Reels often get prominence, even if the account doesn’t have a large following yet. This helps give everyone a chance at being discovered.
Diversity
Facebook also aims to show you a good mix of content from different creators and accounts. They don’t want your feed dominated by just one or two posters. So they’ll intentionally sprinkle in variety among the Reels being recommended. This results in a more engaging, serendipitous experience as you uncover new accounts and perspectives.
Friend and Follower Activity
In addition to your own interests and history, Facebook looks at the activity of your friends and followers. Content that your network is viewing and engaging with will get a signal boost. If a Reel is popular among multiple people you follow, you’re more likely to see it. This allows friends to discover content through each other.
Creator and Account Signals
Signals related to the actual Reels creators and their accounts also impact distribution. Factors like:
- How often they post
- Their follower count
- If they’re verified
- If their content is typically highly engaging
Established accounts with a strong posting history tend to get more amplification. Their content is deemed higher quality and more likely to be appreciated.
Usage Patterns
Facebook studies users’ daily and weekly patterns of Reels consumption. They’ll try to surface more Reels for you during your typical peak viewing hours. And fewer Reels during hours you’re unlikely to be on Facebook as much.
Page Administration
Page owners and admins can also directly impact which Reels get shown to their audience. They can:
- Pin specific Reels to the top of their page to give them more prominence
- Exclude certain Reels from recommendations if they don’t want them highlighted
- Target Reels to specific demographics that are highly relevant
So the intentions of the actual Page owner play a role as well.
Paid Promotion
Facebook enables Reels creators and Pages to boost their distribution through paid ads. When a Reel is promoted, it’s likely to reach a larger audience, resulting in more engagement. Facebook discloses when you’re seeing a paid Reel.
Negative Signals
While most factors above increase distribution, Facebook also uses negative signals that can suppress Reels. These include:
- Muting or unfollowing an account
- Reporting a Reel or account for violating policy
- Frequently skipping Reels from a specific account
So explicit actions you take can decrease recommendations from accounts you aren’t interested in.
Limiting Overexposure
Facebook doesn’t want to overexpose you to the same content repeatedly. If you’ve already seen a Reel, further impressions will be limited. And if you follow an account, you likely won’t see all of their Reels in your main feed. Just a selection of their best performing ones.
Ongoing Evolution
It’s important to note that Facebook’s Reels recommendation algorithm is always evolving based on new data and tests. They run hundreds of experiments each day to refine it and serve up better content. They are likely testing brand new signals and tweaking the weighting applied to all the above factors.
Personalized for Each User
While the general principles above apply broadly, the algorithm is personalized for each Facebook user based on their unique interests, connections, and history. Your Reels experience is tailored just for you.
Conclusions
In summary:
- Many factors impact which Reels you see, with relevance, popularity, and your engagement being key.
- Both your own taste and your friends’ activity influence recommendations.
- Facebook balances showing you popular content with helping you discover new creators.
- The system gets smarter over time as it learns your preferences.
- Page owners can directly promote Reels to amplify distribution.
- The ranking is always being refined through ongoing algorithmic development.
While the specifics are only fully known within Facebook, hopefully this provides an overview of how your Reels feed is curated. The wide range of signals used makes it a rich, dynamic, and personalized experience that evolves as you do.